I listened to a really excellent Delingpod the other day with a Danish builder. Lasse Andersen. Out of all the many podcasts and various well-known people James has interviewed this was a favourite of mine.

Down to earth - two guys just having a chat. Lasse was very pragmatic, made good conversation, was relaxed and - importantly - was switched-on about the dangers of being compliant, but was also willing to listen and consider nuance. Maybe even more so than his host! He came across as ‘his own person’. Willing to hear someone out, and be considerate - but not easily swayed or falling under peer pressure. It had me wondering if certain jobs are more likely to attract or create these kinds of people?

If so - is this a better career path for those who think for themselves?

It is tempting to divide society into two groups: people who are independent and people who are compliant. A person’s occupation can shape how they think about authority, rules and independence, although it does not always determine their political beliefs. A plumber can be highly supportive of government rules, while a university lecturer can be strongly opposed to them (rare, but they do exist!) I notice that tradespeople are more naturally rebellious, and wonder - can some types of work give people more experience of making decisions for themselves?

A useful starting point is with the idea of autonomy. Autonomy simply means having some control over what you do and how you do it. Imagine two teenagers learning different skills. One spends most of the day completing assignments according to a detailed set of instructions and having their work assessed according to standards decided elsewhere. The other learns how to repair a bicycle, build a wall or fix an electrical problem. The second teenager may still have rules to follow, but once they are given a real problem, they often have to decide for themselves how to solve it.

Skilled trades can involve this kind of practical independence because the worker is often dealing with situations that cannot be completely predicted in advance. A builder might discover that a wall is not quite where the plans suggested it would be. A mechanic might find that the problem with a vehicle is different from what the customer described. A plumber may arrive at a house and discover that the pipes were installed years ago in a way that nobody expected. The worker needs knowledge, experience and judgement rather than simply a set of instructions.

Research on construction workers has found examples of this kind of occupational autonomy. One study of London building workers described construction work as involving considerable freedom from direct managerial control and a degree of autonomy that other vocations can’t quite match. Research on skilled construction workers has similarly argued that the changing nature of construction sites and the importance of practical skills can make close supervision difficult, giving skilled workers more freedom in how they carry out their tasks.

This matters because independence can become a habit. If someone spends twenty years solving practical problems without a manager standing over them, they may become accustomed to asking, ‘Does this rule actually make sense?’ rather than automatically assuming that an instruction is correct simply because somebody in authority issued it. This is often the case in ‘white-collar’ jobs - where there can be a ‘but this is how it’s always done?’ attitude.

There is another important difference. A skilled tradesperson may possess knowledge that is difficult for an outsider to replace quickly. If you know how to repair a particular kind of machine, an office manager who has never touched it may have very little ability to tell you exactly how the repair should be done. The manager might be able to decide what needs to be achieved, but the worker has considerable influence over how it is achieved.

Sociologists have studied this distinction between different kinds of control at work. Researchers have identified forms of control ranging from direct supervision and bureaucratic rules to occupational control and worker self-control. In other words, an organisation does not always need somebody watching every worker. Sometimes it controls people through rules, sometimes through professional expectations - and sometimes workers largely regulate themselves.

“This matters because independence can become a habit. If someone spends twenty years solving practical problems without a manager standing over them, they may become accustomed to asking, ‘Does this rule actually make sense?’ rather than automatically assuming that an instruction is correct simply because somebody in authority issued it”

This brings us to a comparison with more ‘academic’ jobs.

Education and independence are not the same thing.

A highly educated person can become very comfortable operating inside institutions. They may spend many years moving through schools, universities, professional qualifications, examinations, applications, assessments, committees and workplace procedures. None of these things automatically makes someone obedient. However, it can mean that following institutional procedures becomes a familiar part of everyday life - and often does lead to people being institutionalised.

There is also something sociologists call normative control. This means that people are influenced not only by direct orders, but by expectations about what a respectable or successful person is supposed to do. You do not need a teacher standing behind you telling you to complete your homework if you have already learned that a ‘good student’ completes it. Similarly, an employee may follow workplace expectations because they have become part of their idea of what a responsible professional does.

That is a very different kind of control from having someone physically tell you what to do.

Tradespeople can experience this too, of course. A tradesperson has to obey building regulations, health and safety rules, employment law, tax law and many other requirements. Some trades are heavily regulated.

It would be a mistake to say that tradespeople simply ‘escape state control.’ They do not - the state can regulate a tradesperson through licences, inspections, taxation, planning rules, employment law, safety regulations and contracts just as it can regulate anyone else.

The more interesting argument though is that the experience of working independently may affect how a person responds to authority.

Someone who has spent years being trusted to make practical decisions may be less psychologically dependent on institutions for direction. They may be comfortable saying, ‘I’ll look at the problem myself and decide what makes sense.’ That attitude can sometimes extend beyond work into other parts of life.

There is evidence that autonomy matters to workers themselves. Research involving blue-collar workers found that autonomy was repeatedly associated with independence, responsibility, influence over work and the ability to cope without constant supervision. Skilled workers have also historically developed what researchers describe as a ‘craft consciousness’, involving pride in specialised knowledge, occupational boundaries and autonomy in carrying out their work.

The person with the most formal education is not necessarily the person with the most practical independence. Someone can be extremely intelligent and highly educated while being accustomed to functioning inside large institutions. Meanwhile, someone without a university degree may spend every working day making difficult decisions without anybody telling them exactly what to do.

That may be the deeper lesson for a young person who has been home-educated. Independence does not mean refusing every rule. It means being capable of asking why a rule exists, understanding why it might be useful - or not, and making a reasoned decision rather than obeying automatically.

The most independent person, therefore, is not necessarily the person who always rejects authority. It is the person who can think for themselves while still being willing to listen, learn and change their mind when the evidence demands it.

Thanks for reading - as always, really appreciated. As people start to return to normality after the summer holidays, and sunshine, so do the HatchEd posts! Weekly posts once again, and occasional workshops and pods. Enjoy!

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Somewhere along the way, being ‘relatable’ got mixed up with being happily uninterested in learning.

Some people boast that they haven’t read a book ever, or dismiss theatre as boring. They avoid anything that makes them think too hard and every conversation, every video, every piece of content is made into the easiest possible version because that’s what gets attention. The assumption is that if something requires concentration, it must be pretentious and difficult.

For young creatives, that’s a dangerous trap to fall in to.

Your creativity can only draw from what you’ve put into your mind. If all you consume is the same recycled content as everyone else, your ideas will eventually become recycled too. You can’t produce original work from unoriginal thoughts.

Reading isn’t about becoming an intellectual snob - it’s about expanding the number of ideas, words, stories and perspectives your brain has at its fingertips. Every novel introduces you to different rhythms of language, and every biography gives you another way of looking at lives, failure or difficulties. Essays teach you how someone else thinks. You don’t even notice it, but your creative instincts become richer and broader because your mental library grows.

This can be hard when lots of young people are now labelled as having something that stops them from enjoying this kind of activity. Maybe the problem is that when everything gives you an attention span of three seconds - social media, online content, video games, adverts - then concentrating for more than five minutes on an activity will make many young people struggle.

The same is true of your vocabulary.

Some people deliberately keep their language simple because they worry that using unfamiliar words will make them seem arrogant or old-fashioned. In reality, a wider vocabulary isn’t about showing off. It’s about precision and nuance. If you only know five ways to describe an emotion, you’ll only ever communicate five tones of feeling. If you learn fifty words instead, then suddenly your writing, speaking and thinking become more accurate. Language isn’t showing off, and decoration - but more of a toolkit.

Creativity works the same way. Watch difficult plays - not because you’ll enjoy every minute, but because they’ll challenge your thought process. Theatre asks different things from an audience than film or social media. It forces you to pay attention to dialogue, character and silence without any other distractions. Shakespeare, modern drama, experimental productions - whether you love them or not, they stretch your imagination in ways that short-form content rarely can.

“This can be hard when lots of young people are now labelled as having something that stops them from enjoying this kind of activity. Maybe the problem is that when everything gives you an attention span of three seconds - social media, online content, video games, adverts - then concentrating for more than five minutes on any activity will make many young people struggle.”

Listen to radio discussions or long-form interviews instead of always watching a screen. When you remove the visuals, your brain has to work differently. You focus on ideas instead of appearances, you listen more carefully to the words and intonation. You basically become a better listener. You hear discussions unfold rather than being distracted by edits, graphics and facial expressions.

That’s really valuable for anyone whose job is to communicate.

The problem with constantly consuming content designed for the shortest attention span is that it quietly trains you to stay there. Algorithms reward familiarity because it’s comfortable and easy, they really don’t care if you’re growing. They’ll happily serve you endless versions of the same ideas, the same opinions and the same trends until your world becomes smaller without you noticing.

Creative people should resist that!

Progress almost always feels slightly uncomfortable. The first time you read a challenging novel, you’ll probably miss things or not understand some of the themes. The first time you watch a complex play, some of it will go over your head. The first time you listen to a serious discussion about politics, philosophy or science, you may not understand every reference or sentence. This is to be expected the first few times round.

No one gets stronger by only lifting weights they already find easy.

Being interested has never gone out of fashion. The most interesting writers, musicians, designers, filmmakers and entrepreneurs all have one thing in common - they consume widely. They read beyond their industry and interests. They explore history, psychology, science, art, and philosophy. They collect influences from unexpected places because they know creativity is built from connections, and how those connections make new outcomes.

Playing dumb might make you fit in for a while. It might even help you blend into an online culture that celebrates instant reactions and quick soundbites over thoughtful reflection - but it definitely won’t make you a better creative.

Your greatest advantage isn’t pretending to know less or wanting to be seen as simple and straightforward. It’s learning how to know more.

Read books that challenge you, learn new words, watch plays that demand your attention and listen to conversations that make you rethink your opinions. Feed your mind with ideas that don’t arrive in twenty-second clips.

Otherwise your creative output will never consistently rise above your creative input. If you want to make exceptional work, become an exceptional learner.

I hope you’ve had or are having a great Summer. It’s been pretty warm in the UK so far 🥵 - HatchEd is now back to usual weekly posts - so while you ride out the last of the summer sun, check in now and again and catch up 😊

Until next post!

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Rona Marin-Miller, Designer and Parent.

Although in the UK it’s not looking too likely this week - here are some ideas to balance the last HatchEd post - rainy day summer activities this time.

Invent something

Design a useless invention that solves a problem nobody has (‘The Automatic Biscuit Dunking Stability Analyser’)

Create a board game in a day, then test it with family.

Build a miniature e…

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Summer has a strange reputation. It’s supposed to be endless adventures, sunsets, road trips and unforgettable memories. The reality? Hours disappear scrolling on screens, watching the same videos, and wondering where the day went.

The good news is that getting away from screens doesn’t have to mean forced family hikes or expensive holidays. Some of the …

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It’s that time of year as people graduate, move on in their lives, change direction, undertake new studies or ways of learning. For those who are creative then thinking of new projects is always exciting. You get ideas that other people don’t. You want to express yourself, stand out, make noise, create something different - all good things.

While learnin…

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The death of David Hockney reminded many creatives and the public in general how good it is to be eccentric - swimming against the tide of generic, vanilla lifestyles and ideas.

Although many feel that art is only art when it is perfect and painted in the style of Vermeer or Raphael, there’s a lot to celebrate about David Hockney and his work.

While he …

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I’ve noticed people fall in to two categories. Builders and blockers. More people come under one of the categories than the other. I’ll let you guess which!

Within the field I work people are expected to be problem solvers - but actually a lot of creatives are crippled with self-doubt and perfectionism, and it often gets in the way of solutions and new …

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For a creative young person, reading books is important. When screens dominate almost every waking hour, books offer something increasingly rare; the chance to slow down, focus, and enter another person’s mind.

The difference between reading a novel and scrolling through social media highlights a difference in how the brain works. Screens encourage speed…

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I had to bite my tongue several times last week - for various reasons - and some seem so petty but are important. One was the use of month and date being used in a very American movie trailer style such as ‘January 1’ for a promo piece.

This is not how we normally order our month and dates the UK - and where was the ‘st’? Seeing January 1 or similar, re…

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Youngsters undertaking a higher maths exam last week in Scotland reported that it was ‘unrecognisable to the the paper they had prepared for in class’…

Hmmm.

Some were apparently left feeling ‘upset, hopeless, and crying’.

The ‘command words’ - words that indicate how you should answer the question - were different from what they had been taught in class…

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What happened to proper rebellion? Did it disappear with social media and bland identity?

I watched as people claiming to be creative rebels urged everyone to vote yesterday. How dull. If it worked they wouldn’t let us do it - but until more people realise this, then we’ll just have to suffer the virtue bores who say things like ‘you just have to choose…

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It’s fair to ask whether lateral thinking - the ability to approach problems from unexpected angles - is becoming something beyond our ken. Lateral thinking isn’t about replacing logic, but about stepping outside of it to generate fresh, unconventional ideas. For young creatives, it may be more crucial now than ever.

Modern education and early career env…

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Simple Lateral Thinking Project

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Use the prompts to create new ideas and ways of thinking.

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At sixteen, Callum kept a careful eye on what was current. He followed the right accounts, saved the right references, adjusted his drawings to match whatever seemed to be circulating most widely that week. His sketchbook filled quickly, but each page felt pretty much interchangeable with the last.

When he fell out of step - missing a day, lingering too …

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When teaching in the creative sector, and the reason I wanted to set up a creative charity that pushes against the norms, was that emerging creatives always want to know ‘the right path’. There is always commentary from graduates working in the creative sector who claim that ‘Art schools and college courses don’t teach what you need to know’ and while I…

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There’s a slow shift happening in how creative work is understood, and it doesn’t maybe sit well with what we are taught growing up. This idea that instead of obsessing over a single perfect piece, young creatives might be better served by making more - and embracing quantity not as compromise, but as a tool.

For a long time, the dominant theory has bee…

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Last week was the launch of a creative charity I co-founded. It was an exciting build up - leading to a fantastic night. We received so much lovely feedback afterwards and lots of motivational comments.

In the middle of it all, it can be tricky to see what is going on, and so it took a couple of days to process what worked, what we need to consider - an…

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A slightly delayed article this week - but for good reason! I have finally co-founded a creative charity.

It has been on my mind for about 10 or so years. Art schools and creative education just don’t move fast enough for young people - or me! So I set it up with a friend, 7 or 8 months in the planning, and a big launch in the next week or so that has b…

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I have been observing various creative practices and processes over the last few weeks in different cities - many people think learning works like a package delivery: a teacher or ‘expert’ explains something, and the knowledge is handed over to you.

Creativity really doesn’t work that way.

Real understanding comes from doing.

When you try something yours…

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Recently, a post from Helios Movement sparked an interesting conversation, one which I go on about a lot: your brain works better when your body is involved.

For creative young people who already draw, sketch, build, and make things constantly - this is important.

Your Brain Loves Movement

When you physically draw a diagram, sketch a character, write notes…

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