I decided to go back to school and enrolled for a History of Art A Level, via distance learning experts The National Extension College (NEC).

It’s not a decision I’ve made because I suddenly have more time on my hands and experiencing lock-down boredom. It’s a decision I made a while ago, so I’m sticking to my plan and have signed up.

So why have I enrolled?

Full disclosure, it’s not because I've worked with NEC. I always tell clients to understand the full customer journey; experience the product from a customer’s point of view. I’ll be documenting the process as well as following the process. Partaking in a taste challenge might be easier than a 300 hour commitment, over a fourteen month period, but the client can also learn from my experience.

It’s not about the grades. I did History of Art at A Level 32 years ago (although I admit I’m hoping I do better than the Grade D if I do take the exam again).

N for Nurture

The ‘N’ of PIN stands for ‘nurture’. Continual learning is something that I have always been interested in, but I don’t feel I’ve made the most out of opportunities to expand my learning since starting my professional career, although I have learnt a lot throughout.

I’m interested in how learning and education has changed. At the time we studied in a dimly lit lecture room with creaky slide carousels. There were no computers to write assignments, no internet to explore the wider world. Of course, we did field trips to museums, travelled to galleries across Europe, watched old programmes on video, but the ability to visit virtual galleries, watch and read content from past and current experts online and to engage, share and learn through an online community will provide additional depth and perspective to my learning.

The value of 'creative currency'

One aspect that particularly interests me is the ‘critical analysis’ required to appreciate and understand the visual world. Much of the learning through studying History of Art has stayed with me through my career at a subconscious level. I am excited about the opportunity to develop these skills using the new tools offered by experiencing the course again. 

The adage that “Everyone’s a critic” has more recently transformed into “Everyone’s a creator”, increasing the need to contribute and discuss creative output in a more meaningful way. History of Art was fascinating to study before and I look forward to jumping back in and exploring the subject from a new perspective.