In the UK, two million people are now employed in creative jobs. Those people account for 7.3 % of the British economy – around £60 billion – with a growth rate over the last ten years of twice that of the economy in general. Annual exports of the UK’s cultural goods racks up to £11.6 billion.
If you’re currently thinking of a creative career, don’t be put off. When I was at school, our careers advisor basically had two options for the kids: accountancy for the dangerous intellectuals, and down the pit for those with talents in other areas. He told me the chances of becoming a journalist were ‘next to nothing’ and I had ‘no hope’ of becoming a writer: people from a working background couldn’t do that.
Well makes me want to look at my attempts at story writing that I have on google docs and write a few more thousand words (and then lose interest again, lol)
Don’t forget – 500 words a day and you have a novel in a year. That’s do-able.
So glad you didn’t let that teacher put you off.
I wonder how many other people get advice like that
and give up
“people from a working background couldn’t do that.”
Ah, that’ll be all those benefits of the capitalist structure, then. Oh, hang on…
I’m one of those that think writers from an area like that have more interesting things to bring to the table. David Peace being a good example…