By Jacob de Figueiredo

Let the fun times roll. 

Term 1 has seriously slipped through my fingers, I felt like I was constantly trying to grasp it but never quite got a hold of it. Like one of those weird kinda slimy things you used to get at Whipsnade zoo for a couple of quid that were hours of unsatisfied fun, constantly trying to get a firm grasp on the crafty bugger but never quite managing it. Hopefully you know the toy I’m talking about otherwise it sounds like I’m losing my marbles. 

It always felt like the start of term 1 was only a couple of weeks ago until it was actually over. I had massive expectations for my first term back after my 2 year break, but I kinda started to feel myself slipping back into a mildly similar mentality to how I acted during my first year. Becoming complacent and focusing more on building friendships than my actual plan of action for seizing the year.

I tried at the beginning to distance myself a bit and knuckle down and focus on the work, but such a huge part of the experience is building relationships and figuring out the kind of person you are around different people and most importantly who you work well with. I’ve always loved making friends and trying to make people laugh or smile so I thought why would I try and suppress that part of me and become that strange guy who’s re-doing the year and everyone’s wondering what his story is. 

Through making friendships and having a good time I feel as if I’ve started to uncover more about myself than I ever achieved in my first year of SCA. My default mode was always to do stuff about about memories and nostalgia and try to make every campaign deep and dark and I’m not really sure why. When I write I tend to get deep and pour my heart out but in a way which feels kinda generic and pathetic if I’m being honest. Like someone playing a tiny violin on my shoulder as I try to sell canned memories to the masses. Sometimes it works but I think there’s a time and place for that kinda thing. I always thought emotional meant sad but I never utilised the other side of it, the funny side. 

When I left SCA for the first time Marc’s advice to me was, “you have a really interesting way of looking at the world, and you really need to show it in your work.” And that stuck for me until I came back. My work was not a reflection of how I act, it was convoluted and I wasn’t having fun when I made it. Without fun what’s the point. This job has the potential to be incredibly fun and only recently have I been able to start to channel that into my work and find my voice. I feel like if I’m having a good time the work just comes naturally. I think it’s so important to have the ability to sit with your mate and chat about the subject in hand without getting bogged down with the processes we are taught at SCA. They’re amazing and so so good for the foundations of ideas. But I believe they’re all just guidelines for us to come up with ideas. Having a chat with a mate, making each other laugh and enjoying yourself is hands down the most important thing I’ve learned in the last couple of weeks. 

You can see when the team’s had fun with their work. It’s a direct representation of their relationship. 

This SCAB feels like a bit of a ramble, but I’ve learned a lot about myself recently and it’s really nice to know. Focus on what you think is right, that’s the best way to understand how YOU work best and find your voice.