January felt a lot more settled compared to my DPS journey so far. I continued at the gallery and started to feel more comfortable. I really like having a routine it keeps me focused and busy. Moving between the different gallery positions felt more natural, and I wasn’t other thinking customer interacts the same way I had before.
In the gallery things were going well in terms of my confidence but there were lots of conversations about the success of the gallery. It was not doing as well as the company had hoped, mainly due to poor advertising which had led to low visitor numbers. Even though this wasn’t ideal it was interesting to see this side of things. As a customer visiting galleries, I have never paid attention to how popular it is as I often enjoy the space more when it’s not as busy. But as a worker it is completely different. The way an exhibition is marketed directly impacts the success of the space overall.
On the 17th of January I had an interview at the V&A for an exhibition assistant role. I had to go around the museum and find specific objects before I had my 1-1 interview. This was much more engaging that the other group interviews I have been doing. I was able to exhibit my critical thinking while doing the task. I wasn’t successful again, but it didn’t get me as down as it has in the past. This reinforced the progress I had made when it comes to how I receive rejection. I am very proud that I now am able to take it in a constructive way.
On the 27th I worked a day at university as a student ambassador for an undergraduate open day. It was nice to catch up with the people on my course after being away for the year. Seeing them again reminded me how important to stay connected to other creatives even while on your own journey as it helps to keep the community around you strong.
I also finished my internship at Bang on the 30th. I wasn’t sad to be leaving as I was with Labrum. The lack of structure was still there, and I didn’t really feel important to the team. Everyone was so busy with their own work that I never felt as if I was really being taught anything. Clear direction and mentorship is really important to me at this early stage in my career. My time at Bang has solidified that I like to feel integrated within a team and that I also work best in environments where there is structure and creative freedom.
Overall, January felt more stable. I feel like my confidence, resilience and my independence is growing. I’m starting to understand more what kind of worker I am.