An art tutor from Scotland has penned a guidebook for parents that is not your usual. In it, Julie Read details how overwhelmed parents can guide their young person and get them on the best first steps towards a stellar art career. 

Creative Careers: Unlocking Art School Admissions: A Parent’s Toolkit for Art College is a practical and insightful guide to demystifying the complex application process for art and design courses. This book empowers parents to support their aspiring artists with confidence and clarity. 

Julie Read has over two decades of experience. She spent 10 years teaching at the Edinburgh College of Art, has 17 years of further education experience and is the brains behind Portfolio Oomph, a bespoke tutorial service based near Edinburgh through which she helps art students secure a place at their first-choice institution and more. Julie was a finalist for the UK Blog Awards for Best Individual/Freelance Education and is a proud Theo Paphitis Small Business Sunday Winner.

Her journey began long before all this, as an 18-year-old who at first wasn’t accepted into her chosen art school. Now, the established artist has had her work exhibited both locally and internationally – and through Portfolio Oomph, Julie has helped 111 students gain over 230 places for art and design courses at 66 institutions around the UK and abroad. 

“I’ve written the book that I guess my parents wished they’d had when I didn’t get into art school for the first time,” says author Julie. “I’m sure you’ve likely spent a lot of time with your young person researching the process of applying to University and the various courses. My experience is that parents often may not feel any better informed after, just more confused with the myriad of information that all sounds alike, yet different.” 

Julie pushes back against the rigid focus on still life, landscapes, self-portraits or copying the styles of established artists — the common approaches drilled into students at school. “Increasingly, universities and art schools aren’t so interested in technical skill alone. They want bold ideas, originality, and work that actually says something. It’s time to question your young person’s approach to their art education,” says the artist.

Creative Careers: Unlocking Art School Admissions breaks down the application process into manageable steps, offering actionable advice and additional resources to ensure the readers’ young person is well-prepared. 

Through this book, readers will discover how to:

• Understand the unique mindset and skills required for a successful art school application. 
• Guide their young person in building a standout portfolio that showcases their individuality. 
• Navigate the intricacies of the UCAS application, personal statements, references, and interviews. 
• Foster resilience, risk-taking and critical thinking to help your young person thrive in their creative journey. 

Beyond practicalities, this book encourages a deeper appreciation for creativity and its transformative power. “Imagine seeing your young person gain the offers at University but more importantly the confidence and personal fulfilment to continue their journey in life with integrity to who they are and what they stand for. That’s all a parent could ever ask for,” says Julie. 

Creative Careers: Unlocking Art School Admissions is available now on Amazon.