I get emails all the time from people wanting work experience or looking to break into creative fields. And nearly every single one leads with the same thing, their GCSEs or A-Levels or whatever grade types they have. A in this, B in that, brilliant attendance record, hardworking student.

Here's the thing though. I genuinely don't care about your grades that much. What I care about is who you are as a person, what you've actually made, and whether you've got the passion to back it up. And I think it's time we talked about why that matters so much in creative work.

Grades measure one thing. Creativity is something else entirely.

Look, I'm not saying grades are worthless across the board. They measure something, your ability to sit exams and follow a curriculum. But creativity? That's a completely different thing. I didn't get particularly good GCSE grades. Shocking, I know. But I excelled in the things I was good at, and those things had nothing to do with exam results. The best creative people I've worked with weren't necessarily the ones with the shiniest grades. They were the ones who cared deeply about their craft.

So what do I actually look for?

A portfolio. Real work. Anything that shows you've been out there doing it. When someone messages me on Instagram and says, Hey, I'm a young photographer, I've taken these shots, I want to learn more and get involved, that gets my attention instantly. Because they're showing me something real instead of telling me about exam grades. They're demonstrating passion for the craft itself, not just trying to tick boxes on a CV. That's the difference between someone who's genuinely interested and someone who's just going through the motions.

Just start creating. Even if there's no brief.

If you're just starting out, you might not have much to show yet. That's fine. But here's what I'd say, go and create something. Anything. Take photos even if you're not doing it for a client. Write something. Make music. Build stuff. The act of doing it matters more than what you do with it afterwards. And if you want to build your portfolio faster, look for opportunities to second shoot on jobs, assist other creatives, be part of a project where you're learning from someone who's already doing it. That way you're gaining real experience, building your work, and you're learning on the job.

A word on free work.

I'm not saying never do anything for free. Work with family, help friends, build your portfolio. But be intentional about it. If you're doing free work, make it clear that's what it is, a portfolio builder, not a free service. And if you're going to do unpaid work, do it in a way that doesn't harm the industry. Be a second shooter on a paying gig, assist someone who's getting paid for their work. That way you're learning, you're getting portfolio pieces, but you're not telling the whole industry they should work for nothing. There's a difference between strategic free work and just devaluing the craft.

Passion beats natural talent every time.

Here's something else I've noticed. I'd rather work with someone who's less naturally talented but absolutely hungry to get better than someone who's naturally gifted but can't be bothered. Effort and passion beat raw talent every single time. If you're willing to show up, ask questions, push yourself, and actually care about improving — that matters way more than whether it comes naturally to you.

Everyone is creative. The system just trains it out of you.

Teaching my youngest two kids photography.

Before you say But I'm not a naturally creative person, stop. I genuinely think everyone's creative. The problem is the education system trains it out of people. Young kids are incredibly creative. But as you go through school, especially in the UK where creative subjects get cut more and more every year, that gets squeezed out. You might just not have found what clicks for you yet. But it's in there.

What about grades though?

I know what some of you are thinking. But my parents want me to get good grades, or My school says grades are important. And yeah, they're right in a way. Try to get good grades. I'm not saying blow them off completely. Grades can open some doors, and depending on what part of the creative industry you want to go into, they might matter. But here's the key, it doesn't have to be one or the other. You can revise, you can try hard at school, you can get decent grades, and you can also be out there creating and building your portfolio at the same time. Don't let grades become the thing that stops you from doing the work that actually matters to you. What will be will be.

What mentoring actually looks like.

When people come to me for work experience or advice, I'm not trying to teach them how to use a camera or edit software. That's just technique, and anyone can learn that. What I'm trying to do is open their mind. I want them to be curious, to be passionate, to discover what creativity means to them. Mentoring in creative work isn't about pouring information in. It's about unlocking what's already there.

So here's what I want you to do.

Go and be creative. Don't worry about what other people think. Don't stress about your grades if you're just starting out, and don't let age stop you if you're getting into creative work later in life. Just go and do it. Have fun with it. If it's something you want to turn into a job, lean into that. Open yourself up to it. Because that's what actually matters, not the grades on a piece of paper, but the work you create and the passion you bring to it.

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