Venturing into the creative industries: a Q&A with Suzannah Gabriel
- Written byUAL Awarding Body
- Published date 15 March 2023
In advance of her talk at Teach Inspire Create: Wales, we spoke to photographer and former UAL student, Suzannah Gabriel, about where she gets her creative inspiration from and what advice she would give to students looking to pursue a career in the arts.
Please can you tell us about your current role and how you got there?
I currently work full-time at UAL as an Applicant Relations Adviser (it is a new role within UAL's intersection of Student Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions Central team). I did my BA (Hons) in Media and Communication at DMU in Leicester, took a year out to work within marketing and then applied for my Masters in Fashion Photography at London College of Fashion where I was also a Student Representative, Post-Grad Community Ambassador and worked part-time as an Online Short Course Assistant after graduating. I also take photos for LCF in different capacities. I believe my connections and the skills I learnt whilst doing my MA have brought me to where I am right now (in my role and outside of that).
What are your photography projects usually focused on and how did you discover your interest in these themes?
My photography projects typically touch on femininity and personal experiences, occasionally touching on race and current affairs that I relate to. My interest came from the realisation that I wanted to explore how I'm feeling through different voices. One of my most successful projects, Black Hurts, was derived from current affairs and wanting to understand and tell the stories of other young Black British adults, and see how they are feeling about the murders of black people at the hands of the police.
How did your studies help you figure out what path you wanted to take creatively?
During my BA (Hons) and more so my MA, there was an emphasis on experimenting and trying new techniques and then honing in on those skills and ideas as you progress. This enabled me to experiment with photography and thread to create personal work that was quite captivating, although I did not know this at the time.
However, by experimenting with embroidery on paper, I was able to find my own voice. Although I am not doing much of that now, it will always be something that I had the time and opportunity to try, so I will always be grateful for that.
What advice would you give to students looking to venture into the creative industries?
My advice will always be to stay true to yourself and don't be afraid to do things differently. When I was studying for my MA, I was quite doubtful of my abilities because everybody else had a similar 35mm film-esque aesthetic which I did not have. My work retained a digital and sometimes a subtle fine art look which made me doubt myself heavily. But, it was only when I started to show people outside of my class my work, that I became quite confident in myself again. Having taken almost 2 years out of photography before starting my MA can do that to you, too! So keep going, keep building on your knowledge and block out the extra noise.
What will you be discussing at Teach Inspire Create: Wales?
I will be looking at my experiences from studying for my MA at London College of Fashion and reflecting on the things I have learnt in the photography industry, whilst I am still new to it all.