Before heading off for a trip of a lifetime to Facebook HQ, 2018 Top Student Edward King from Queensland reflected on his time at AWARD School and opened up about overcoming self-doubt.
Why did you apply to AWARD School?
I just really wanted to grow as a creative, and just expand my creative thinking. The agency I am at now, there were three people who also did AWARD School last year, and they were a massive inspiration and just kept saying ‘Do AWARD School’. So, I decided to apply and just hoped for the best.
Where did your ideas come from?
A lot of mind maps, a lot of research, just grabbing inspiration from famous campaigns, even going through media like movies, music, a lot of film. Just, things that were really inspiring in terms of how it has changed behaviour throughout the world and changed the world.
Did you have a favourite brief?
Either strategy or game changer. Strategy was more of an open brief so it was nice to explore different territories and not feel so restricted. And Game changer was a fun experience because it was a brief that really challenged the concept of the ideas, and trying to create a behaviour change through that.
Which idea are you most proud of?
Probably strategy. To be honest it was probably the week where I got the most polarising feedback from different tutors and mentors, which was challenging, but also eye opening. That was kind of the week where you had to believe in yourself and trust your gut.
Did you feel you could express your ideas during the tutorials?
Absolutely, the tutors were always incredibly professional, and the mentors were great. There was definitely no barrier – if anything they would want you to go as far as you could with your thoughts, ideas and your creative processes.
What does having a course such as AWARD School available in Queensland mean to you?
It was part of the reason why I wanted to do AWARD school. It’s a very unique course where you get to be in front of all these amazing diverse creatives where you get the true feedback that you need to be part of the industry, and to understand the industry, which is a massive insight in itself.
Were there any moments over the weeks that you doubted yourself? How did you overcome this?
There were a lot of moments where I doubted myself. There were even thoughts of pulling out of the course at certain points of times.
It was definitely really challenging, but to be honest I think I was surrounded by amazing people, mentors and tutors that were so inspiring and were able to pull you back on track and understand the process. There is always going to be a light at the end of the tunnel and there is always going to be a solution – just stick with it.
What was the most challenging aspect for you?
I think it was just understanding the creative process and how enduring it was going to be. It was very easy to think about the end result and not actually understand the process that it takes and the difficulty.
What would you say to future students who are not sure if they have what it takes?
I guess a word of advice for someone who is interested in AWARD School is to just really believe in yourself, and absorb everything you can from all the tutors and mentors. You will get really polarising responses at some points in time, and that’s when you just have to really trust in yourself and follow your gut, if you believe in an idea.