Sticky labels: why language shapes identity (and how to say better things)

A student recently told me that they didn’t see themselves as “a creative”, just as someone who was studying a creative subject. That sentence revealed something important. Labels quickly become identities. And students often believe them.

Seeing yourself as a student of creativity is very different from seeing yourself as a creative person. One keeps you in a mindset of following instructions, waiting to be told what to do. The other invites you to make decisions, explore unknowns and take risks. Students who don’t identify as creative tend to aim for what is expected. They look for the right answer. They seek approval before they move.

In creative work, that mindset matters. It shapes how students show up, how bold they are willing to be, and how they handle uncertainty.

The labels that stick (even when unspoken)

Some labels are obvious. Gifted. Lazy. Quiet. Disruptive.

Others are harder to spot. They show up in tone, timing or how often we as educators offer help. They’re baked into expectations. If a student misses a deadline, we might assume they’re unmotivated. If they speak up often, we might stop checking in. If they stay quiet, we might overlook them entirely.

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These assumptions can shape our actions. They can influence the feedback we give, the trust we place, and the chances we offer. Over time, students adapt to the roles they think they’ve been cast in.

“You’re the quiet one” sounds casual. But what we call students out loud or in our own minds matters. Because eventually, they start to believe it, too.

Changing the label, changing behaviour

It’s not just about what we say to students. It’s also about what they start saying to themselves.

“I’m not a creative person.” 

“I’m bad at presenting.” 

“I don’t want to get it wrong.”

These sound like throwaway lines, but they’re beliefs in disguise.

The student who didn’t see themselves as a creative was doing the work, producing thoughtful responses and engaging fully. But creativity still felt external, like something they weren’t qualified to claim. That belief shaped how they approached the work. Their ideas were careful, functional and neatly executed, but they rarely wandered. Their thinking was pragmatic rather than playful. They treated creativity like a task to complete, not a space to explore.

So, I changed something small. I stopped referring to learners as “students” and started calling them “creatives”. As their confidence grew, I used more specific titles – copywriter, strategist, art director. It was simply a shift in how I described the work they were already doing.

That change didn’t alter their skills; it altered how they approached them. They stopped treating creativity as something outside themselves and started working from inside the role.

By the end of the module, that same student pitched an idea that was confident, unexpected and clearly their own. The shift didn’t come from learning something new; it came from seeing themselves differently.

What educators can do

If we want to help students build creative confidence, we need to be intentional with our language:

• Listen for identity language. When students say things like: “I’m not good at this”, help them reframe it as: “I’m learning how to…”
• Use future-facing labels. When giving feedback, describe students as if they are becoming what they’re working towards: “As an emerging strategist, how might you frame this insight differently?” This positions identity as a work in progress – not a fixed label – encouraging growth without pressure. Students aren’t being boxed in; they’re being invited forward.
• Watch the throwaways. Even a casual “You’re the quiet one” can become an identity.
• Challenge your own assumptions. Ask: have I been offering this student fewer opportunities because I think they’re fine? Am I expecting too much from another because I’ve labelled them as “gifted”? What might be going on beneath the surface?

What story does the label tell?

Labels aren’t neutral. They signal expectations. They can create a sense of possibility or they can narrow it. Some give students a role they can grow into. Others quietly restrict what feels allowed. When we don’t choose our words carefully, we risk reinforcing limits instead of opening up potential.

So, the next time you find yourself reaching for a label – out loud or in your own head – pause. Ask: what story does this tell? And is it the one I want this student to carry?

Students become fluent in the language we speak about them, so let’s choose our words with care.

David Thompson is a senior lecturer in creative advertising at the University of Lincoln.

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