Milly Camelia: My 9-to-5 and Creative Life Balance.

21/12/25

Milly Camelia, Community Writer

My name is Camelia Castelain, I'm a multimedia artist with a key focus in videography, experimenting with different styles and editing techniques. I love all things media, whether it be animation, graphic design, photography or video production! I recently graduated from Plymouth University with a degree in Creative Media and since then, I’ve been navigating the ‘real’ world as an independent adult. Separate from my creative endeavours, I've been skateboarding since I was around 5 years old which has introduced me to some amazing people and opportunities. I love being outdoors going on hikes or camping, and I'm always keen to be doing things that help restore the sense of community where I live.

After leaving university and evidently leaving behind all access to cameras, cheap film, software, technicians - the list could go on forever - I found myself poor and with no equipment to start my journey in the creative industry.

As someone who loves all things media, from videography to animation to graphic design, having everything that made this work possible stripped away has been tricky to adjust to (especially on a budget). The solution: working a full-time job to save up for a camera; the problem: working a full time job and having no time to pursue creative work.

Juggling family, friends, relationships and work is hard enough without trying to carve out a path for yourself in the creative industry. Between me living in Plymouth, my partner in London and my family in Kent, I scrape together as many spare moments as I can to dedicate to my multimedia endeavours.

I’m lucky enough to have a (somewhat) creative 9-5 bouncing between writing emails and using Canva to make things far beyond the scope of what it was intended for; I would never have believed you if, three years ago, you told me I’d graduate from University, only to be making motion graphics on Canva. It definitely beats most other 9-5 jobs I’ve worked though and I’ve learnt a lot about setting up the systems behind the scenes, communicating with clients, and working to complicated briefs on tight deadlines - a skill I learnt at uni and mastered in the workplace.

I acquired my first paid videography job recently, in which I had to document a sweaty, indoor, sober rave…also known as a spin class. It’s a long way from my end goal but it’s definitely a start and that’s what really counts.

Finding work that adheres to my schedule hasn’t been easy, as I work every weekday, and having a partner that lives 3 hours away means most weekends are booked up with train journeys to London or planning something nice to do together in Plymouth (possibly one of the hardest challenges I face on a monthly basis). If you haven’t already calculated, that leaves me zero days of the week to find creative work. My favourite way to combat this issue is to make my boyfriend the focus of anything creative I make, however, as much as I love him, I don’t think it will ever get me paid.

It’s hard to feel the passion for what I’m doing sometimes when I’m limited by the restraints of time, cramming as much as I can into an evening after a long day at work and a tiring cycle back home. But every little win brings back the spark, reminding me to carry on creating and of the dopamine I get from making something I’m proud of. Being surrounded by people who are passionate about what they do inspires me to do the same and celebrating the successes of those around me helps to bring me joy and excitement about pursuing creative ideas.

Although it feels tedious at times, I’m learning and growing every day and step by step, I’m creeping closer to becoming the person I want to be.

To find more from Milly follow on Instagram here: @mediacamelia

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