When Lucia Aide describes her Creative Access internship as ‘aligned, insightful and encouraging’, it’s clear she’s found her stride. Her journey to this point hasn’t been straightforward – shaped by loss, reflection, and a renewed sense of purpose – but it’s led her to a career rooted in creativity, connection and community. 

From starting her own platform, theConn3ct at 21, to bringing fresh ideas to Creative Access working across our career development programmes Springboard and Thrive, Lucia is full of ambition. We spoke about her path so far, the power of pausing, and what it means to take up space as your authentic self in this latest instalment of Diary of a CA Intern. 

CA: How would you describe your internship so far in three words? 

Lucia: Aligned, insightful and encouraging. 

You really stood out in your interview for being sure of how this internship will fit into your career goals. How did you get to that point? 

It’s so interesting that was felt! I’ve experienced a lot of loss, which has had a big impact on me and my career too. This year, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on what I’ve done and the skills I have, and figuring out where they could be applied. That process really helped me understand what I want and where I could go next.  

I also was able to connect with a mentor through the Creative Mentor Network this year. That helped me do some deep thinking about what I value when it comes to a job. 

Sorry to hear you’ve experienced a lot of loss and it affected so much of your life and career at that point. Do you think that you made you more aware of how useful career development is? 

Yeah, I’m very invested in the idea of being a part of people’s journeys and helping them realise the greatness that lives within them. 

And I do think because of my experiences, I have a perspective on what’s needed for people in these spaces. I know as a young person, people sometimes misguidedly make programmes that don’t serve the community they are trying to, because of a lack of understanding. Then that doesn’t make the intended impact.  

So, I do think having lived experience is valuable, as well as just being passionate about helping people. 

Creative Access holds very closely the ethos: ‘By under-represented people, for under-represented people’. Are you bursting with ideas for how Creative Access can improve or develop its work with people like ourselves now you’ve been here a little while?  

One thing, I’ve realised is that I enjoy developing things. I’m always thinking about how we can improve or make an even bigger impact. 

Creative Access is doing really amazing work. Even the first week I was like, ‘Wow. If I wasn’t working here, I would want to be able to get onto the Thrive or Springboard programme.’ I can see how access is being created.  

I also think there’s always room for improvement and that’s why it’s important that there’s a role like mine that can bring in people with fresh ideas from various backgrounds. Whether it’s who they are, what they’ve done or the experiences that they’ve had, I feel those are the things that really shape businesses like this. 

You’ve squeezed in going to university, setting up your own platform, theConn3ct, and getting this internship into a pretty short amount of time… I think the CA community would love to know about how you did it?

A lot of the things that I’ve done have stemmed from poetry. I discovered George the Poet through my English teacher when I was young and I thought wow – he was speaking about important topics, but he sounded like my brothers or my cousins that used to rap. Then I started writing, and it gave me a way to express myself.  

So, when I was 15, I started a platform and we did events in London that consisted of speakers, poets, musicians, and panel discussions. I was running it with my friends and negotiating with venues. I was just passionate about gathering people! 

But then a loss in 2019 forced me to pause. I took some time out of university after my first year. When I went back to university a year later, I found the courage to get back up again. 

I came up with an idea that would get creatives connecting – theConn3ct. It’s a platform that’s dedicated to curating experiences and creative projects that are rooted in community, connection and creativity. 

In 2023, we had our first event that was funded in Kent at my university, and then we did our first event in London. From there we’ve been curating these creative spaces with people who just value community and connection.  

I truly believe that no matter who you are or what you do, you’re going to need us creatives. Whether it’s a photographer, or your heart just needs that music to your ears, you’re going to need us. 

You said you found the courage to pick yourself back up again after something terrible happened. What advice you would give to someone who has gone through something painful and is trying to get their creative momentum back? 

I’m very big on sharing my story because I think about the times where I’ve wanted to hear someone open up about something that they’ve gone through just so that I wouldn’t feel alone.  

Having to take time to pause has been important for me. Sometimes we think that if we pause, everyone else is going to keep moving and we’re just going to stay still, but pausing is probably going to have an important effect on how you move forward. So, don’t be scared to just take time. 

The second thing I’d say is ask for help. One thing that I made use of at university was anything offered to me to do with well-being.  

Because of the taboos related to mental health, it’s scary to tap into that kind of support, but whoever you feel safe with, I encourage you to talk to them.  

Our life experiences, especially the difficult ones that you’re discussing, can be so relevant to who we are, and even sometimes where our strengths come from. How closely do you feel these challenges are part of who you are as a professional? 

It’s hard to know me and understand my strengths and my skills, without a certain understanding of my story – that’s just how I work. So, I may not tell you the whole spiel but theConn3ct isn’t theConn3ct without you understanding the person that’s behind it.  

That doesn’t mean I don’t feel embarrassed sometimes, thinking “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that!” But I know that all I’ve gone through has made me who I am, and I can’t run away from it. 

We take inspiration from your confidence! Where does it comes from?  

Growing up as a kid, I was a very shy but when I started performing and singing it built my confidence.  

Self-doubt has lived with me for a while, but I do the inner work – reminding myself that I am a gifted person and I am deserving of being in the spaces that I want to be and desire to be. 

One of my goals coming into this traineeship was that I wanted to take up space and I wanted to use my voice. If I have something to say, I want to say it, if I don’t, I won’t.  

I think coming from an under-represented background, one of my fears has been like – whatever space I’m going into – I might be too much or I might not be enough, or the way I speak isn’t professional enough or who I am isn’t a professional enough. I think over the years, life has taught me that is better to stay you. Yes, be professional. Yes, be this this or be that, but do it in your way. It’s gotten me to where I am. 

What was it about the thrive traineeship at Creative Access that caught your eye? 

That it was a 12-month contract and a ‘let’s see how much you can develop in this time’. I’ve never been in a position where people have said ‘Let’s see how we can support these natural gifts things you have and help you develop’.  

Working with the community and partnerships manager was also exciting to me because I’m passionate about relationship building. Through Conn3ct events, I’ve been able to gain some experience but there’s room for development. I have my way of doing things without anyone telling me to, which I’ve winged it up until now! But I wanted to know how Creative Access produces events from the concept to the end goal. 

I think the values that Creative Access hold are very dear to me, and it’s what I’ve always been passionate about; creating access for creatives and to each other and to opportunities. Those are things that really get me going. 

Another big passion of mine is my identity and this idea of belonging; letting people know that no matter where you’re from or how you identify, you deserve to be in the spaces you want to be in and you can belong. Also, employers need to create safe spaces for people to feel like they can belong and that their identity matters.  

Sometimes landing a CA internship can make you feel like a fish out of water at first! How has the adjustment been and what do you wish employers knew? 

Being an intern is hard, and doing the Springboard induction really showed me that it’s hard to go into anything when you haven’t had that much experience. You’re entry level and no one’s really taught you how to navigate these spaces and you come from a background where you don’t even know people who would have even ever gotten this type of opportunity. It’s so difficult but it’s also really rewarding, because I did this. I got to this point. I brought myself to the table. 

However, a message I have for employers is: really ensure that there’s great structures [in place for interns]. I think Creative Access is doing a great job at trying to ensure that trainees and interns are getting a smooth onboarding process.  

What can we expect from you after you complete your traineeship?  

I’m excited to look back at where I was now and think that I showed up, did my best, made an impact on others as well as on myself. 

I also look forward to tapping more into my creative side! I’m passionate about storytelling and there’s pictures that I’ve taken over the years as I’ve travelled back to Uganda which I plan to tie that into an essay about identity and belonging. 

Thank you so much for your time, we can’t wait to see what you do next!

Stay in touch with Lucia and follow her work on:

• Lucia’s LinkedIn 🔗
• The Conn3ct’s Instagram 🔗

‘Lantana and Edinburgh University Press among those who will host trainees‘ reports Lucy Nathan at BookBrunch.

The Mo Siewcharran Fund is delighted to announce the recipients of five new grant awards: independent arts and events venue, Shoreditch Town Hall; British African heritage contemporary theatre, tiata fahodzi; children’s book publisher, Lantana; internationally touring dance organisation Dance Consortium; and leading scholarly publisher, Edinburgh University Press.

Now in its seventh year, the Mo Siewcharran Fund continues to champion a range of creative organisations, with a mission to help young people from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds pursue careers in publishing, music and theatre.  

Since its launch in 2018, the Fund has supported 57 Black, Asian and ethnically diverse trainees in publishing, theatre and music across the UK. Each grant contributes to the salary costs for a six-month traineeship and a full programme of support from Creative Access to ensure the trainee thrives in their new role.  

The Fund’s impact is clear: two-thirds (63%) of interns have stayed on at their host organisation at the end of their traineeship, nine in ten (89%) continued to work in the same sector, and more than half (56%) brought fresh ideas and new perspectives to their company and role. 

In addition to welcoming our newest grant recipients, we are pleased to publish our latest impact report for 2022 – 2025.

On this latest round of recipients, the founder of the Mo Siewcharran Fund, John Seaton said:  

“It seems almost incredible that the interconnected concepts of equality, diversity and inclusion should be under any sort of threat. With a little hint of defiance, I will say they provide the mainspring of the Mo Siewcharran Fund.  It is hugely exciting to welcome five companies, two in publishing, two in theatre and one in dance, who share these values so strongly. I look forward to working with them. It is a permanent joy to work with Creative Access who make all this happen.”  

Josie Dobrin OBE, executive chair, Creative Access, said: 

“The Mo Siewcharran Fund continues to be a joy to work with John on and the calibre of applications get stronger and stronger with each round. To that end, it’s a delight to award these newest awards to four such committed organisations. We’re confident that the lucky trainees recruited to each opportunity will have excellent experiences which act as springboards for their future careers in the sector”. 

Shoreditch Town Hall is an independent arts and events venue presenting bold, original theatre, live performance and community programmes. Shoreditch Town Hall’s CEO, Julie Flavell said: 

“We’re thrilled to be working with Creative Access through the Mo Siewcharran Fund to create meaningful, inclusive routes into the arts. This funding enables us to offer a hands-on, supported placement that gives a young person from the Global Majority real exposure to our creative and operational work. We’re excited not only to welcome a new voice to Shoreditch Town Hall, but to ensure the legacy of this opportunity lasts far beyond the placement itself.  

Tiata fahodzi ltd. is a theatre company producing world-class work that reflects and celebrates the African heritage experience in Britain today. Artistic director & CEO, Chinonyerem Odimba, said: 

“Tiata fahodzi is absolutely delighted to be a part of the Mo Siewcharran fund this year.  We are all about bringing new diverse talent into the industry and being able to provide a young future theatre maker with an insight into how we work is an absolute joy.” 

Lantana Publishing is an award-winning independent publisher committed to diverse and inclusive books for children. Christofere Fila, associate publisher, said: 

“I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude in receiving the Mo Siewcharran Memorial Fund. As a small business, this is such a vital opportunity for us to transfer skills to someone from an under-represented background. We hope to provide a welcoming and productive environment to someone deserving, who will then go on to find a professional position somewhere else with confidence. And maybe one day in return they will also train someone and complete the circle.” 

Dance Consortium is a group of UK theatres working together to bring the best international contemporary dance to audiences across the country. Dance Consortium’s chief executive, Joe Bates, said: 

“Dance Consortium is proud to have been awarded a grant from the Mo Siewcharran Fund, managed by Creative Access, in support of our commitment to nurturing the next generation of diverse talent in the arts. This funding will help us provide meaningful career development for a young person from an under-represented background, as we continue to develop unique opportunities to support and diversify the touring ecology. This new partnership with Creative Access strengthens our mission to inspire new, diverse audiences and contribute to a more representative and equitable creative sector.”  

Edinburgh University Press is a leading academic publisher sharing groundbreaking scholarship with global reach across the humanities and social sciences. Nicola Ramsey, chief executive officer, said: 

“We know that a team is stronger when it is diverse, in terms of culture and morale, and that we benefit both personally and as a business from the creative solutions that come from a range of life perspectives and experiences. I am delighted that we will have the support of Creative Access and the Mo Siewcharran Fund in recruiting and training a publishing trainee from an under-represented background.” 

The Fund is once again open for other theatre, publishing or music organisations wishing to support internships for those from under-represented communities.  The deadline for the next round is midday Thursday 27 November 2025. Those interested in applying should download the application form here. 

Have you ever used a remote to change the volume on your TV? Watched a video with subtitles? Looked for a low point on a curb to move a suitcase between road and pavement? Listened to an audiobook while washing up? 

You might not know it, but these are all examples of technologies designed with disabled people in mind that have since become part of everyday life, with an impact so profound that their invention can easily be overlooked or taken for granted. 

The Victoria and Albert Museum’s Design and Disability exhibition, showing until February 2026, showcases the radical contributions of disabled, Deaf and neurodivergent people and communities – not just in meeting the access needs of daily life but in finding comfort, creativity, self-expression and sheer joy – all while breaking new ground as a more accessible gallery experience. The eclectic objects include high fashion, disability activist memorabilia, modded video game controllers, and the Squeeze Chair by Wendy Jacob (a luxurious chaise longue that calms its sitters with deep pressure stimulation). 

For our August 2025 masterclass we were thrilled to hear Catriona Macdonald, exhibition manager at the V&A, delve into the work that goes into exhibitions like this one, followed by a private evening view of the exhibition itself. 

The timeline for producing an exhibition like Design and Disability starts long before installation. In this case, work by curator Natalie Kane started at least five years ago and Catriona joined around two years into the process. There is a six-month period in which the feasibility of a show is researched and compiled, including extensive audience testing, culminating in the Business Case, a document Catriona neatly sums up as: “Here are our aims, and here is how we are going to achieve them.” 

Catriona’s deep involvement in the exhibition, from initial feasibility planning through to the installation period, offers unique insight into the realities of exhibition-making at this level. In her role, Catriona is responsible for successfully delivering exhibitions in time and in budget, managing risks on both fronts whether at home at the V&A or for touring exhibitions. As you might imagine, the role involves communicating with an incredible variety of internal and external stakeholders, from specialist teams in the V&A to contractors and artists beyond.  

After this has been successfully reviewed, a global view of the exhibition is created through a programme and schedule of work (a good old Excel spreadsheet does the trick) and there is the finalised budget, a risk register, curatorial presentations, a clear narrative scope to the exhibition with support from the Interpretation team, a brief for external or internal designers, all tenders that will be required… and, of course, a list of objects!  

When the exhibition is in its development phase, the object list will be closed with loans and transport of the objects planned. At this point Conservation & Technical Services staff will come on board to figure out how exactly to display objects.  

The installation process before the exhibition opens can be complex and items are often fragile. Some high value objects even come with their own couriers. In the case of Disability and Design was completed over two weeks, and Catriona worked closely with artists to understanding precisely how work should be displayed as intended, down to the precise positioning of a cushion on a piece of furniture.  

The impression Catriona gives of managing the exhibition is one of an incredible balancing act. On one hand, placing accessibility as a central principle in how the exhibition is designed and how it can include disabled communities as much as possible – all while meeting the high curatorial standards of any V&A exhibition, and the complex technical and logistical requirements that make any of this possible.  

But what exactly makes Design & Disability different? Accessibility is baked into the very core of the exhibition experience, with careful decisions made regarding layout, entrances, a dedicated onboarding area, audio and BSL guides, earcup headphones, induction loops, wall colours, tactile edges for doorways and furniture, a tactile map, and seating areas throughout the space.  

Spaces are created for reflection and pause, including the blue bench with “I need more time // rest here if you agree” which Catriona describes as encapsulating the entire show and working as its manifesto. It’s common in galleries for there to be a lack of opportunity to simply rest and inhabit the space; that’s not the case here. Disability advisory groups were a crucial part in crafting an exhibition that puts disabled people and communities first. 

The “lights up” day which takes place each month, in which lighting is increased to be inclusive of visitors who require this, is a perfect microcosm of the decision-making behind the exhibition. The higher light settings were designed with equal thoughtfulness to provide an intentional experience to every visitor rather than merely hitting a light switch, and the duration of the increased light was balanced with a need to protect certain objects from damage. 

“Legacy is a particularly important thing for this show,” Catriona explains. While introducing audio description guides and plain English guides – both of which are the first of their kind in the museum – training was provided across the department so that other staff now have the skills to include these elements in their projects. The lighting gear acquired for the “lights up” days is now in the museum and can be used again. Catriona stressed that feedback from visitors that find these features beneficial is highly valued and helps shape and make the case for what should be included in future exhibitions.  

Catriona also spoke candidly about the personal learning she gained through this process. Strong disabled representation in the team was even more valuable than expected, as working alongside mainly disabled practitioners created a shared context and basis of understanding that meant there was no contest over prioritising access. It was also a reminder to meet artists where they are and being ready to break convention to help individual working styles – for example, picking up the phone rather than sending a high volume of emails. 

If non-disabled visitors leave the exhibition with one takeaway, Catriona wants them to become comfortable with feeling uncomfortable and to sit with this sensation for a while. “Disabled people should not be thought of as a monolith,” she tells us. “Every disabled person’s experience belongs to them.”  

Thanks to our friends at the V&A for inviting the Creative Access community to a fantastic evening, and a huge thank you to everyone who attended the talk and private viewing! We look forward to seeing you at our next masterclass. 

Creative Access is super excited to collaborate with Carolyn; a 25 year old freelance copywriter and founder of Word Tonic. Carolyn spends her days crafting carefully curated lines for ads (like the kind you read on billboards), blog posts (just like this one!), and even funny little captions on social media.

Like most of us, she wasn’t told about this career at school and went on a tipsy topsy journey to get to where she is today. So if you want to find out what a day in the life of an actual copywriter looks like – and get a few tips along the way –  just read on!

Ok, but who am I and what is copywriting?

Helllllllo! Carolyn here. I thought it kind of made sense to tell you a bit about my journey into copywriting.

But first…what is copywriting?

I get asked this question a lot but in a nutshell; it’s writing stuff for brands. It’s marketing material. It’s that blog post you just read on how to make banana bread. It’s that ad you saw on the tube that made you giggle. Even the funny writing on the side of Oatly cartons is copywriting:

Now I never even knew that this career existed at school. And I kinda feel like that’s a canon moment for most of us. The kids who were good at science and STEM subjects had THE WORLD ahead of them but us English Lit kids? Nah. We either had to write a best-selling book or become a journalist. And if that didn’t work out, maybe get into teaching. I still remember going to my ‘careers advisor’ and telling them I loved writing. 

Their response?

“Honey, do you really want to become an English teacher? Because that’s the most viable option.”

Thanks for nothing Mrs Smith.

ANYWAY.

With basically no help from school, I decided I’d just go to uni. Because that’s what everyone else was doing and well…it would buy me time to figure out the rest of my life.

So, I went to study English (surprise) at Queen Mary University of London but…I just didn’t love it. I hated analysing why a door was blue and to be totally honest, I couldn’t afford it. My dad’s a postman and my mum was a nanny –  and they were both alcoholics. I love them, but it made juggling studies really difficult.

So, I decided to quit. But luckily within the last few months of making that decision, I found out about freelance copywriting and realised I’d finally found a career that made me excited.

I could write for a living. I could be creative. And best of all – since it was freelance – I could travel. Be my own boss. Have autonomy.

And that’s how it all started.

Now? I’ve been a copywriter for eight years and I’m also the founder of Word Tonic; a community of 2500+ gen-z copywriters.

What is Word Tonic?

Word Tonic is basically an online learning platform and community for young people to learn about copywriting and level up with lots of resources.

I created it because I was tired of always being the youngest one in other copywriting communities and I wanted to create a more accessible route into the industry. Especially for people who maybe don’ t have degrees or don’t look ‘great’ on paper.

Now we do weekly copywriting masterclasses with brands like Marvel, briefs to help build up your portfolio, live writing challenges with brands, and host live networking events across London.

What does a day in my life look like?

Freelance copywriting is very different from a normal 9-5. I don’t have a ‘boss’ breathing down my neck asking where my work is. I’m not clocking in or logging my hours. I don’t even go to the office. And the best part? I can travel while I’m working-  as long as I get the job done. So I thought it would be cool to give you a peek at what a normal day in my life looks like. No sugar-coating whatsoever.

8.30am; wake up, snooze, repeat

I used to be a barista for exactly one week and a half (I couldn’t take the pressure) and I remember having to wake up AT 6AM to be there for the store opening. And that’s one thing I love about freelance copywriting; no set work hours!

Since I work for MYSELF, I can decide when I get up. And I’ll be honest, some days are rough. Some days I’m feeling a lil bit low. Other days I might have woken up feeling like death after scrolling on Instagram until 4am. And on those occasions, I’ll sleep in. Sometimes even till 10am.

But most days I get up at 8.30am and start my day.

OH and this will be my ‘work outfit’ for the day:

LIL FREELANCE COPYWRITING TIP: I won’t lie – having this freedom is great but you do need to have a certain level of willpower and ambition to get stuff done. Because yes, you can wake up when you want and work when you feel like it –  but only to a point if you actually want to get paid. 

So my best piece of advice for those days when you’re feeling uninspired and totally ready to just veg with your Nintendo Switch? Have a reward set up for later in the day. I literally tell myself, ‘Carolyn, you’re gonna get to watch Real Housewives and eat chocolate.’ It sounds SO dumb, but it honestly does get me out of bed.

9.00am; breakfast (and by breakfast I mean coffee)

Again, I’m just being honest here. I tend to just grab a coffee and start working right away. I’ll usually look through my emails, catch up with any client comms and get my head straight for the day with some sort of to-do-list.

9.15am – 11am; client briefing 

After putting on a semi-decent shirt (I’m still wearing my boyfriend’s boxers but they’ll never know) I hop on a call with one of my clients. Some people think copywriting is just WRITING and that no human interaction is needed. Not true. Even if you’re an introvert, you’ll still need to attend meetings – especially if a new brief comes through. 

So on this call, I was given a brief to write my client’s monthly newsletter and to write a blog post on sales psychology. After the call, I spent about an hour dissecting the brief to make sure I understood what was being asked of me and started planning my work!

LIL FREELANCE COPYWRITING TIP: Freelance copywriting isn’t just about writing; how you interact with your clients is also A HUGE part of it. So you need to make sure you’re on top of emails and responding to stuff in a timely manner, and that you’re getting work sent in on time. BUT…and I found this out the hard way…never set the expectation super, super high. I remember at the start of my career, I was eager to please please PLEASE. So as soon as I got a brief, I’d aim to get the work done within 2 days. Even if the deadline was in a week.

 I just wanted my clients to think, ‘wow, she’s fast!” And they did love it. But soon, it became something they expected. So as soon as I started handing work in on the deadline date, they were disappointed. So instead of being eager-beaver, just get your work in one day ahead of the deadline – max.

11am-12pm; work and blank Google Doc syndrome

And now it’s time to workkkkkkkkk. I put on some music and I spend the next hour trying to come up with words and ideas related to the brief. About half my time is spent looking at a blank Google doc.

LIL FREELANCE COPYWRITING TIP: Writer’s block sucks and it never really goes away. You just get better at handling it and coaxing the creativity out. One way I like to do this is by ‘getting the gunk out.’ AKA, writing the worst way first. Let’s say I get given a brief to write a headline about chocolate. What I’ll do is spend at least 10 minutes purposefully coming up with as many bad ideas as possible- and writing them down. Sounds weird, but I find it a nice way of clearing out my brain before I get to work seriously.

12pm-1pm; lunch at my local

This is literally the only time I will make an effort (when food is involved).

1pm-2pm; Google deep dives and research rabbit holes

When I get back, I switch gears to work on a DIFFERENT COPYWRITING PROJECT. Because as a freelancer, I can have many different clients – all at once. Which in some ways is really nice; having the variety can be exciting. But it can also be a bit draining to switch between two briefs.

Part of my work with this particular project involves doing A LOT of research so I spend most of my time on Google Scholar trying to find sources to better understand the topic I’m writing about.

LIL FREELANCE COPYWRITING TIP: You’ll pretty much always need to do some kind of research for a copywriting project. But it will come especially handy when you’re writing about something you don’t 100% understand – or for a target audience you don’t relate to. Take me. The brief I got was to do with writing up a headline for an ad about football for male fans between the ages of 50-60. 

I don’t mind football but I definitely don’t know what being a 50-60 year old bloke who loves footie feels like, and it’s important that I do – or else my copy will come out sounding strange. If you ever get into this problem, I recommend using Reddit. Sounds crazy but it’s a great way to people-watch (safely, online) on different groups of people with particular hobbies and interests. You can even ask them questions.

2.15-3pm; final push through

And then I have one final hour of pushing through because I’m working to a tight deadline. 

Now, this day was quite filled up but it’s important to remember that it’s not ALWAYS that way. And a lot of the time YOU’RE dictating when you work and how long for. Some weeks are slow. Some weeks you’re not inspired, no matter how many walks you do or how many times you reward yourself with limitless supplies of chocolate. 

And that’s okay. That’s the great thing about freelancing. If you wake up one day feeling 100% totally out of it, you can drop it for the day and do something entirely unrelated.

2.15-3pm; learning and development

Once my work is wrapped up, I usually like to spend 30 or so minutes trying to learn some new skills in marketing. It’s always a good idea to stay fresh in this field. 

And remember how I said I was also the founder of Word Tonic? Well, we do weekly copywriting masterclasses in the community and on this day, we actually had a workshop with a Pokemon copywriter (yes, really).

 So I came along to facilitate and lead the call and…wow. I learnt so much! Even though I’m not getting into games writing, sometimes stepping outside your immediate field can help you become more creative.

5pm; a bit of a surf

THAT’S THAT! I end most of my working days between 3pm to 5pm and today I decided to head to the beach (I live in Portugal so it’s right around the corner!) to surf. I’m not good at surfing. Never have and never will be but it’s SO MUCH FUN.

And that’s my day in a nutshell as a freelance copywriter!

Career progression for under-represented creatives in crisis, reports Lucy Nathan at BookBrunch: ‘as the latest Thrive survey from Creative Access captures a stark moment of reckoning for the sector.’.

Read BookBrunch’s article.

Creative Access announces results of annual survey charting business & career sentiment among diverse talent & employers regarding DE&I goals.

• Less than half have made progress compared with two-thirds in 2022 

• 9 in 10 haven’t received a promotion and 83% haven’t received a pay rise in the last year 

• Optimism has dropped to 31%, falling year-on-year from 66% in 2022 

• 46% of freelancers have seen a decline in work 

The UK’s creative workforce is facing unprecedented disruption, with staff, freelancers, and employers alike navigating instability, shrinking opportunities, and the rapid introduction of new technologies, according to the latest Thrive report from Creative Access. 

Based on the views of 300 respondents – 200 individuals and 100 employers – this year’s research reveals the impact of widespread change across the creative economy. 

Amongst a continuing cost-of-living crisis, mass redundancies and an increasingly divisive political climate, the survey captures a stark moment of reckoning for the sector and offers a reflection on how to address the ongoing crises. 

Less than half of respondents (42%) reported any career progression over the past year, compared with two-thirds in 2022. This was most noticeable amongst those from Black, Asian and ethnically diverse backgrounds and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.  

Nearly 9 in 10 respondents have not received a promotion, and over 80% have not received a pay rise – a trend likely linked to the financial strain faced by many creative organisations.  

In 2022, two-thirds of respondents felt optimistic about their career. In 2025, that number has more than halved to just 31%. Disabled creatives reported the lowest optimism levels overall.  

Freelancers are particularly feeling the squeeze, with 46% reporting a decrease in the volume of work available. 

The report shows a troubling rise in negative impacts on mental health, with working hours (22%), poor line management (22%), team dynamics (15%) and a lack of focus on wellbeing (15%) appearing as the most common contributing factors. Disabled creatives were the most likely to say their mental health had been negatively affected by their work (50%). 

Still, almost a third of all respondents said their work did have some positive impact on their wellbeing, indicating that the right conditions can still foster fulfilment.  

Despite these challenges, there’s evidence that tailored support makes a real difference. Individuals who accessed Creative Access programmes over the past year were more likely to report career progress than those who didn’t. In addition, the vast majority of those who’d received Creative Access services (92%) ranked at least one area of support from Creative Access as either ‘significant’ or ‘very significant’ to their careers. 

Worryingly, 1 in 20 organisations – and 1 in 7 larger employers – reported a decrease in DE&I spending this year. This may be contributing to a decline in workforce diversity: just 47% of employers said their teams had become more representative, down for the fourth consecutive year. 

Equity in progression and reward also appears stuck, with 42% of employers reporting no change in the past 12 months.  

Yet there are reasons for hope: 44% of organisations said they had increased their DE&I spend – an uplift on last year’s 35%. Meanwhile, 82% of employers attributed their organisation’s progress in DE&I to working with Creative Access.  

Creative organisations have embraced AI at an astonishing rate: just 3% were using AI last year whereas now in 2025, 53% are.  

But the workforce is still catching up. Only 18% of individuals say they’ve received AI training, and 82% have concerns about the ethical and inclusive implications of AI use in creative settings. 

On the findings, CEO of Creative Access, Mel Rodrigues said: 

“The creative industries are experiencing a period of profound and sustained upheaval. With optimism fading and career progression stalling, it’s vital that we now double down on our support for under-represented talent. If we don’t, we will lose a critical mass of skilled and experienced talent who have contributed immeasurably to our collective success over the past decade. 

Creatives need nurturing at all stages of their careers, to be able to innovate, stay afloat, and to do their best work. If we want a more equitable future for the creative economy, now is the time to invest – in people, in progression, and in the partnerships that open doors so talent from under-represented backgrounds can thrive at every level in their careers.” 

Read the report: Thrive report: An Industry in Flux

The social enterprise Creative Access has welcomed three new non-executive directors. Joining the board are CEO of Fabric Social, Laura Tannenbaum, managing director at DK, Penguin Random House, Mark Searle and ITV’s DEI and Talent Lead, Nahrein Kemp, Arts Professional reports here.

Our latest Creative Access Masterclass took place online with acclaimed author and journalist Sathnam Sanghera in conversation with award-winning multimedia journalist, Media Storm podcast co-host, and former Creative Access intern Helena Wadia.  

With a career spanning memoir, fiction, non-fiction (including the Sunday Times bestseller Empireland), and documentary presenting, Sathnam is an incredible storyteller. He has worked as a news reporter, written widely as a columnist, and also serves on the advisory board at Creative Access. 

On class, ethnicity and DE&I in the creative industries: “In truth, I think [being a person of colour] it’s given me opportunities, and I think we really need to be more nuanced in the DE&I space, especially as DE&I is under threat. The fact is you are just as unlikely to see a white working-class person on Fleet Street as you are a Black writer.  

Increasingly, we need to recognise that actually certain people of colour come from very privileged backgrounds. Some of the poshest people I know are British Asian but the word ‘Asian’ incorporates a huge demographic… So, what does the word Asian mean? What is the significance of colour? We’ve got to paint in less broader strokes now and be more focused about where the disadvantage is and where we need to do work.” 

On what you can learn from journalism: “I think for most people, it’s good to do different types of writing… I’m so glad I was a news reporter because it taught me so much about news gathering and fact checking. I’m so glad I didn’t become a columnist until my late 20s; I think you need to know a bit about the world and accumulate experience. I know I sound like a dad, but you also need to learn how to write, you need other get the crap out of your system… It’s good to try different forms of journalism and it enables you to work out what you like doing and what you’re good at; and journalism is about explaining complicated things clearly.” 

On challenging narratives in his book, Empireland: “I didn’t study a single Brown author until my final term of university – not a single Brown character or author. Salman Rushdie I was finally allowed to read and Hanif Kureishi, and even at the time I didn’t realise because it takes a while to understand your own life, right?  

I got to my 40s and I was researching a novel about this Indian guy who came to London in the 18th century and I thought oh my god, I don’t know anything about the British empire and yet it explains everything about me! It explains why my parents came, it explains why there’s a lot of British Asians everywhere, it explains why people love curry in Britain, it explains why we drink gin and tonics, it explains our racism, our multiculturalism, our politics, Brexit, and suddenly I saw it everywhere, so it just kind of blew my mind. Also, I couldn’t find a book that explained it clearly… I just wanted a book that explained it in a neutral way and I guess I kind of wrote that book.” 

How to use social media to your advantage: “Your generation has an advantage that I never had – social media. Who are the most enthusiastic users of social media? Journalists! Every journalist has social media. I think X is increasingly not useful and toxic, get on Blue Sky. Journalists are always looking for ideas, they’re needy people, so read their stuff, reply to them, ask intelligent, non-aggressive questions. That is amazing in a world where every journalist gets trolled, just to have an intelligent response. There’s a great opportunity to connect with journalists using the internet who were in my day, unapproachable people.” 

Navigating writer’s block: “I don’t believe in writer’s block because I write for a living and if I get a block, my family starve, so having to write for money is a really good solution… Also, the world doesn’t need more content, no one’s begging you to write a book!  

In a way you’ve got to really want to write. You know sometimes people ask, ‘what you should you say to encourage writers?’ but I don’t need to encourage writers, because if you want to be one then you’re going to do it anyway. It’s like being a footballer, it’s an uncontrollable urge, and if you don’t have that urge, maybe you should do something else.” 

How to grow your career at your workplace: “You can only achieve what you can dream and what you can envisage… so work out what you want to do and be ambitious and then talk about it, tell people, because that puts the thought in people’s brain and then people connect you with that. Theres a lot of timidity amongst young people, people of colour, working class people, who’ve never had anyone in their family do anything that they want to do. So,  you almost have to create your own dreams and manifest… manifest with purpose and specificity. Find people who have the job you want and talk about it.” 

On the writers he admires: I probably admire book writers more because in a way, you want the people you admire to be doing things you can’t do yourself. So Hilary Mantel; there isn’t a single sentence Hilary Mantel wrote in Wolf Hall that I feel I could write. As writers, we should read stuff that’s better than what we write. So, I try to increasingly read novels and increasingly those novelists are women. I do feel women are the best writers around at the moment. 

These are just some of the highlights of this brilliant conversation – make sure you head to our YouTube and watch the full conversation here. 

Interested in joining another Creative Access masterclass? Register with us today and keep an eye out on our opportunities board for upcoming masterclasses.  

Finding small, consistent ways to support yourself and your mental health in the workplace is really important. To mark #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, we have collated some tips you can implement into your daily routine and resources of where to turn when things get tough.

We know this might sound obvious, but getting outside, taking a screen break, making a cuppa, chatting to a colleague or simply taking a few deep breaths is something lots of us don’t do enough of and it’s vital for de-stressing!

If you struggle with finding the time to take a break, you can test out using The Pomodoro Technique – which involves typically doing 25-minute stretches of focused work broken by five-minute breaks.

Wellness Action Plans are a personalised, practical tool everyone can use in the workplace. They provide an opportunity to share any mental or physical health issues you may have or share generally what negatively and positively impacts your mental health with your manager.

Together, you can share and discuss strategies that help your mental health. The plan should be reviewed and updated regularly. Find out more about Wellness Action Plans via Mind.

If possible, separating your workspace and living space can be useful in establishing boundaries between your personal life and your professional life.

Also, if you regularly work from home, you can make a request for equipment that helps create a safe working environment, such as a desk chair or a second screen.

Creative Access staff like to start or end their day with a brief walk to clear their head and have some fresh air – like a mini commute to get in to (or out of) the zone!

If it won’t affect your calls/meetings, you can work in a coffee shop or co-working space for a change of scenery. Or, call a work buddy to body double virtually or in-person!

This one is especially important for all the freelancers out there!

Many freelancers feel the pressure to say yes to work due to fears around financial security, however taking on too much work without real breaks can lead to burnout.

Learn how to say no to jobs when you need to take time to recharge your batteries.

Professional communities create spaces where people feel seen, heard and understood. This sense of belonging creates space for open conversations and helps reduce feelings of isolation.

Professional networks also often run events, socials or workshops that give you a chance to unwind and talk about more than deadlines.

Creative Access holds regular training sessions for our team on mental health and other key topics, so that everyone feels confident in talking about and handling sensitive topics and issues in the workplace.

These are the same sessions we offer as open workshops and bespoke training for our employer partners.

If you’re struggling to cope with feelings of anxiety and stress, please speak to your doctor or NHS 111. Many GPs are offering telephone consultations.

For urgent support, Samaritans are also here to listen at any time, day or night. Call free on 116 123 or visit the Samaritans website.

Anxiety UK also have a helpline staffed by volunteers with personal experience of anxiety so you will be speaking with someone who has been there. Call them on 08444 775 774 (Monday – Friday: 9.30am – 5.30pm).

Local Minds offers valuable support for yourself and if you’re supporting someone else experiencing difficulties with mental health.

Body-doubling, regular breaks and reciprocal mentoring: How publishers can support neurodivergent staff to thrive. By Melina Spanoudi

Clinical psychologist and Creative Access trainer Victoria Mattison shares further insights on how employers can create supportive environments for autistic staff, as well as individuals with ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. 

You can read the article here.

Mary Stone, Arts Professional, reports on, ‘Privately educated hold top jobs at third of highest-funded NPOs’ and quotes Creative Access CEO, Mel Rodrigues.

‘In response to Sutton Trust’s report, Melanie Rodrigues, CEO of Creative Access, previously said: “Addressing socio-economic barriers is a complex task, but it is business critical to nurture and progress talent from all backgrounds.

“There is a huge risk that the creative industries will lose what makes us great if we don’t embrace the myriad of stories and experiences that make up the society we live in – and that can only be achieved via a diverse and representative workforce.”’

Read the full article.