Turning lemons to lemonade: From traditional to creative

Youth Employment UK Blog

There is a saying: turn lemons into lemonade. It sounds easy. Take something sour, add a little sweetness and turn it into something savourable. But what does that mean when you are a young person trying to figure out your future?

When you’re young you’re often told there’s one route to building a career - get your GCSEs, take A Levels or a BTEC, travel off to University, find yourself a good stable job and enjoy retirement.

For the longest time, I thought this route was the success formula. I thought that if I didn’t follow it, I wouldn’t get anywhere and I’d fall behind from my cohort. The thought of not building a successful career felt embarrassing.

I, like many, opted for a traditional career. I went to study at university and switched to an apprenticeship in technology in hopes of working a corporate job, but I faced many obstacles.

For me, those were self-doubt, poor mental and physical health, Covid-19 and family dilemmas.

How I began to create my path

I wanted to take control of my life. I no longer desired to fit into the traditional route. Completing job applications for roles I knew wouldn't be fulfilling was exhausting and I started doubting my work ethic which led to imposter syndrome.

The more I explored my creative passions the more I found myself questioning traditional routes. Deep down I knew I wanted to crack the traditional mould to success and do things my way. I decided to prioritise my happiness. I wrote down my non-negotiables and I started to explore what I wanted out of my career. The more I explored, I found myself turning away from the traditional route.

Instead of treating my interests as hobbies, I started to view my passions as a real possibility.

What worked for me

1. Embracing the unknown. I didn’t have a roadmap but I realised that waiting for the perfect moment would mean waiting forever. Despite my anxieties, I put on a brave face and started exploring my options.
2. Finding joy in play - pushing my creative boundaries through reading, journaling, and workshops enabled me to think more creatively and grew my creativity.
3. Seeking my own education. By participating in youth programmes, volunteering and seeking online resources, I’ve built a network of like-minded people to lean on.

Currently, I’m working as an interdisciplinary artist in technology and art, and I focus on using sound and film to create media on socially engaged messages.

A lot of my practice is self-taught, so I proactively seek out creative workspaces to keep things interesting.

Since finding my passions I have worked with large cultural institutions, travelled, and been on the radio. Ultimately, the key to my success has been the will to get up and start again.

Creating your career path isn’t an easy journey, my journey has been a ride with ups and downs, but it's possible. There's more than one way to turn lemons into lemonade and countless ways to build a life for yourself.