Presentation & Notes

Notes: 

My practice and how it has evolved (Creative ethos)

-       After really enjoying printmaking and illustration-based projects on the foundation course I seemed to suddenly find myself here back three years ago commencing a degree in illustration.

-       I have always enjoyed drawing and communicating ideas visually so it didn’t come as much of a surprise to me.

-       However, getting to this point in life seemed to send my head in a spin and I started to question over the following two years whether or not this was something I genuinely loved or whether I was simply here because I was capable.

-       This knocked the confidence I had in my work for a while which was difficult to get back. But I have gained it back.

-       I struggled with the fact that I don’t enjoy trying to fill up piles of sketchbooks with pretty hand drawn images and thought that as an ‘Illustrator’ this was what we were supposed to do.

-       At some point in second year I began to have the realisation that I simply don’t need to work in that way if it doesn’t suit me. And that also I don’t know whether or not I would class myself as an Illustrator anyway.

-       I’ve got a big appreciation for Graphic design and at many points throughout the course I caught myself wondering whether that was the degree I should have applied for.

-       I’ve come to realise that it doesn’t matter so much as I have been able to explore the graphic design elements of my practice in most briefs, we have been set over the years but being able to do so from a more illustrative approach has been a real benefit.

-       It was my 504 project last year where I really found my groove again. I collaborated with a graphic design student and started to really see my work fitting into a context which was fantastic.

-       I hadn’t before been able to envisage where I might place my work in a professional setting and so producing a real-life book polished with blood sweat and tears got me really motivated.

-       From that moment onwards I have had so much more faith in my work as a result of feeling like my practice had a sense of direction that I wasn’t able to see prior.

-       Third year I have been pushing all of the elements of my practice that I enjoy the most. This being, graphic and poster design, digital and screen-printed processes and exploration of shape and form. I also really want to win some money on a scratch card and get myself a risograph printer…

-       I have a vaguely routine process where I will use my sketchbook for initial and rough idea generation (have finally learnt that it doesn’t need to look pretty and bad drawings lead to great finals!) from there I generally head onto illustrator where I will explore the shapes and structure of my images. From this point I would either take the design to screen-print or straight into photoshop where I will create a sense of texture and tone to incorporate some zest which I find adds a tactility. I like creating prints as my finals; however, I can never help myself from scanning them in and just messing around with them even more on photoshop.

-       This process can be sometimes never ending but it’s honestly just through play and trial and error which I enjoy making work the most.

Freelance work that I’ve done outside of Uni

-       This year I had a few of my first commissioned projects which I really enjoyed.

-       Doing creative stuff, that has up until now been a purely educational activity, and getting paid for it is the best.

-       Feel so validated!

-       The first project that I was asked to help with was for a new podcast called the ‘Honeycomb Collective’

-       I was commissioned to create a brand identity for the new series. One that visually encompassed the ethos of the podcast.

-       I do really enjoy working with quite a lot of restrictions in place as it challenges me to think outside the box. A bit like an obstacle course.

-       The second commission of the year was for me to create two posters for a club night being put on by Das Haus.

-       The brief was one of my favourites to date and I am so proud of the outcome. The back and forth process between the client and myself was a valuable learning experience. Fortunately for me they were super nice and liked all the ideas I was sending over. 

-       Creating posters is one of my favourite ways of working. Working to a graphic design brief from an illustrative approach is what really gets me going. I love to organise things which I think is why I get such a kick out of this (Photo of my neat and tidy bedroom!)

Freelance

-       Is this something I want to do in the future?

-       Freelancing was absolutely not on my list of potential career paths if you’d have asked me a year ago. However, I have been toying with the idea more so recently, definitely since having such good experiences on my commissioned projects this year.

-       Most of the practitioners that I look up to are in fact freelance. With Aaron Lowell Denton, James Lacey and Jamie Muck being some of my favourites.

-       I find it a very daunting prospect due to the financial side of things, I’m not sure how many more customer service roles my mental well-being can take…

-       I also still find giving myself structure and routine quite challenging without the help of some sort of higher power (i.e. PAYE job or education) to keep me on a leash.

-       That being said, it’s something that I would love to continue doing but more of an odd job situation rather than trying to make it my main source of income. At least at this point in my life.

How has this led me to potential career options?

-       For this reason, I am currently considering applying for in house roles after uni.

-       I haven’t made contact with any agencies or companies just yet as I’m still not sure exactly what it is I want to do.

-       But I have been researching into places that I could apply for.

-       Something that I am desperate to do in the near future is move to another country for a year or so. And possibly get a real job out wherever I go. Killing a couple of birds with one stone.

-       I spoke with an Illustrator, Julia Laskowski recently. She lives in Melbourne and works both freelance and as the in-house designer for The Jacky Winter Group. (Include convo photos)

-       She makes a valid point about illustration and design no longer necessarily needing a base thanks to advancements in technology. But I gather she means this more in the freelance side of things.

-       In the meantime, my intention is to look for roles such as junior designer where I would be able to gain some industry experience and decide whether or not this is a route that I want to take.

How did Hanbury effect my ideas about the future? Panellists that inspired you

-       Hanbury was a really insightful experience for me and it got me super excited about prospects following the degree.

-       Seeing practitioners in such a range of positions that weren’t directly related to their studies was cool. I feel comforted to know that so many doors remain open in the creative sector.

-       A couple of the panellists reiterated that having a unique and consistent style is not necessary which I was really pleased to hear. Ensuring that the work you have in your portfolio has a thread of some sort throughout it is all you need (???)

How do I aim to make connections and put myself out there? (Self-branding/networking/contacts)

-       Have made much more of an effort this year with my Instagram and have developed a good relationship with it. I find it motivates me to create work and be consistent.

-       Good for networking and building client relationships.

-       Have started to be more aware of the level of polish on my posts and am more careful of the way I curate my account in order to appeal to potential clients/employers. Use a black background on each one to do this.

-       Have not created a website as I am not really too set on going freelance completely and so it wouldn’t be that necessary for me.

-       I have a digital portfolio pdf which I can send to contacts if needed and use Instagram as my main platform and point of contact. The hanbury panellists explained that this is literally all you need anyway!

-       All in all, I have had an amazing time on this course and think that it has helped in moulding my practice. I have reached this point and realise I am a creative who enjoys dabbling in a range of disciplines and there is not a single term that could define my approach.

Thank you for listening and please ask any questions you may have

Everpress Workshop

Today I was fortunate enough to get a space in a workshop with Everpress where we where given guidance and direction on designing artwork for print on items of clothing. The site is open for anyone to upload there designs and produces merchandise on the condition that the artist must sell 5 editions of the item prior to them manufacturing the product. This means that promotion is key. The grassroots nature of this company was really cool and having chats with Nick Law and Louis Byrne gave me some useful insight into both of their careers. With Louis still living in Leeds having graduated 2 years ago and making freelance work with Everpress being one of the outlets through which he sells his prints. Nick was also good to speak to, working as the Head of Creative for the company he is responsible for overseeing the creatives involved and helping to source new practitioners to welcome to the site. One thing that struck me was that he actually studied economics at university and landed this role through his network. I find this quite inspiring as it shows that nothing is necessarily off limits as a result of the course you study and simply keeping your finger on the pulse and talking to people can really pay off! 

For the rest of the day we worked on some design ideas for potential print runs. I haven't uploaded any work to the site just yet as I want to dedicate a bit more time to my ideas in the coming weeks and think I will overlap this with my FMP. 

Professional Presence - Instagram

Instagram is a platform that I have had quite a love hate relationship with over the last 3 years. From having using it socially and professionally in first year to going completely abstinent from the site last summer in order to wrap my head around it and it's sometimes sinister tendencies. After a much needed break from the platform and a COP essay that dived into the effects of it on our society I felt much more aware of how to use it best for me. The only reason I am now on the platform is for work and I'm strict with myself by only following other practitioners which really helps inspire me and keep me up to date with the creative world. I've found such joy in it over the last few months and find it such an important tool for communicating with other creatives and helping to motivate me to continue making work. 

In order to curate a more professional presence on my profile I have started to present my work in a similar manner on each post. Using a dark background and allowing the pieces to stay true to their original dimensions rather than squeezing them into the general Instagram layouts. Ensuring that my page appears in this way is important to me as I believe it will show to anyone snooping that I am aware of presentation and curation of my work which is an important skill for any designer (...or illustrator!). I do however plan to start posting some rougher imagery alongside my finals as I want to give a well rounded view of my practice rather than falling into the social media trap of simple posting the best bits. 

I use this as my main online presence and have decided to not create a website just yet. I think further down the line I will create a website but at the current minute I still feel I am getting to grips with my practice and once I have some more commissions under my belt I will create a website to showcase these. Even at Hanbury the other day we where told multiple times by the panelists that all you need is a contact email and your Instagram account. That's fine by me.  

Hanbury Symposium

I had a great experience at the symposium and left feeling really inspired and most importantly excited about what's to come after this degree. Prior to the event I had been struggling thinking about career prospects as I often worried about the number of options there was after doing a degree as niche as Illustration. My mindset has been flipped on its head now though and I see that there are so many varied possibilities of career with a creative course such as this. 

I can't remember exactly which panelist shared this information but I remember someone saying to not stress about having a consistent style throughout your portfolio and simply ensuring that there is some sort of a thread that pulls all of your work together is enough. Emphasising that a varied style will demonstrate to prospective clients/employers that you are versatile and capable of working in a number of ways which is a strength rather than a weakness. This was really important for me to hear as I do find myself comparing my work with peers who have a strong sense of style. I think both sides of the coin are equally great in this sense and feel relieved to not have to worry about this anymore.

Another few useful bits of information where what to consider when making contact with potential employers:

• Research whoever you are contacting prior to writing any emails! Ensure that you have their name spelt correctly, maybe try and find something about them that you are able to form a conversation from. 
• Using a different typefaces in email.
• When providing them with a CV ensure that it is personalised to you and your practice. 
• Making first point of contact through a phone call makes a good first impression and not as usual nowadays so helps you to stand out from the rest of applicants. 
• Be succinct and to the point. 

Will be taking these into consideration when contacting/applying for things in future! 

In terms of online professional presence the practitioners speaking seemed to suggest that Instagram and a contact email where the two most important components. Ziggy Hanaor from Cicada Books explained that Instagram is the only way that she will discover and contact new practitioners to work with. This is a sign of the times I guess and one that I feel comfortable with as I am on Instagram and find it an incredibly useful tool for exhibiting my work and reaching new contacts. 

Arthur Carey, from Polytechnic Studio emphasised the importance of personal projects for use in portfolios. They are a fantastic way of developing your practice whilst also presenting a real zest for the discipline to anyone looking at your work. This is something I need to do following our final submission. In recent years I have not undertaken many personal projects at all, mainly because I have been applying my time and energy to uni work. However, I can see the importance of this and definitely aim to explore my practice further through this method come summer. Collaborating with other creatives as well will help me to not get lost as I worry I will once the university structure is gone!

Overall I think the symposium was a great success and I left feeling incredibly motivated for the future. To hear from people in such a wide variety of positions within the creative industry was enlightening and really reduced my fear of the big wide world! 

CV

Hanbury Publication

For the symposium I have been working on a physical publication that I can bring along to showcase some of my work in a mini portfolio style document. When creating this booklet I wanted to include a variety of my work in order to demonstrate some flexibility in my working style. Using the cover pages as a playful space helped to bring all of my work together quite nicely whilst also surmising the visual qualities that exist throughout my work. 

    

The pieces of work that I decided to include in the booklet where from a range of projects over the last 2 years at uni as well as a piece that I was commissioned to do recently. I decided not to include much text and instead provide links to both my Instagram and email where further information would be available. I also didn't want to distract too much from the images that I had included. I found organising my work into this document fun and a good way of gaining a better understanding of my practice. 

Exhibition - B.O.P Collective

The past weekend I had some of my prints up in an exhibition run by a peer at uni. The exhibition, 'B.O.P Collective', is a newly created space for both art and fashion. It is a very rounded event with merchandise for sale from a range of young, up and coming creatives looking to make their way onto the scene. It was really cool to see such a broad range of disciplines all housed within a single space and how well everything came together. Lots of music, dancing, clothes sales and a couple print sales - bonus! Getting my work up in an exhibition is such a confidence booster and really helps motivate me. This is something that I will be getting involved with again in the coming months as another event will be organised for the summer months. This is great because I will be able to continue my involvement with this exhibition following uni which will push me to continue making work and developing my practice.