What does it take to build a lasting career in the creative industry? For writer, creative director and content maker Sean Cullen, the answer lies in resilience, emotion, community and a willingness to keep evolving. From studying graphic design in Liverpool and winning a student D&AD Pencil to building a career across London, Manchester and the North East, Sean has experienced the creative industry from multiple perspectives. His journey has taken him from designer and art director to creative director and writer, while his passion for storytelling is now also leading him towards film, television and radio.
In this Creativepool interview, Sean Cullen shares his approach to the creative process, creative careers and advertising, explaining why relaxed thinking can lead to better ideas, how his working-class Liverpool background shaped his creative voice, and why human emotion remains central in an age of AI. He also discusses his award-winning Imagine film for Alzheimer’s Society, the importance of resilience, the future of creative work, and why he believes the industry needs to move away from burnout culture and towards a more human, collaborative way of working.
How did you first get into the industry?
I studied Graphic Design at Liverpool College and then at UCLAN, in Preston. During that course I won a student D&AD pencil for press adverting and that ignited a spark in me for doing ideas and making ads. After finishing my course, I then packed two bags and headed for London, where I started working in agencies on work placements. It was hard at first, with very little money and a giant student loan to try and pay back! I lived in a youth hostel for 12 months but I persevered and worked extra hard in the agencies.
I ended up getting hired with my creative partner at the time, Peter Higgins, at McCann Erickson. We had plenty of fun and we’re known as ‘The Scousers’ in the industry back then. Thanks for the memories Pete! We also did some great work, working under Mark Reddy and other great CDs, such as Brian Fraser and Simon Learman. That was the start of my journey really and I’ll be forever grateful to them all for helping me.
Where are you based now and who do you work for?
I’m now based in the North East, having worked in both London and Manchester for many years. We moved here, to be nearer family and I work for myself, directly for my own clients and for advertising agencies at times too. It’s a great balance when you have a family and it works well for me at the moment, at my current life stage. London is a fantastic place to live and work when you are younger. You’re free to work very long hours then but when you get little older and have responsibilities and kids, it’s harder without support nearby. That’s why I left London. The North East is full of amazing people and there’s an abundance of talent up here. I’m an advocate for spreading opportunities across the country and nowhere needs it more than here.
What is your personal background and what role did it play in your career?
I’m a working class lad from inner city Liverpool. I grew up in a very diverse area, with families and people from all different backgrounds. I think this has really helped me, as from an early age, I learnt to see different points of view and see the joy in difference. My Mum always taught me that we are all different and to embrace that. I’m half Irish and have family members with their heritage from all over the world. I’m really proud to have come from that background. I lived on a street where there were 200 terraced houses are in close proximity to each other.
All the kids playing out together, saying things like ‘Alright la, you ok?’. It taught me that it doesn’t matter what your skin colour is, or where you’re family are from originally, we are all one. It’s community and I’m a believer in that. Community is unity and Scousers are fantastic at it. I’m proud to call myself one. You’ll never walk alone isn’t just a football chant, it’s an approach to life. Look out for each other. I carry that mantra that every single day!
When you have a background like mine, starting your career in London, is very difficult. You don’t have the financial backing to afford to do placements and be on a lower pay, without major sacrifices. But I think working class people are resilient too. We just make things work with what we’ve got. My background is also my superpower. It’s what allows me to express my creativity. Scousers are very emotive people and I tap into that on a regular basis. I cry when I write, I laugh when I write. Then I know people viewing my work will too, when they connect with those emotions. I write poetry and it comes naturally to me, as does storytelling and I love it!
If you weren’t in your current industry, what would you be doing?
Ideally I’d like to get into the film, radio and TV industries. That’s what I’m trying to transition into, alongside my advertising career. I want to be involved in the programmes between the ads, not the other way around! I’ve written a comedy drama set in Liverpool for instance and I’m pitching that out now. So any agents or production companies reading this, you can help! I love radio, always have and I feel there’s opportunities there too. I’d love to be on a radio show, near the coast. That’s a dream of mine. You’ll see the theme of beaches throughout this interview. I love the coast, I’ve written a poem about it too.
Can you explain your creative process? What makes it unique?
I’ve learnt so much over the years about styles and approaches to the creative process. I think it’s what feels comfortable to you really. The best piece of advice I could give is relax. A tense creative won’t do their best work. I find, if I get tense, I’ll use ways to relax my brain. The subconscious thinking is so much more powerful. This is where sometimes agencies fall down. They put so much pressure on creatives and the process that the work suffers. We all have deadlines but more often than not, the clients will wait a little. I’d always suggest the overnight test. The next day, a great idea can look, not so great. I have my best ideas in the shower. Relaxed thinking is the best way for me and I love a good shower!
How would you describe your style?
It’s eclectic really. I write poetry and that features in my work. My poems are often about a feeling and have a unique rhythm to them each time. Tonally they are always different and paced accordingly. I also like to do something completely new though on a brief. I’m working on a project at the moment that’s really pushing the creative boundaries for me, the client and the production company but that’s exciting! Creativity isn’t about just trends and styles, it’s about a blank page and doing something different. That’s the challenge but the beauty of it!
Which individuals do you gain inspiration from? Do you have any heroes in the industry?
I’ve got loads of heroes. In terms of advertising, I’ve already mentioned them really. Oh one more: Simon Higby. He’s done so well over in DDB Stockholm and he’s an excellent creative. We went to uni together and looked out for each other on the course. His work for VW was groundbreaking and he deserves credit for that. He’s a pretend Scouser but a top lad! Nice one Si! ;)
My heroes have and always will be in film and radio. Caroline Aherne, wow! She was so good at inventing characters that you could instantly associate with and believe in. The Royal Family, with Ricky Tomlinson and the amazing cast, blew me away. It was an emotional rollercoaster and top-notch television. It’s so sad she passed away so young, as she would have gone on to so many more amazing things. Another one is Victoria Wood. Her poetic songs have always had me in fits of laughter, she was amazing too. A modern day one is Joseph Roberts. He’s a young poet from Liverpool. He’s amazing at expressing how he feels and great on stage at reciting them.
He’s not afraid to be himself and he champions Liverpool and community. Good lad! When I was his age, there weren’t opportunities for Scousers in the creative industries outside of London really. He’s now leading the way in bringing poetry to the masses and I’m proud of him. Poetry is fantastic and we all need to write one sometimes. It’s good for you! There are so many great talents now shining from underprivileged backgrounds, in Liverpool, other cities and areas and I’m so pleased. They are my inspiration!
What tips would you give to aspiring creatives looking for work?
Talk to people, meet people, get in front of people. Also talk to people not just working permanently in agencies too. Freelancers are often overlooked by young creatives but more often than not, they’ve been there and know what to do and what not to do. They also don’t have to protect their own job either in an agency! That’s a big thing. The best creatives share. They don’t hide away, they help. I’d advise young creatives to offer help to agencies too. It’s not just what you’re getting, it’s what you’re giving to others.
What tips would you give to other professionals to get more clients?
Be yourself. Don’t talk in way that you ‘think’ will impress them. People want people and it’s not about industry jargon, or smoke and mirrors. Be honest and tell them what you can do for them. I get clients by being real. Expressing real emotion for their brand or business and it works so well for me. I don’t need 120 powerpoint pages either, I just need to show that I care. Clients need to feel you value their business, it’s not just about the work. You don’t need fifty people in a room either. Keep it small and personal.
Can you share a memorable experience from your career journey that shaped your approach to creativity?
I remember being so stressed during the first lockdown in 2020. Some people learnt an instrument, or saw it as a long holiday. My Mum had dementia and the impact of the lockdown rapidly declined her personality. It was so tough. I wrote an emotive poem called ‘Imagine’ to express how I felt about it all. Until you experience it, it’s hard to imagine what it’s like to support a family member with dementia, especially during that time. I approached Alzheimer’s Society with my poem and they all cried, when I read it out. We ended up making a film together, that I directed.
It’s won numerous awards and shaped my whole career since that time. I now believe in myself so much more. The power of my writing and also what I can achieve. Jim Carey once mentioned that creatives make beautiful things out of dark times and I certainly did that during the pandemic. My whole career shifted in that moment and when I’m collecting a BAFTA one day, I’ll thank my Mum and Alzheimer’s Society for that.
What kind of tools/kit/software could you not do without?
Headphones. They are so underrated. Especially the you have young kids messing around and you’re trying to work from home! As a writer, I need to concentrate and re-read my words when I’m writing them. Headphones are essential for me these days. Other than that, my Mac and the fab air-con in my office. I can’t write when I’m too hot either.
What’s your secret to staying inspired and motivated?
Evolution. I’ve gone from a designer, to an art director, to a creative director, to a writer, to I don’t know where. Each time I pick up new skills and it keeps it interesting. I’m always learning and working on fresh projects as a result. They say ‘A jack of all trades is master of none…’ but that’s not the whole phrase. It ends with ‘… but oftentimes better than a master of one’. That’s not the case for everyone but I’ve needed to shift my skillset. I much prefer having lots of skills, especially in the current job market. It’s really useful. I can now edit films and do other things I wouldn’t have dreamt of few years ago. Keep learning, that’s what I say!
What’s the work achievement you’re most proud of?
Apart from my family, which is hands down my biggest achievement, I'd say the ‘Imagine’ film I made. It was during the most stressful period of my life and I made something sad but truly impactful. I’ve got to thank Chris Hosker, the DOP for making it beautifully cinematic, on a very low budget. There are others too I’d like to thank, including my wife Catherine Turgoose. She’s a wonderful actress and VO artist and her voice made the film what it was. The emotional crack in her voice, as she held back the tears.
I kept that in. Life’s not perfect and voices don’t always have to be either. AI can’t replicate that. Catherine’s a top-notch human being and deserves to be up there with best in the business. Also, the Head of Marketing at the time Sylvia Lowe and the campaign manager Vicki Evans, who were empathetic and wonderful to work with. As were the rest of the people in the production team. Thanks everyone!
As someone with experience in the industry, what trends do you foresee shaping the future of creativity?
I see there will be a resistance to AI but also a need for it. I see there will be a resistance to the old ways of working but also a need for them. Life is all about balance and I do believe that if we always remember why we started in this daft industry in the first place, we’ll be ok. I hope there will always be two/three people in a café with pads bouncing ideas off each other and laughing together. That’s the real joy.
There will also be a shift from traditional media into media that shifts the whole industry. Vertical films for instance are the way forward. The TV is in your hand now. I’m currently working to that ideology. If all fails I’ll go and live on a beach and rent out surfboards! Come back to me in two years and see where I’m at. Oh and I think a trend will be people sticking together more in the future. When under threat, us humans band together and the creative industry is great at that. Community is unity. I champion that for sure.
What do you think sets apart truly exceptional creatives from the rest of the pack?
I think it’s resilience. You get so many knock-backs. Ideas that were ruined, concepts that never went anywhere, tight budgets, deadline pressure, other creatives trying to achieve the same thing as you are and pitching against you. It’s tough. I’ve learnt to ride it, like I’m on a surfboard out to sea. Sometimes it’s still and nice and other times it’s rocky and you feel like you might come off. I think the best creatives get this and don’t let themselves sink. If you do fall off, that’s fine too, get back on quickly. Oh and enjoy the ride, that’s the main thing!
How do you think technology has influenced the creative industries and how have you adapted to these changes?
AI is like a hammer. In the right hands it’s great but in the wrong hands it’s lethal. We all have to adapt to technology and I think that if we treat it as a tool and not the answer to everything we’ll be ok. Human connection has never been more powerful and important. I make sure I always stay up with the latest tech but at the same time some things have stayed the same. People connect with emotion and other human’s stories. That still has as much power today as it always has. I always start a project with how I intend to make people feel. AI cannot write what we humans feel.
AI has never been dumped, or sacked, or felt love, or true sadness, it’s never breathed a sigh of relief when you pass your exams, or smelt the top of your baby’s head when she’s been in the bath. It’s never seen the wind blow tiny particles of sand across the air, it’s never felt the hairs stand on the back of your neck, when you hear 60,000 people sing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ together. I’ve done all of those things and thousands of other things too. I carry a lifetime of knowledge, of how to deliver thousands of messages, that land at the right time and make people feel these things. People are wonderful and I love writing. Even writing that, I got a lump in my throat. I’m sure you felt that too.
What is the one thing that you would change about the industry?
In terms of advertising, I’d completely change the way agencies work. The burnout culture, it’s horrific. They overwork their staff and put an immense amount pressure on them. It’s not healthy and we don’t need to do it so frequently. Yes work hard at times but work smart. I’d allow people a little more time outside of agency life. The days of pizzas at midnight on a Tuesday evening needs to stop. I’m sure there are agencies that don’t do this but there are plenty that still do. I’ve worked in them. ‘It’s not a 9-5’ or ‘Half day Harry’ are quotes I’ve been told. These are the toxic phrases. This isn’t a way to make people want to enter the business. It’s work smart for me, not just sitting for hours in the office. The best work gets done when you’re not forcing it.
These days I stop working at the end of the day and go home to my family. I’m very lucky. I would allow people to do that in agencies too. The work would be far better for it and the employee morale. People are the most important thing to me. We’re all Dads, Mums, Brothers, Aunties, Uncles, Besties, Sisters and have people that care about us. Once the industry realises that, we’ll all be better for it.
Any websites, books or resources you would recommend?
There are so many! Here are a few:
Creativepool - Obviously! A great platform for promoting your work and connecting.
D&AD Annuals - They are ace. Heavy but ace! Learn what creatives used to do and think how you can better it nowadays. A big task but keep trying and trying and…
Culture - I’d say the biggest thing is culture. Immerse yourself in all of it. If you can. Galleries, theatres, museums. The free ones are often the best. Find local groups where creatives get together.
Final word - Live. Nobody knows how long we have left. Don’t stress about the little things so much. At the end of the day, life is the magic. You’ve got your own story to write. Make it a best-seller. Be kind and love each other. It’s been a pleasure writing all this down and I’m so grateful to Creativepool for giving me the platform to do it. I hope you enjoyed reading it, as much as I have writing it.
