What I Learned From… Growing Up With Dyslexia

How understanding my own learning style turned early academic struggles into creative, professional and educational strengths

“Growing up with dyslexia” sounds a bit dramatic when you say it out loud. It has the ring of a medical condition you battle heroically, rather than something that simply exists in the background of your life. For me, dyslexia was never something I consciously “lived with” for a long time. It was just… there.

Unnamed, largely unnoticed, and occasionally inconvenient.

The irony is that it probably shaped my education, career and creative outlook far more than I realised at the time.

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The Undiagnosed Years

I went through primary school, secondary school and college without any formal diagnosis. If anything, I actively avoided the idea. When you are young, fitting in matters more than understanding how your brain works. Being labelled with something that sounded like a learning difficulty felt dangerously close to being labelled “not very bright”, which is about the last thing any teenager wants.

Looking back, the signs were obvious:

• Teachers often said I had potential but struggled to apply myself

• I was easily distracted and frequently the “class clown”

• Reading required multiple passes before information stuck

• Subjects like music clicked instantly while text-heavy subjects did not

At the time, though, none of this screamed “dyslexia” to me. It just felt like school wasn’t really built for the way I processed information.

And to be fair, sometimes it wasn’t.

When Education Stops Making Sense

Primary school was largely fine, but things became progressively harder toward the end. Secondary school was more of a struggle. By college, I had pretty much disengaged from formal education altogether.

Physics was a particular turning point.

I chose it partly out of interest and partly out of optimism. Unfortunately, optimism is not always a substitute for effective learning strategies. Once I fell behind, I disengaged. That disengagement spread to other subjects until education felt less like an opportunity and more like an obstacle.

Music, however, was different. I could hear something once and remember it. I could replicate it quickly on an instrument. Creativity felt natural; academic recall did not. In hindsight, that contrast was a classic dyslexia pattern, but at the time it just seemed like I was “good at music and art and not much else”.

Coping Mechanisms (Some Helpful, Some Not)

When you’re absorbing only part of what others are taking in, you develop coping strategies. Mine included:

• Becoming very good at improvising answers when put on the spot

• Using humour as a social shield

• Relying heavily on verbal explanation rather than written recall

The ability to “blag” convincingly turned out to be surprisingly useful later in marketing presentations and client conversations. But academically, it didn’t close knowledge gaps. It just disguised them.

My GCSE results, if I’m honest, owed a lot to parental support rather than stellar revision habits.

A Detour Before University

After college I focused on music, bands and the possibility of becoming a professional musician. I travelled, worked on a cattle station in Australia, and took various temporary factory jobs. Those experiences did something important: they gave me perspective.

Hard physical work in remote environments has a way of clarifying priorities. I quickly realised I didn’t want to spend my life doing work that didn’t stimulate me intellectually or creatively.

That realisation pushed me back toward education.

The Diagnosis That Changed Everything

When I started my degree in Popular Music and Record Production at Southampton Solent University, the institution offered learning support assessments. A fellow student mentioned getting a laptop through the scheme. That alone was enough to get my attention.

The assessment confirmed dyslexia almost immediately. Areas like rapid note-taking, reading retention and written recall were clear indicators.

What surprised me most wasn’t the diagnosis itself. It was how quickly practical support transformed my learning.

I was given:

• A laptop for note-taking

• A microphone to record lectures

• Guidance on alternative learning methods

Suddenly I wasn’t scrambling to write everything down. I could listen properly, revisit recordings, type faster than I could write, and process information in a way that suited me.

My recall improved dramatically. Engagement improved even more. Learning went from frustrating to enjoyable almost overnight.

That was the turning point.

Discovering How I Learn

Understanding how you learn is powerful. Once I knew:

• Writing information helps it stick

• Listening works better than reading alone

• Revisiting notes actively improves retention

…I became genuinely enthusiastic about learning. That enthusiasm carried through my later studies, including my MA in Marketing Management and my MBA, where I achieved my strongest academic results.

For someone who had once disengaged from education entirely, that felt like quite a turnaround.

Technology Helped – More Than Expected

The laptop I received was an Apple Mac, my first experience with Apple computers. Historically I’d struggled with computers, but the Mac felt intuitive in a way Windows machines hadn’t.

That ease of use made me more comfortable engaging with digital tools, writing, recording ideas and organising information. It also probably nudged me toward the digital marketing skillset that became central to my career.

More recently, AI writing tools have played a similar role. They help with:

• Checking spelling and grammar

• Improving clarity of expression

• Ensuring accessibility for readers

For someone who has always had to double-check written work carefully, that’s a meaningful shift.

Dyslexia, Creativity and Marketing

There’s ongoing debate about whether dyslexia correlates with creativity, but anecdotally many people with dyslexia gravitate toward creative fields.

Music, marketing, design and storytelling all reward lateral thinking.

One interesting side effect of dyslexia for me has been a low tolerance for unclear communication. Ambiguous copy, confusing messaging or overly complex wording quickly stand out.

That has influenced how I approach marketing:

• Simplicity beats cleverness most of the time

• Clarity improves persuasion

• Accessibility broadens reach

These principles aren’t just stylistic preferences. They’re practical communication advantages.

Hyperfocus: The Unexpected Advantage

Another trait often discussed alongside dyslexia (and ADHD) is hyperfocus – the ability to concentrate intensely on specific topics while struggling with others.

I definitely recognise this. When something captures my interest:

• I dive deeply into it

• I connect ideas quickly

• I often reach insights others miss

In marketing strategy, problem solving and creative projects, that depth of focus can be extremely useful.

What We Know About Dyslexia Today

Research has evolved considerably over the past two decades. Key current understandings include:

• Dyslexia is neurological, not linked to intelligence

• It primarily affects phonological processing, reading fluency and working memory

• Early diagnosis helps educational outcomes significantly

• Many dyslexic individuals excel in creativity, spatial reasoning and entrepreneurship

There is also evidence suggesting a hereditary component, although it’s not guaranteed. Some people have dyslexia without any obvious family history.

And yes – “dyslexia” is a frustratingly difficult word to spell. It comes from Greek: dys (difficulty) and lexis (word or language). Slightly ironic branding, you might say.

What I Learned Overall

If I had to summarise what growing up with dyslexia taught me, it would be this:

• Different isn’t deficient

• Learning styles matter enormously

• Confidence often comes after understanding, not before

• Support systems change outcomes

• Clear communication is a competitive advantage

Most importantly, I learned that struggling early on doesn’t define where you finish.

If anything, it can shape how you think in ways that become strengths later.

TL;DR

Dyslexia wasn’t something I consciously “grew up with” until it was diagnosed at university. Earlier struggles with reading retention, engagement and traditional learning masked strengths in creativity and communication. Once I understood how I learn – using technology, audio capture and structured note-taking – academic performance improved dramatically. Dyslexia has since influenced my marketing approach, favouring clarity, creativity and deep focus. Modern research shows dyslexia is neurological, often hereditary, and frequently associated with strong creative and problem-solving abilities rather than reduced intelligence.