Hey! I’m Nikita. I am now 28 (scarily close to my 30’s but trying not to think about it). I’ve always expressed myself creatively, whether it be dance, singing or writing. At the moment I’m focusing solely on fine arts. I also volunteer for a local arts group and I am drawn to any opportunities where I can gain transferable skills to make a leap into the creative industry. A job using my creative skills was once a hopeful idea but I’m now serious on making it my reality.

I went to Anglia Ruskin to study Graphic Design. I barely knew what graphic design was and I only went because the plan was to live in Cambridge close to my boyfriend at the time. This decision was built on wobbly foundations. My dream was to be an illustrator and study that instead, but I didn’t trust myself enough to go for it and didn’t think I was good enough to go to a University specialising in the arts. So I plopped myself down in the easiest and most comfortable option I had.

After failing to complete the third year of my degree (twice), my confidence in myself plummeted to an all time low, and my mental health right behind it. I kept thinking to myself, how have I managed to make myself worse off than I was before attending university? Not only do I not have a degree, I am burned out and even further from my goals in life. Everything had to change.

So, within these last 4 years of feeling utterly lost, I had to radically rediscover myself. I had to accept that I wasn’t an expert at life and to start from the very beginning. I invested in a lot of counselling and life coaching, accepting help from friends, family and charities. I went to community wellbeing groups and took courses on coping mechanisms. I began setting boundaries, grounding myself and learning what my core values are.

I am now able to see myself as a person with the potential to do anything. I trust myself enough to make it work, no matter what happens. Those beliefs have led me to volunteer with Junction 7 Creatives in Hertfordshire. Here, I have met some truly fabulous people who are supportive and like-minded. I have never felt more at home than when I am with these people, helping facilitate the wonderful community art projects they organise. It’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.

It may not be the creative career I envisioned, but the feeling is what child-me imagined for myself. If I’ve learned anything from my 20’s, It is to be stubborn with your goals, but flexible on how to get there.