Isa Adney on Deciding if Pursuing Education Is Right for You

ConvertKit Storyteller Isa Adney has always loved to learn. Although she aced high school, Isa’s family couldn’t afford a traditional four-year university, so Isa dove into community college and later snagged a scholarship to complete her Bachelor’s and earn a Master’s in Education. With a higher degree in learning, Isa’s passion for education is obvious.

But now that she’s an established writer, telling stories at ConvertKit full-time with a few published books under her belt, why pursue any further education? Why spend the money for a degree if you’ve already reached so many professional goals? For Isa, pursuing an MFA is about continuing to develop as a writer, building a community of like-minded creators, and following in the footsteps of writers she admires. While this decision has worked well for Isa, returning to school isn’t right for every creator, especially considering the skyrocketing costs of a degree.

In this episode, Charli, Haley, Miguel, and Isa discuss why a formal education can be incredibly valuable for creators across disciplines, knowing when higher education is the right choice for you, and why there’s more to school than textbooks, teachers, and a shiny diploma.

Key Takeaways

• [02:06] - Have you heard?
  • [02:20] - YouTube is adding live rings to their avatars for live streams.
  • [04:16] - LinkedIn is launching its own podcast network.
  • [05:45] - Creators’ earnings, rates, and audiences are continuing to grow.
• [09:02] - Today’s main topic: How can creators decide if education is right for them?
  • [09:27] - Isa’s experience at a community college shaped her views on higher education and her belief that unpopular options are sometimes the best options.
  • [13:25] - Although Isa’s an established writer, she still sees value in continuing her education. She’s hungry to grow and develop as a writer and is seeking a community of fellow writers to connect with.
  • [20:27] - Community college is a great option for avoiding debt, especially if you’re unsure which career path to take.
  • [24:22] - Different from many online courses, formal education holds you accountable and allows you to foster that community more easily.
  • [29:06] - Online course creators can learn from the formal education system. For example, more courses should incorporate community within the curriculum itself.
  • [31:38] - For so long Isa hesitated with pursuing her MFA because she never saw herself represented in programs. Doing your research and finding a good program fit is incredibly important.
  • [33:01] - If you’re a creator toying with the idea of higher education, research creators you admire and see where they learned what they learned.
• [36:06] - Listener shoutout! Elizabeth Sloane of ConvertKit and Remotely Well now has 7 subscribers that she doesn’t know personally.

Quotes

[15:07] - “There’s quite a few creators – and there’s a longer list that I could share –who are making a living full-time as a creator, and doing courses, and higher education is actually where they got their ideas, where they learned what they now teach.” ~ @IsaAdney

[17:25] - “I felt comfortable. I felt comfortable as a writer, I felt like it was getting easier and easier, and if you’re a real artist, real creator, you don’t actually like to stay there too long. You’re like, I want to grow, I want to get better. I’ve taken every course that I can find, I’ve read every book, and I still know there’s more that I could learn.” ~ @IsaAdney

[18:40] - “The world of writing is changing, the world of the creator economy is changing and writing is a huge part of it and I wanted to see what I could learn, and then bring it over into this new world.” ~ @IsaAdney

[28:49] - “I’m already seeing a difference and it’s so fun because it puts a different lens when you’re learning. You have this other filter where you're also immediately translating it to your life, to your workplace, to things that could make you money. So I think that’s been hugely helpful.” ~ @IsaAdney

Links

• Watch The Future Belongs to Creators on YouTube
• Isa Adney
• Bonnie Christine
• Isa’s story on Bonnie
• YouTube
• Twitch
• Facebook
• LinkedIn