Tabitha Nutt, Class of 2018
LEH alumna Tabitha Nutt (Class of 2018) shares how her passion for art, nurtured throughout her time at LEH, inspired an unexpected journey into the creative industries.
From Psychology to Creative Storytelling
Choosing A levels is only the beginning
Despite loving art throughout school, Tabitha chose what she believed was the safer academic option after leaving LEH, studying Psychology at the University of St Andrews. “I thought I was taking the sensible route. It turned out my creative path had been there all along.”
Although she enjoyed her degree, graduation left her feeling uncertain about what came next, “I graduated without a strong pull in any particular direction and felt a little lost. When I took time to think about my future, I kept coming back to the creative side of myself that I’d neglected.”
While studying Psychology, Tabitha had continued drawing, entered exhibitions and built a portfolio in her spare time and took this experience to help her apply for an Illustration Masters at Falmouth University and was offered a place!
“I didn’t study an Art Foundation or creative undergraduate degree, but I kept making work. That gave me the confidence to apply for a creative Master’s.”
Rather than letting her non-art focussed degree to be a stumbling block, she studied part-time over the two-year course to maximise the studio access and faculty support to bring her up to speed. The learning curve was steep, and at first daunting being surrounded by more Adobe suite-savvy peers. However, with a bit of time, the help of some very knowledgeable tutors and a lot of trial and error she soon found her feet.
From classroom to career
Following her Master’s, another unexpected opportunity arose. After spotting a video editing apprenticeship at leading creative platform It’s Nice That, she decided not to follow the standard application route. Instead, she created a video introducing herself directly to the social media manager. Her initiative paid off and she was fast-tracked through the application process, eventually interviewed and offered the role!
Since then, she has she helps create editorial, sponsored and collaborative video content for one of the world’s best-known creative publications.
I’m early in my creative career but excited at the possibilities ahead and grateful for every step in the meandering path that brought me here.
An education beyond the syllabus
Looking back, she credits her A Level Art experience at LEH with helping her develop far more than technical skills.
“My art education at LEH went far beyond the syllabus. Life drawing, art history enrichment and opportunities like ARTiculation encouraged curiosity and taught me to look beyond simply passing exams.”
Those experiences shaped the way she thinks today, “Building a genuine interest in the world, creative communities and cultural history has helped me thrive in both education and work.” Tabitha cites her LEH education as invaluable in shaping her future, “A Level and higher education helped improve my ability to communicate ideas and verbalise my creative opinions – skills I now implement daily. On top of this, the eagerness to learn new skills and collect new experiences has not only opened doors for me professionally but made all aspects of my life richer, an attitude that originated during my A Level years.”
Your degree doesn’t have to define your future
One of the biggest misconceptions about creative careers is that every journey follows the same route. Careers are rarely linear, and the subjects you study at university don’t have to determine where you end up.
Tabitha’s journey is a perfect example. Although she chose to study Psychology at the University of St Andrews, she continued to nurture her passion for art alongside her degree, building a portfolio, exhibiting her work and developing her creative practice. Those experiences gave her the confidence to apply for her Master’s in Illustration, despite not having followed a traditional creative pathway.
Today, she combines creativity, storytelling and strategic thinking developed throughout her education every day. Her story demonstrates that creativity isn’t confined to one subject or profession; it’s a way of thinking that can open unexpected opportunities throughout life.
“My role allows me to celebrate creativity and support emerging artists. Working alongside such inspiring people genuinely makes me excited to go to work every day.”
Fearless Futures
What would Tabitha’s advice be to current students?
Your path doesn’t have to be linear. Stay curious, keep making things that excite you and don’t be afraid to create opportunities for yourself. Some of the best opportunities come from the routes you never expected to take. My course emphasised the development of a personal voice and unique visual language and involved a lot of self-directed projects. This has set me up well for professional environments, in which I have found both intrinsic motivation and self-advocacy are highly valuable.