The past few months have been very eventful. I’m now a third of the way through my final year and I have been working at Shades of Noir as a Creative Database Developer for over 6 months now. When I first began I was a bit jaded from the retail job I had, and at the same time was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to adapt to the work environment at Shades. Through many meetings, tasks and catch ups my worries dissipated and I’m able to appreciate how it’s my favourite job to date.
Over the past few months I’ve gained valuable experience in things that I never got from previous jobs and discovered things I really enjoy doing that I would’ve never expected – one of which is interviewing artists. It’s been really exciting to interview a range of people from different artistic and cultural backgrounds which I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to if I didn’t work at Shades. In addition to this, it’s been a really humbling experience receiving messages from artists who have been uploaded to the database thanking me for adding them and saying how much it means to them, as it puts into perspective how for so many artists of colour representation is few and far between.
Despite the pandemic, you can feel a lot of the team’s energy even remotely and its simply nice to be working with like minded people in a non competitive environment. Having worked in retail for most of my jobs, getting to experience a working environment in which you’re not only encouraged but enjoy collaborating with coworkers rather than feeling like you’re competing is a really nice atmosphere to be part of, even if it is remote. The role has provided a lot of stability in a time where the world is constantly in flux.
Something valuable I’ve learned from my time at Shades is being more willing to step out of my comfort zone to achieve better results and do my job more efficiently. I’ve gone from avoiding spreadsheets like the plague (dramatic, but true) to understanding they can be useful tools for streamlining workflow has helped make my professional life a hell of a lot easier. Apart from work related things though, It’s helped me appreciate my ideas have value due to the way in which the senior team and my coworkers are always willing to listen to my ideas and help figure out ways to actualise them and grow in the process. I’ve not really worked anywhere before where the senior staff/management seem to genuinely care about their employees, and it makes a world of difference in how I feel doing work every week. It feels more like I’m part of something important and valuable, that will actually have an impact on the wider cultural discourse. I still have a lot to learn but Shades has really given me the tools, opportunities and courage to take steps towards becoming a better version of myself.
Sarah Ejionye Adigwe
Creative Database Developer
