Student Spotlight - Read Anna Langford’s story
37 year old Anna Langford from Ipswich studies on an art practice degree at University Studies at West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds. The former call centre working had a different calling to go back in to education and follow her passion for art. Here is her story.
I was feeling unfulfilled in my life. I’d had numerous part time jobs to fit around family life – mainly working in call centres and customer service roles. But I wanted something more. So, I decided to think seriously about my future. At first, I retook my maths GCSE and I completed a foundation art course. This gave me the confidence to retrain and learn some new skills. The advice I got from others was to ‘do something you love’.
Art was something I had always wanted to pursue - so this is the direction I chose. After researching degree options locally, I chose University Studies at West Suffolk College after hearing the course leader Glenn Pickering giving a talk about the course. His knowledge and enthusiasm to help people get into the creative industry really inspired me. The fact that the art practice course I chose is more commercial in its approach to art was also a draw – as one of my main aims in the future is to make money by following my passion.
So far, the course has been a journey of discovery. I did not realise what an emotional journey it would be. The first year I had no confidence in my abilities and really struggled. But, with the support of others on my course and the university, I’ve learnt to make the most of every minute in the classroom. In my second year, I have discovered so much about visual communication - about myself - and the type of artist I want to be. It’s a constant learning curve and it always feels good at the end of each term when you have achieved what you felt was initially impossible.
In addition to classroom activities, we’ve been on visits to the Fitzwilliam Museum and Kettles Yard in Cambridge, the Salisbury centre in Norwich and a trip to London is planned later in the year. We’ve also had some great guest lectures and I really enjoyed a talk by Julia Soboleva. Julia has a young family and she didn’t really know what she wanted to do with her art when she started out. Despite life’s distractions, she has forged a successful career in illustration. The highlight for me is the positive difference this experience has given me in terms of my confidence. I’ve also enjoyed being around other like-minded people. We have so many interesting chats - and every day I learn something new about art and myself.
Away from my course I spend most of my time with my young family. If I do get any spare time, I try and get out into nature as much as possible with the dog, collecting any unusual objects I find - and I always take photographs of the world around me. For others thinking about retraining or doing a degree, I would definitely recommend University Studies at West Suffolk College. The tutors I have are very experienced in their field and they have a wealth of knowledge to share. They have a real interest in helping you be successful.
In the future, I plan to work in the field of illustration and continue gaining experience and growing in confidence. Long term I want to work for myself as this will allow more flexibility around family life. I’d also like to help others on their creative journey in the future. Ultimately, this experience has been emotional, challenging and incredibly rewarding. I wouldn’t change a thing.