Our Community Manager, Inga, shares her experience of being a creative mentee
In the middle of 2019, I relocated to Edinburgh from South Africa, full of enthusiasm, hope and high expectations for my new life in Scotland.
I finally secured my right to work in the UK just as COVID and lockdown hit. Suddenly, everything was put on hold. Employees were furloughed or working from home, and naturally, companies weren’t hiring. I found myself in a new country with no network and no real way of building one.
Then I came across the Creative Edinburgh Mentoring Programme. At the time, I knew what mentoring was, but I hadn’t fully grasped its potential for building connections. I was matched with a mentor who provided invaluable insight into the creative industry and what it takes to build a creative career in Edinburgh. Through the mentoring network, I also met other creatives, each with different backgrounds and practices, and it was fascinating to hear their experiences.
The programme became more than just meetings with my mentor, it was an introduction to a broader creative community. It gave me a deeper understanding of Edinburgh’s creative industry, which was incredibly useful as someone still finding my footing in the city.
At the end of 2021, I came across a job vacancy for a Community Manager role at Creative Edinburgh, which included overseeing the Mentoring Programme. Three years later, I’m writing a blog about the same Mentoring Programme which was a stepping stone for me. It’s been incredibly rewarding to watch it grow and to witness first hand the journeys of so many mentees who, like me, found direction and inspiration through it.
I especially love meeting all the mentees who have gone through this programme - those with excellent creative ideas ready to be brought to life, those working on exciting projects, or those simply looking for a sounding board and guidance to help them find the right path. I really believe this is the beauty of the mentoring programme, you don’t need to arrive with a set plan, or you might come with something firmly in place that you’d like to discuss with someone. If you're seeking professional development in your career, I encourage you to apply for the Mentoring Programme. You'll benefit from one-on-one sessions with an experienced mentor in your field, and become part of a fantastic community with regular informal meetups and opportunities to grow your network within our thriving creative scene.
To become part of this special community, find out more about becoming a mentee here, or simply reach out to me. I’d love to hear from you and share more about how this programme can help you, like it helped me.
Inga Dale Steyn
Community Manager, Creative Edinburgh
