1 year since Shillington: Merav Spektor

Merav graduated from Shillington a year ago! One of our Lead Teachers, Mags Straatman, caught up with her to talk about her experience on the course, juggling the work alongside having a family and Merav's new found love for designing for weddings.

Enjoy!

Mags Straatman:

I'm very happy you're here, Merav. So welcome, welcome back to Shillington!

Merav Spektor:

Thank you, it's good to be back. I missed it.

Mags:

Just to give a little backgroun— I was your teacher on the part-time Shillington course that started in September 2023, which feels like a long time ago now! I'm really happy you're here.
To start off, why did you choose Shillington? Was there a specific reason, or was it something you'd always wanted to do?

Merav:

Quick answer, it wasn’t. I originally trained to be an occupational psychologist, which was a long, long path. It took eight years, and during that time, I really had no idea that this wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life.

It just kind of happened—you’re 18, and what do you really know about yourself or your hobbies? I’d always had an interest in arts and crafts; I was always making things. Even after graduating and starting work, what interested me most was actually the graphic design side of things but I never made the connection. I never realised that that was it.

So no—rules and regulations were my life, a lot of corporate work. I kept thinking, maybe if I stay longer, I'll enjoy it, maybe once I have more expertise, I’ll enjoy it, maybe if I work externally as a consultant, maybe internally, maybe at a bigger firm, or a smaller one. I tried all of it, but I never really loved it. Still, I don't think I truly realised it—you just get onto a path and keep going.

And then COVID hit. I was supposed to return from my second maternity leave during COVID, but I never did. The whole industry practically shut down. At the time, I was working with a small consulting firm, and for almost two years after that, hardly anyone was working. By the time those three years had passed, I knew, I just didn’t want to go back.

Mags: That was the moment. That was when it hit?

Merav:

It took me about a year of making lists—thinking about what my interests are, what I want to do, and all those things and then, all of a sudden, I had a eureka moment.

I was reflecting on all the jobs I had done in psychology and the parts I enjoyed most. It was things like creating documents for clients, or working on branding—a very small project I was involved with when a client needed branding for a conference. I did that for them. And I realised that could just be what I do: focus on the best parts of that job.

I started looking around at my options. After spending eight years at university, I knew I didn’t want to go back to university again. When I found Shillington, it felt perfect—especially because I had very young children and there was the option to do the course remotely over nine months. My husband could be at home and help look after the kids. It was just perfect.

I was still nervous to make the jump—but I did it, and I’ve never looked back.

Mags:

So it was more like you realised a part of a job that you could actually do was the fun part? That's quite interesting.

Merav:

That's it! The amazing thing is that I'm allowed to have, you know, fun.

Mags:

Exactly, I feel the same. I wanted to do graphic design, but at the same time, there was this voice telling me, Go to art school and study advertising instead; it’s probably a more commercial path for a designer. But I ended up switching to graphic design very quickly.

You mentioned earlier that you considered yourself a mature student. How did that feel during the course? Were there any big wins you experienced, or maybe some challenges along the way?

Merav:

Yeah, overall it was a brilliant experience. I call myself a mature student because I already had a degree, had worked a few jobs, was a parent, and was at a stage of life where I was no longer a fresh 18-year-old. Coming in with that maturity made it a completely different experience. For example, when I was an undergrad, even during my post-grad, I would hesitate to ask questions because I wanted to appear like I understood everything straight away. I wanted people to think I was smart.

But at Shillington, I asked so many questions. I felt so comfortable and as a result, I learned so much more. I could really stay on top of everything. I also felt more comfortable speaking up and helping shape the environment in a way that suited my learning style. It was brilliant.

It was such a better experience in terms of both learning and personal growth. I felt fully immersed in that digital classroom, and like I was really a big part of it. It felt so good, really meaningful!

Mags:

I definitely remember you as someone who asked questions, really good questions! As teachers, we want students to let us know if they're struggling, because that's exactly why we're here.

Do you think that feeling more like a mature student gave you the confidence to ask those questions?

Merav:

Definitely. I think it's partly because I'm a bit older and care less about what people think of me. The teachers were all very approachable, so it was easy to ask questions. But there was also the fact that I’d already been out in the world, I’d worked a few jobs.

I could understand how this theoretical knowledge would be applied in the workplace. I wasn’t just someone who had only ever seen theory without any real-world context; I had an idea of what was coming. That allowed me to connect my experiences with the learning, which made everything feel much more meaningful and robust for me. That was another aspect that made the course really, really valuable.

Mags:

You were already saying about that you have children—how did you find juggling the course with your family life?

Merav:

Yeah, there were a few school holidays throughout the course. When I first signed up, I wondered if it was a bad idea to take the course over nine months, knowing there would be around ten weeks of school holidays. Can I really do this?

But it was totally doable. It worked because my husband was very supportive, and I had a lot of help. It also worked because the course felt tailored for people who needed a part-time structure. So when the kids were on school holidays, I could catch up or do extra work on the weekends. And yes, it was hard, but it was manageable. And that’s exactly what I needed.

It also came down to getting the schedule right. I knew when the classes were, and once my husband was home, he could help with the kids. That meant I spent much of my day setting up the evening so it would work for the whole family.

By the time class started, I could go upstairs knowing everyone was showered, fed, and settled.

Mags:

I remember one of your projects where you even featured one of your kids. Were they involved in like the briefs that you were making? Was that like something you discussed with your kids or your husband?

Merav:

Yeah, a little bit. That’s the beautiful thing about studying graphic design—unlike my previous, more academic career, it has tangible outcomes. You can actually say, look what I made today.

It was really nice to get the kids involved and say, look, you’re in it: I was designing this about you, or this is what I created, and you were part of it.

Mags:

Wow. So they asked for that?

Merav:

Yeah, this was back when I was first learning Photoshop, things like how to mask an object. I’d use my phone to take a picture, and the kids would say, Can you put me in the splash too? And I’d say, Sure… just give me three hours.

Photoshop was the hardest program for me. Even after graduating, it took a while for things to really click. I'm still not fully there yet, but it's not nearly as laborious as it used to be. I remember in the beginning thinking: I have a great idea, I know this could turn out well but something that should take a few seconds is taking me an hour, because I had to constantly look things up. And half the time, I didn’t even know the right words to search for.

That was a big challenge, especially as an older student who’d never touched Photoshop before.

Mags:

Exactly. That’s just part of learning the software. Even for me, when I was at university or first starting out, it took repetition. You have to go over things again and again. Like you said, now it takes me a minute to do something that used to take so much longer but that only came through practice. You have to go through that process, and it will get easier.

So looking back on everything, do you have any advice or tips for someone who might also be a mature student — someone juggling a lot in life while thinking about doing the course?]

Merav:

I’d start with some general encouragement: almost everyone in our cohort had a previous career. It really felt like everyone brought a skill, or a set of skills, from their past work that supported them in graphic design. So for anyone who’s unsure and thinking: 'But I come from a completely different industry'—that’s actually a strength. You’ll have an edge because of what you’ve done before. That’s something I love to share now: everything you’ve done in your past will serve you in your future, and that can make you stronger than most.

As for practical advice, I’d recommend getting familiar with the Adobe Creative Suite before starting the course. I think that would have taken a lot of stress out of my experience. It would have let me focus more on the design work itself, rather than struggling with the software.

So even if it’s just a month or two beforehand, start playing with the tools. Watch some videos, try a few tutorials — just don’t start from a completely blank slate.

Mags:

Nice. So it’s been over a year since you graduated, what are you working on?

Merav:

The beautiful thing about graphic design for me, personally, is that I can freelance. Sometimes I do feel like if I had started out in a studio, I would have gained more confidence early on. Maybe it’s a bit unconventional to jump straight into freelance work as a ‘green’ designer—but then again, it’s given me the freedom to shape my life the way I want, which is a first for me. So in that sense, it’s worked out really well.

I just finished a big branding project, and it was huge, scary, stressful, amazing and I’m so proud of myself. If you've had a previous career, you likely have a lot of connections. One of my former colleagues recently started freelancing as a consultant, and we've reconnected. She’s now an ongoing client and every time she needs design work, she comes to me. That’s turned into a regular client relationship, which is lovely.

Before that, while we were putting our portfolios together at Shillington, my cousin was getting married and I designed everything for her wedding—invitations, signage, menus. I absolutely loved it. Of course, part of that is because I love her, but there’s also something magical about taking a couple’s love story and turning it into something visual where the main goal is simply to bring them joy.

Mags:

That's a good brief, isn't it?

Merav:

Definitely! I immediately started asking every single person I heard was getting married and with all my cousins, that’s quite a few! I’d say, 'Would you like your wedding invitations designed?' and they all said yes! So I’ve got another wedding coming up this week.

I wrapped up a branding project last week, and now I’m starting on the next wedding—magic in the air, love in the air.

I think it’s something I’m definitely going to keep pursuing. As a freelancer, it’s such a beautifully contained type of project and it makes me really happy.

So, that’s where I’m at.

Mags:

So you're going to be designing wedding invitations all over over Australia!

Merav:

I hope so. I have another branding project in the pipeline too. And again people are like ‘how do you do it?’ It’s just networking and then there are family and friends. There's so much work there. Just speak up.

Mags:

Well, thank you so much for your time and your words of wisdom. I'm sure we'll see you popping up on Instagram or the next It's Nice That article.

Merav:

Wouldn't that be nice? Thanks so much!

Check out Merav's Linkedin here and her website here!