I’ve always been a creative person, as a young child make-believe games where the ONLY ones to play, as a teenager I had a flair for the dramatics! And as an adult not much has changed!

 

At 33 I decided it was time for a reset (#SJ 2.0) - Why? Honestly, I didn’t have a conventional childhood and wanted to provide my own stability, so I fell into the money trap!

I started in finance, a long journey full of numbers (too many numbers) and meetings, (meetings about meetings), I was in a trance, on my own personal hamster wheel, month end 1, month end 2, quarter 1 etc. I’m proud of what I achieved in those years (considering it’s not my forte) and I’m forever thankful to those who invested in my education (I owe a big thank you to Checkpoint Safety Ltd & James Cropper PLC) and all the people I’ve met along the way. BUT I won’t bore you with a long-drawn-out story or incessant details! Urghh no thank you say - I hear you! So, in a snapshot, here’s why I took the leap.

 

The BIG Picture - every business has one, where are we and where do we want to be? In my experience this has boiled down to a few factors... money, resources and marketing their products &/or services. Every business needs to market themselves, just like they need money and people to look after it, the marketing side of things just looked more fun and would allow me to be creative which I craved! I always loved photography which seemed a natural place to start, so in 2019 I purchased my first DSLR and I got learning! That led to a love of videography and editing content, then an interest in drone photography/videography and now I’m a fully licensed drone pilot. I never thought that DLSR Nikon 5300 would lead me here, but it did and I’m so thankful! 

 

The TIME Factor – quality of life, we all want it, I'm still not there yet but I'm closer than I was yesterday. Seriously though, we’ve all been there, putting in the extra time, stressed out or overloaded with work due to a lack of people or resources. Taking work home with you whether it be mentally or literally! The grind was exhausting and taking a toll on my mental health, so I decided not only did I want to be a creative, but I also wanted to work for myself one day (famous last words!) getting paid to do what I love all the time. A great book called Ikigai by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles was actually to blame for this little idea of mine back in the day, any concerns about my venture can be directed to them. Seriously though, great read, check it out!

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The MONEY Value  – when I left finance boy was it a shock to the bank account!

I knew what I was getting myself into beforehand and I knew I could live within my new means, but having a naff day hit a lot harder when you're earning just over minimum wage! The old accounts head started nagging and telling me it was time to go self employed (and yes, I regularly have conversations with myself – who doesn’t?!)

It was time to take that leap of faith, I'd done the groundwork, it was time to stop being a pessimistic Patty & start believing in myself! So, Creative Content by Samantha-Joeane was born...

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