Coming into the creative industry has been a breath of fresh air. Especially, since I come from a very different work background. Although I am a creative myself, I have never worked in the creative field. The jobs I was used to were very administrative/office-based jobs with a lack of creativity and growth. Coming into Think Artfully was, for that reason, very refreshing. In fact, I didn’t realise this part of the creative industry even existed! When I first heard the terms ‘storyboards’, ‘event visuals’, ‘animatics’ I had no idea what it meant. ‘scribing’ in particular was a completely new world for me - it was all quite unnerving!

However, I was fortunate enough that my experience at Think Artfully has made this journey very easy and enjoyable. I was provided with all the tools I needed from the team to get started. The best method of learning for me is to dive head first into the ocean - and hit a few waves along the way! Being a creative person myself, I’m happy to have the opportunity to put my creative brain to work. And what I mean by that is, there’s a free way of thinking in this industry. It’s really collaborative. I love that I am free to give my input and put my own spin on things. This has helped me to look at situations through a creative lens and use that to come up with different outlooks and ways of working - whether that be in project management or as a creative agent. Another fun way to put my creative brain to work is writing this piece.

The process of becoming a creative sales agent was entirely new to me. In all honesty, the word ‘sales’ has always had a negative connotation in my mind. But it’s safe to say that I was wrong. It was somewhat new to me to introduce services to new clients and create opportunities for the company. I wasn’t the most social person but Think Artfully has allowed me to develop these by going into meetings with clients. Again, the ‘dive into the ocean’ method! I built up my knowledge by familiarising myself with work previously done and learning about our services. At the start I went through previous work and read about the projects so I could get an understanding of how it worked, and then created a presentation. All this groundwork has helped me prepare for my future meetings.

When managing a project, I have learned to communicate effectively with the client and our artists throughout. I’ve learned to help translate a brief into a visual which was a bit challenging in the beginning. Ultimately, it is about good communication and asking the right questions. Every day looks different depending on what’s going on as every project brings its own ambience. When working on a project, it’s important to dedicate your energy to deliver the best results. On a day like that, I usually make sure to take the brief with the client and artist. Ahead of the brief, I make sure to set up the paperwork and samples that are needed. Once the job kicks off, I make sure we’re on schedule and keep the communication between both parties. Along the way I make sure the art work is shared and communicate the changes if needed. This would be an ongoing thing until the desired end result is reached. Projects often can have a quick turnaround, which means doubling down on the communication so we can deliver the best quality work in a timely manner.

Some days more attention is required on the project side of things as there may be several projects live at once. And some days more time is dedicated to creative sales where I try to create space for new connections. That could be by having a quick virtual chat to familiarise ourselves with each other or face to face over a coffee… or simply an email exchange to spark the conversation. I’ve only just started my journey, but the right summary for the whole experience for me would be that even if you don’t come from a creative background, you can still learn, thrive and succeed.

Find out more about Fatiha here.