“We all have a responsibility to widen our content bubble”

Creative Career Conundrums is a weekly advice column from If You Could Jobs. Each week their selected panel of professionals from the creative industry answers your burning career questions to help you navigate the creative journey.

This week’s question: 

“I am a budding film photographer, and I’ve really spent the last year enhancing my knowledge when it comes to developing and scanning film photography. However, I feel like there is such a large knowledge gap between the current generation and this art form.

How can I strengthen and evolve my art in a digital echo chamber? Can we critique and grow if we never engage the analogue artists before us?”

Katie Cadwell, co-founder of branding studio Lucky Dip and The NDA Podcast:

Every creative who has taken up an analogue art form has been told they’re the last generation who will practice this craft. Signwriting, screenprinting and bookbinding have all been ‘under threat’ by their digital equivalent. New generations picking up these skills is imperative to keep the knowledge alive. It’s reassuring to know that’s happening, and you have found those people.

No one who has been in the game longer than you will begrudge that. To be frank, you absolutely have to mine this incredible wealth of knowledge. To grow professionally and personally. To be part of a community that predates the algorithm. We all have a responsibility to widen our content bubble. This is how I think you can expand yours.

1. The OG analogue creatives might not be online, so you need to go offline. Head to libraries to take out reference books. Subscribe to magazines (Analog Forever, for example). Visit old camera shops, get chatting to the staff.
2. Look for a local community. It’s great you have one online, but they do exist in the physical world too. Quite often around colleges, or local darkrooms. Hopefully there is a camera club near you.
3. Find some photographers you admire and write to them. Send them your work. Ask for their advice, critique, experience. I’m certain they’ll be thrilled to pass down some of their wisdom. 

If you’re willing to make these steps to broaden your echo chamber, your work will be infinitely better for it.

In answering your creative career conundrums we realise that some issues need expert support, so we’ve collated a list of additional resources that can support you across things that might arise at work.

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