Recently, I’ve been talking to both my sons about their futures. The eldest has recently finished his university course in Illustration and is feeling let down, frustrated and unsure which direction to go next. My younger son is about to begin his university career, and seeing what his brother is facing, he is understandably feeling a little unsure about how things will go.

Chatting with both of them and navigating all of this as a parent is hard, and it’s brought back some of the doubts and feelings I had at the start of my career. It got me thinking about the pressure that gets put on young people to have everything figured out before they’ve even started.

When I was 18, I couldn’t have told you what lay ahead for me. I didn’t know what path my education would set me on. I couldn’t have foreseen that I would be doing another degree in my forties. And I certainly couldn’t have predicted that my company partnership would break down and lead me to set up my own studio.

When we’re at school, most of us have this idea of the future as a simple, straight line: school, university, first job, dream job. In reality, especially in creative industries, it's rarely that simple.

In my experience, there are so many curveballs that life tends to throw our way – many of them our own creation, some totally out of our control. Things have a habit of jumping up when we least expect them to, completely changing our trajectory. But when we’re young and think we know how our life is going to go, it’s pretty hard to imagine that.

Uncertainty after education is normal.

The advice I wish I’d been given after leaving university (or school, for that matter) is this: You don’t have to have everything figured out. You don’t need to have a solid plan for what you want to do with the rest of your life. It’s absolutely fine not to have all the answers right from the start.

I read a lot of content from other creators and speak to many in person, and I can tell you that it’s extremely rare for anyone to follow their goals in a straight line. You will have deviations, obstacles and changes of heart along the way. Humans evolve, and situations change. And that’s all perfectly normal.

Graphic design is one of those professions where a degree isn’t the destination. It’s a really useful thing to get you started, yes, but I tend to think of it as a springboard rather than the be-all and end-all. You will continue learning throughout your career as the industry evolves, technology updates, and styles change. Your education is simply the backbone to all of that. It gives you the understanding behind it, but it can’t replace real-life experience. Some designers stay on the formal education route for years, and others have a rudimentary understanding and a decent set of exam results, yet still thrive in their industry.

I guess what I’m getting at is that there are so many ways to get to where you want to be. None of them is right or wrong. Follow your own path, and remember to allow for some flexibility.

Whether you're leaving school, starting university, graduating, or considering a change in direction, remember that very few careers follow a perfectly planned route.

The important thing isn't having all the answers today. It's staying curious, gaining experience, and being open to opportunities you might not even know exist yet.

Some of the best creative careers begin with a simple willingness to try something new.