Return to Learning Switches on Creativity for Mark

Mark Ellis, from Lisburn, says that if anyone had told him years ago that he would one day find himself sitting in front of a computer at SERC, he would have laughed at them. Now, he says that applying for a creative media course was the best move he ever made.  

Leaving Laurehill Community College with basic GCSEs, Mark went to work as a vehicle spray painter and became fully qualified, but then after a few years he was laid off.  The only other job he found was in a warehouse which wasn’t his plan at all.   

“I didn’t like it,” Mark, who is 32, explains, “But I accepted it and stuck with it even though it was uninspiring, and every day was the same. It was a few years later that my girlfriend at the time encouraged me to be more ambitious – she was in a creative role and loved it, and I came to see that just being OK in my working life wasn’t enough. I also realised that would mean retraining.”  

Mark also recognised that the creative side of his brain had been neglected; he looked at various courses and found a Creative Media and Production Diploma was taught at his local SERC Campus in Lisburn.   

Mark had the GCSE grades required but had no experience in creative media, and he found that he needed to complete a project over the summer to be accepted onto the Level 2 Diploma in Creative Media Production & Technology.  He worked hard for weeks to take pictures and write up creative proposals, determined to produce the best work he could. He got accepted – and found it suited him even better than he had hoped:  

“I didn’t expect to like it just as much – I absolutely love it!” says Mark, “In fact in a way, I wonder how working in the real world of creative media could possibly live up to the course. I accept that there will be more pressure and more competition … this is an easy-going environment even though we get plenty done - there is pressure, but it’s not stress. You are expected to do assignments to deadline of course but it’s a supportive atmosphere and you get to chat in the class about your favourite films and so on. We get to experiment with photoshop and premier pro and it’s super fun. The facilities and equipment are professional standard.” 

Coming to SERC after a few years out of education didn’t bother Mark. He says, “I am older than most of the students, but I get on with everyone, teachers and classmates. It’s a lot better than high school for me. Here, you are inspired and supported but not pressured like with teachers at school. But I love the course so much I don’t need to be pressured anyway! It’s mainly project work, on computers but also going outside the campus for photography, for example. All very practical. Anyone who likes being creative should come and do this.  

“Tim Black, the tutor, is always putting the course in the context of the industry and talks about career options and pathways. He’s always ready to give advice on life beyond the course if asked.”  

Having progressed from the Level 2 Diploma to the Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production & Technology, Mark says his next step will be to find a media-related job. Reflecting on his career path so far, he says the SERC course has definitely transformed his life for the better: “It’s the best decision of my life. I had been shutting off that side of myself but it’s like I have switched on a new element of my brain, and it’s been a change for me, the way I see myself and how I think. I am brighter than I was – looking back I think I was almost a zombie – I just did the job mechanically, kept my head down and went home. Now I go home, and I am still doing creative stuff, designing things just for my own interest, as I carry the enthusiasm and inspiration with me when I leave campus. I love it.”  

You can explore the opportunities to unlock your future at SERC at our Open Evening on Thursday 6 June. Find out more and register your interest.