Abraham Maslow (1954) believes that the prospect for personal growth relies on the realisation of the value of creativity, a true understanding of self and self- fulfilment. Perhaps had a greater understanding of himself, he might have been better equipped to appreciate the value of his talents which, in turn, might have motivated him to remain firm in is interests. Unfortunately, he relied too heavily on the praise of others, which took precedence over his self-fulfilment needs. This lack of self-confidence resulted in Paul making no further attempts, at this stage in his life, to pursue this particular career path.
Whilst still at school, Paul managed to find employment with a library and worked for several years as an assistant librarian. He had not consciously sought or planned this experience as an important career move. On the contrary, almost any job would have sufficed during this period. However, the time had to date. He also found that being surrounded by books provided Paul with the most rewarding work experience ha has process of reflection. Boud et al (1993) believes that reflection must be an “international event” in order for learning and development to occur. Paul found that in the library environment he was often engaged in the conscious re-evaluation of past events: he now firmly believed that change was dependent on reflection. He soon become motivated to make more of himself, but realised, to his dismay, that his limited work and academic achievements would not take him far. With the aid of reflective thought he began to question the past and make preparations for the future. He surmised that he should try to build on his existing creative talents: Paul decided to return study.
The following years proved to be more successful for Paul in terms of learning and personal development. Upon the successful completion of a diploma in prop making he found work in designing and producing props for theatre. Although most of the jobs were small and badly paid he felt a sense of achievement and gained greater self-confidence. The experience of receiving critical evaluation from tutors, college peers and employers positively aided the evaluation process that he applied to himself. According to Boud et al (1993), it is important that the process of reflection be complimented by the critical evaluation of others thus reducing the possibility of self-deception.
Unfortunately, it was difficult for Paul to maintain a constant flow of work and he became increasingly anxious about his future and lack of financial stability. He had not been given sufficient advice during his studies on how to cope with life as freelance worker. Paul soon became unemployed and remained so for almost a year. During this period, however he continued to study and gained an NVQ certificate in media studies. The motivation to keep on trying came from a newly realised inner strength that seemed to denote great resilience. For Maslow (1954), motivation is an important part of reflection and self-development. One must be motivated in order to set goals.
Currently, Paul is engaged in a learning process whereby his process is constantly being assessed and reassessed. As degree student his appreciation of the benefits of reflective thought has increased and he has been actively applying the technique to making plans for his future. Reflection, he feels, is a means to personal discovery. Zuber Skerrit (1992) suggests that experience can prove inefficient unless it is coupled with the act of conceptualising the effects of experience. It is evident, from Paul’s involvement with prop design, media studies and more recently computer-aided design, that there is a distinct thread of creativity that links together to represent valuable experience. To a small degree this pattern is the result of serendipity. There have been, however important periods of self-direction and autonomy, owed, in great part, to the utilisation of the discipline alluded to by Skerrit.
With his newly realised self-confidence and growing skill in the area of computer aided design, Paul has returned once more to his first choice of profession and has started to plan accordingly. He is actively researching the market of children’s books, from a writer/illustrators perspective. He is also continuing to study computer aided design with the intention of improving his web design skills. A career plan has been produced, taking into account his interests, skills and goals for his professional future. He has also taken into account areas where improvement is necessary and remedial action will be taken accordingly where appropriate. Without continuous evaluation one is less likely to glean important lessons from experience. Even events that seem, on the surface, to be purely negative might contain elements that can be used to aid growth and development.
