The GTA VI Effect: How Gaming Is Driving Demand for Print
15th October 2026
When Lucy Pearce, founder of NE Scene Magazine, joined us for the latest episode of The Mag Lounge Podcast, we spoke about finding your own path, taking risks and learning that sometimes things not working out can lead to something even better.
From studying fashion and moving away from the North East for career opportunities to returning home and launching her own independent magazine, Lucy’s creative journey hasn’t always followed the direction she expected.
Now championing local creatives, independent businesses and the people shaping the North East’s creative community through NE Scene, Lucy has found a way to bring together her love of fashion, storytelling, print and people.
Throughout our conversation, we explore the challenges of finding creative opportunities in the region, knowing when it’s time to change direction and why staying true to your values matters just as much as following your ambitions.
Finding Her Creative Direction
Lucy’s relationship with creativity started a little differently. Despite having two incredibly artistic parents, traditional art wasn’t necessarily her strength growing up. In fact, she was advised against taking art at GCSE.
Rather than painting or drawing, Lucy was drawn to more hands-on subjects, particularly design technology, where she could experiment with woodworking, tools and creating physical objects.
Her interests eventually took her into construction before she decided to pursue something she had always loved: fashion.
Just a week before university was due to begin, Lucy contacted Teesside University about joining its Fashion Communication and Promotion course. Despite not having a traditional fashion portfolio, her experience with CAD helped her secure an unconditional offer.
After completing her degree, she went on to study a master’s in Fashion Styling in Birmingham, where she developed her interest in editorial work, storytelling and creative collaboration.
By the time she graduated, Lucy had one ambition in mind.
“You’ll see me one day. I’ll be on a magazine.”
At the time, she imagined working in fashion editorial. What she didn’t realise was that she would eventually be creating a magazine of her own.
Moving Away to Find Creative Opportunities
After graduating, Lucy began searching for work in fashion styling, but quickly discovered that finding a role directly related to her degree wasn’t straightforward.
She applied for opportunities across the country, including London and Edinburgh, but found that many jobs advertised as fashion styling were actually more focused on retail sales.
Eventually, two interviews came through, one in London and another in Edinburgh. After visiting London, Lucy realised it wasn’t somewhere she could see herself living or working. Edinburgh, however, felt different.
Within a matter of weeks, she had moved to Scotland to begin a new chapter in her career.
Initially, the role offered exactly what she had been looking for. She was working directly with customers, helping people find clothing that made them feel comfortable and confident.
But over time, the job became increasingly focused on sales targets and encouraging customers to spend more. For Lucy, fashion had never simply been about selling clothes but about understanding people and helping them feel good in what they wore.
As that personal element began to disappear, so did her enjoyment of the job.
Our conversation explored a wider issue facing many Northern creatives: why do so many feel they need to leave the region to find opportunities in their chosen industry?
Lucy reflected on the limited opportunities she had found in fashion styling across the North East and the importance of providing students with more relevant work experience, industry connections and guidance before graduating.
Knowing When It’s Time to Come Home
One of the most personal parts of our conversation was Lucy’s experience of living away from home.
Between working long hours, feeling increasingly disconnected from her job and missing her family, Lucy began to question whether moving to Edinburgh had been the right decision.
She also struggled with the feeling that returning home would mean she had failed.
“I didn’t go to London. I didn’t make it. I moved to Edinburgh and I still didn’t make it.”
It’s a feeling many young creatives may recognise, particularly when moving away is often presented as the natural next step towards building a successful career.
But looking back, Lucy doesn’t regret leaving Edinburgh. Instead, she recognises that the job no longer aligned with the values that had drawn her into fashion in the first place.
“I don’t look back now and think I’ve made the wrong decision by quitting.”
With the support of her family, Lucy returned to the North East and gave herself time to figure out what she wanted to do next.
She is also very aware that not everyone has the same support or financial freedom to make that decision. Her advice to anyone considering a similar change is to make sure they have a way to support themselves while finding their next direction.
Sometimes taking a step away from something isn’t giving up. It’s creating space for something else.
Creating NE Scene Magazine
While living in Edinburgh, Lucy had mentioned to friends that she wanted to start a magazine. At the time, it was simply an idea, but once she returned home, she found herself thinking about it again.
Armed with Canva, a collection of ideas and a determination to make something work, Lucy began putting together what would become NE Scene Magazine.
Initially, she imagined creating something focused entirely on fashion. After all, it was the industry she had studied and spent years working towards.
But as she began reflecting on her experiences, she realised her skills went far beyond fashion styling. Through university and work, she had developed experience in storytelling, writing, marketing and working with people.
Rather than limiting herself to one industry, she began thinking about what she would personally like to read.
Lucy wanted to discover more about the independent businesses, musicians, makers and creatives doing interesting things across the North East.
She had spent years feeling that she needed to leave the region to pursue creative opportunities, but now she wanted to shine a light on the people who were already creating them here.
NE Scene became a way to do that.
Through interviews and features, the magazine celebrates local people and businesses, sharing the stories behind their work and introducing readers to creatives they might otherwise never discover.
Championing Northern Creativity
As NE Scene has grown, so has Lucy’s understanding of just how connected the North East creative community really is.
What began with people she knew personally or businesses close to home has gradually expanded into a wider network of creatives, musicians and independent businesses.
For Lucy, it’s about much more than simply showcasing what someone does. It’s about understanding who they are, what inspires them and why they do it.
Her approach to featuring businesses is also something she feels strongly about.
Rather than expecting free products or experiences in exchange for coverage, Lucy makes a point of supporting the businesses she features. If she wants to try something, she buys it and If she wants to write about a creative, she takes the time to experience their work herself.
That approach keeps the magazine personal and authentic while supporting the independent businesses she’s passionate about.
It also opened doors Lucy hadn’t necessarily expected. Alongside publishing NE Scene, she has organised local gigs, become involved with radio and built connections that have led to new creative opportunities.
One of those opportunities came through attending an event alone, which eventually led to her role as a studio coordinator at Creative Babes Club.
Looking back, Lucy recognises that almost everything she enjoys doing comes back to the same thing: people.
Why Print Still Matters
With social media offering so many ways to share stories and promote independent businesses, we were curious about why Lucy chose to turn NE Scene into a physical magazine.
For Lucy, the decision was partly personal. She finds reading from screens difficult and has always preferred being able to physically hold something, take her time with it and return to it later.
Growing up, she also loved magazines including Top of the Pops and Girl Talk, and that nostalgia for physical publications has stayed with her.
Despite initially expecting digital copies to be more popular, Lucy has found that physical editions of NE Scene sell more than their digital counterparts.
It’s an encouraging sign for someone who hopes print continues to have a place in an increasingly digital world.
We also spoke about how magazines are becoming something people want to keep, collect and revisit. For the creatives featured in NE Scene, having their work physically printed creates something lasting, a piece of their journey they can look back on and share with others.
And Lucy is more than happy for readers to take that connection with print a step further.
“I would love to see someone take mine and cut it up and put it in a scrapbook, or in a collage.”
Rather than something that needs to stay untouched on a shelf, print can become part of another person’s creative process.
Our conversation also explored digital fatigue, the growing use of AI and the importance of protecting original creative work.
While Lucy recognises that technology has its uses, she believes creativity should remain rooted in personal experiences, ideas and human connection.
Rather than immediately turning to technology for an answer, she encourages people to speak to other creatives, share ideas and collaborate.
It’s something she has experienced first-hand through NE Scene.
“Everybody I’ve spoken to is so friendly and they are so willing to help anybody out.”
And perhaps that’s what makes the magazine so important to her. It isn’t just a collection of stories. It’s a growing network of people discovering one another and finding new opportunities through their shared connection to the North East.
Staying True to Your Values
As every episode of The Mag Lounge Podcast comes to a close, we ask our guests to leave one piece of advice for the next creative person listening.
For Lucy, it comes back to something that has appeared throughout her entire journey: values.
Whether it was choosing to leave a job that no longer felt right or deciding what should and shouldn’t be featured in NE Scene, Lucy has learned the importance of trusting her own judgement.
She believes it’s okay to say no, set boundaries and recognise when something doesn’t align with what you believe in. And importantly, you don’t always owe someone a lengthy explanation for that decision.
From leaving construction to studying fashion, moving to Edinburgh and eventually returning home to launch NE Scene, Lucy’s career hasn’t followed one clear path.
Sometimes the opportunities that don’t work out are just as important as the ones that do, and finding success doesn’t always mean moving further away from where you started.
For Lucy, it meant coming home, creating something she genuinely believed in and using it to celebrate the people and places around her.
To hear Lucy’s full story, including more about creating NE Scene, the magazines that inspire her and the experiences we haven’t spoiled here, watch the full episode of The Mag Lounge Podcast on YouTube or Spotify.
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