You Can Be Creative - Abigail Sullivan ('21, IDCC Major)
Abigail was pursuing a very different path as a freshman than she is now as a senior. During her freshman year, Abigail was at UMass Boston, studying political science. She was in student government as a senator and a campaign manager, and a volunteer tour guide at the Edward Kennedy Institute of the Senate. At the time, she loved photography, and did freelance work in her limited free time, but didn’t believe that it would be possible to make a career out of this passion. She eventually realized that political science was not the path for her, and decided she wanted to go to business school to learn about entrepreneurship and the fundamentals of running a business. Knowing she would thrive in an environment of motivated, passionate individuals, she transferred to Bentley come her sophomore year.
“I wanted to be surrounded by future business leaders.”
Upon arriving to Bentley, Abigail mentioned to a new friend that she loved taking pictures but didn’t really know what to do with this hobby. This friend, who happened to be President of Project Creative Industries, told her about this new club and how it would be a good outlet for Abigail to pursue her creative side. She interviewed for the club, showed her very first portfolio of work, and was offered a position as Photography co-chair.
“I don’t know where I would be without Project CI.”
This position is where Abigail’s talent for photography flourished. Project CI launched an Adobe ambassadorship that Abigail got to be a part of. She showed others how to edit pictures and videos using programs like Lightroom and got to foster her own skills by practicing using Photoshop and XD.
For the annual showcase put on by Project CI, where artists all around campus can show their work, Abigail reached out to a band called Stone the Druggist to perform. After connecting with them at the showcase, she now runs their branding with them, by taking photos and videos at their concerts and helping them with their media presence. This is when she realized that she didn’t have to follow a traditional career path; that she could make this “hobby” a career. Project CI has connected her with this band, along with others, which has increased her client base for freelance work.
Now, as a senior, Abigail is the President of Project CI. In this role, she has become quite comfortable with delegating tasks to others and leading a team. This role within a creative organization is very different than that within a more traditional workplace. She has to identify what other people in the club excel at and what they like to do. Some people need more instruction and others want more creative freedom, so Abigail needs to understand everyone in the club very well. Though this can be difficult, and requires great flexibility, Abigail loves every minute spent working with her fellow Project CI e-board members.
“It’s not often you get to work on an e-board of SoundCloud rappers and painters.”
Abigail hopes to continue delegating in her job after Bentley. She is interested in sustainable fashion, and would love to be working as a brand strategist for companies whose values align with her own. She knows that incorporating photography and videography into her career is a must. Project CI has taught her creativity is something to embrace, and that if you are passionate about something, you have to give it your all.