The Dream is Closer Than you think - Will Jackson-Mitchell
Resident Will Jackson-Mitchell working at POW Workshops
For seven years, Will Jackson-Mitchell climbed the corporate ladder at a central London marketing agency specializing in sports and product advertising. As Lead Designer, he created campaigns that tailored brands to customer demographics and produced polished work that looked impressive on paper. Yet while his hands moved a mouse across a desk, his thoughts wandered elsewhere - often to the woodworking videos he had playing in the background while he worked.
THE SIGNS
The signs had been there all along. As a kid, Will was a prolific Lego builder. At school he had enjoyed his time in the DT department, using the drill presses, belt sanders, and power tools. But woodworking seemed intimidating in a way Lego never was: unlike plastic bricks, wood is less forgiving; you can't simply take it apart and start again if you make a mistake.
So Will fell into a more accessible path, studying graphic design at the London College of Communication in Elephant and Castle. After three years of navigating a chaotic course structure (it was the first year they ran the program, and assignments were changed at the last minute, stifling students' creativity), he graduated and entered the design world. He landed at Paperchase as a supervisor, where he spent countless hours creating bespoke portfolios for every interview - a meticulous process that ended in heartbreak when his PC was wiped, erasing ten years of work in an instant.
Eventually, he made his way to the marketing agency where he would spend the next seven years. Throughout it all, though, there was a telling constant: those woodworking videos, playing quietly in the background, subconsciously reminding him of what he could be doing instead.
PERMISSION GRANTED
When redundancy came in 2024, it felt less like an ending and more like permission. Will took four months off, still watching those how-to videos, but now with purpose rather than inchoate longing.
A question formed in his mind: Was there anywhere in London where someone could actually do this? Woodworking might be possible in the spacious countryside, but in Acton? The idea seemed fanciful until a quick search led to POW in Park Royal, just walking distance from home. It seemed too good to be true - a fully equipped workshop open to anyone willing to learn.
Seven months ago, Will seized the opportunity. He rented a bench, took some classes, bought some wood, and simply started making things. The environment was everything his corporate experience wasn't: full of possibilities, with friendly residents who were genuinely encouraging and willing to help. "Everyone was nice and friendly and made it feel possible," he says. He gradually saw himself doing this full time.
THE GARDEN SHED EPIPHANY
Shortly after Will joined, POW needed to expand its premises, leading to three months of disruption. Rather than wait, he decided to buy a table saw and built a small workshop shed in his small garden in Acton. He added a router, drill, and nail gun, then set about completing the shed itself.
Losing access to POW was a huge blow, but choosing to go it alone was the epiphany he needed. His first project - a side table for his mother - went well, which then gave him the confidence to try more advanced techniques such as making intricate designs from the end grain pieces of sapele wood.
FINDING FREEDOM
When POW reopened, Will returned and rented bench space until September, gradually building his skills and confidence. Soon he took the plunge and committed to a full-time studio space. It was slightly out of budget, but the POW team offered a stepped discount for the first few months to help him get established.
"It's been a refreshing change from stressful client work," Will explains. The difference is stark: even though he loved design, the corporate environment only dulled his creativity. "When I was younger, I thought I had to climb the ladder. Now I have the creative freedom to work on whatever I want."
That freedom is intoxicating: no more reluctant commutes; no more suffocating corporate pressure; just following his instincts and learning from experienced makers around him. "I've learned so much from them," he says. "Everyone is willing to help out and give advice. I wouldn't go back to my previous career now."
Will is building his business through an Etsy page and word of mouth, alongside commissions for POW itself. He's working with Grow London to get everything up and running - building a website, planning to attend woodworking festivals and set up stalls. He's eyeing a rotating stall space on Chiswick High Street, where the high foot traffic could help showcase his work.
Still finding his particular niche, he's trying everything: cutting boards, entertainment units, intricate end-grain designs. But he's wrestling with the classic maker's dilemma: whether to take commissions or make what he loves and hope they sell? "I'm nervous around clients, wanting them to be happy," he admits. "Friends make the worst clients!" As friends of friends increasingly come to him for work, he knows he'll need to expand - and that mate's rates will need to be phased out pretty soon.
For now, he's leaning toward the latter approach: making what he wants to make, making it well, and then selling it. "That will give me more creative freedom," he explains.
BELONGING
What strikes Will most about POW is the community. Most of the residents come from roughly similar backgrounds: corporate exiles finding refuge in a shared space where pursuing your creative purpose matters more than professional showboating.
"I found the place that I belong," he says simply. "I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for POW. I'm so grateful that they're actually here."
For anyone considering a similar leap, Will's advice is straightforward: check out POW. What he thought was just an industrial area turned out to be a hive of creativity. "It was a life changer for me."
Will's journey reminds us that it's never too late to follow those dreams that were forgotten or derailed for one reason or another. And sometimes the place you really belong is closer than you think.
Follow Will's work on Instagram: @jamhouse_designs
Interested in starting your own making journey? Book a tour of POW at POWworkshops.com
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