Forward Thinking

Thinking like an adult?

As scary as it sounds, I think now is the time where I actually need to start thinking about being an adult, and all of the big adult things that come with that since I will be graduating in a years time. I've always felt very 'safe' in education, seeing it as a little bubble where I can work comfortably within the walls of college, but the prospect of those walls disappearing is beginning to become more and more daunting...but exciting at the same time!

Some days I am absolutely filled with dread about the uncertainty of my future, yet some days the prospect of delving into the unknown seems like a really exciting adventure. Something that is somewhat holding me back is that I am still exploring new ways of working due to my creative interests changing and developing so rapidly, which makes it harder to see a clear path ahead of me in terms of starting a career, although a positive way of viewing this is that having all of these different interests and skills will enable me to become a more adaptable and open minded practitioner which will potentially offer me more opportunities.

I don't think it is a good idea to write a life plan/five year plan etc, as I have realised that life can be full of surprises and almost definitely doesn't go the way that you think it will. So I think a good way to start would be to write down a list of things that I would like to do/achieve in my twenties in terms of personal and career related goals to give myself a strong set of 'check-points' if you will.

Twenties List

• Travel as much as possible
• Continue to gain teaching experience/working with other people
• Take part in projects overseas (that I have wanted to do for a long time) e.g. Camp America/East African Playgrounds
• Further qualifications- MA/PGCE
• Buy a house??
• Take as many creative opportunities and get involved with as many creative projects as I can

Buying a house seems a bit obscure amongst the list, but I think its important to think about my finances a little more too, especially with the likely outcome of becoming self-employed. I want to be financially stable within my career (who doesn't) but I think with a creative career in terms of researching, funding projects and materials I don't want to be in a position where my finances create negative barriers and prevent me from taking opportunities.

Post-Grad Options

Moving Back Home

One thing I am really worried about when I graduate is potentially having to move back home with my Mum in my really dull, un-inspiring home town and losing my drive and enthusiasm for my practice. Hopefully this won't be the case, but if it is then I will have to look for the positives and keep myself motivated, even if it involves commuting to my nearest cities like Nottingham or Lincoln on a daily basis to find work. In reality, financially this might be the most sensible option, but I'll have to see what happens first!

Art Psychotherapy MA

Following the information day I went to in March, I am definitely considering pursuing a Masters degree in Art Psychotherapy, but not straight away. I need some time do develop my creative practice, gain experience with working with vulnerable people, and just gain some more life experience in general. I fully understand that becoming an Art Therapist will probably be the most challenging part of my future career, therefore I believe it will be a sensible option not to dive into it at such a young age.

In the mean time, I will carry out further research into different courses, attend open days and build on the skills required to enter into this profession.

PGCE Teaching Qualification

Teaching is something that I have been interested in for a long time, as I really enjoy working with people and supporting individual learning and development. Similarly with the Art Therapy Masters, I somewhat think it is unwise to go straight into being a teacher without much life experience having never had a break from education. I would prefer to travel around giving creative workshops as opposed to teaching art in a secondary school as I see this as being too large of a commitment which would restrict the time and freedom I have to develop my own practice.

Working for a Creative Company

I haven't looked into this option in as much detail as the others, but it is something I would like to research into in the upcoming months. I have had a quick flick through 'junior designer' posts on various job websites, and there seems to be some great opportunities being advertised all over the country. Working for a design agency or as an in-house illustrator would give me the most confidence with starting off my career with a daily structure and tasks being delegated in a similar environment to that at college. I personally struggle quite a lot working in an isolated environment all of the time, for example at home and only talking to my family which don't share the same creative interests as me. For me to flourish to my maximum potential, the stability of a sociable yet creative working environment is something that is relatively high on my list of priorities.

Summary

I definitely need to research further into what I want to do with my life, as well as enjoying it and not stressing out about it at the same time. Finding the right balance of 'taking each day as it comes' (cringey I know but its important!) and thinking about the future is something I plan to work on in the upcoming weeks.

Things I need to do:

• Get in touch with art therapists! Both for my COP project, and to ask them about their experiences and practice
• Start saving? Which will be really hard being in so much student debt but hey ho
• THINK ABOUT POLITICS; how will the BREXIT affect my future job prospects?! Write a contingency plan in case things go completely tits up.
• Be productive, but don't overwhelm myself

Lyons Works Mural

Last week I had the opportunity to work with Pete Barber on the Lyons Works Mural in town as part of the large-scale art workshops that I participated in a few months back. 

The history of the Lyons Works dates back to a century ago when it operated as a clothing factory. In a recent feud with the new Victoria Gate shopping centre being constructed nearby, there were plans to demolish the building yet members of the community protested against the plans in order to preserve the historical structure. The artwork is on display within the window boards of the building, displaying the Einstein inspired quote, 'Learn from yesterday, Live for today, Design for tomorrow', with the word design replacing 'hope'. This is extremely meaningful due to the history of the building being used for a creative purpose, yet also each letter has been crafted to replicate signage from renown buildings around Leeds city centre, for example the Thornton's arcade etc.

Going up in the cherry picker was an experience in itself; I'm not afraid of heights or anything like that, but it felt strange not working at a desk for once. 
The techniques Pete and I used were POUNCING (dabbing chalk into pressed stencil holes of the lines) and the basic methods of spray painting that were addressed in the workshops.
It was really rewarding seeing the finished mural knowing that each of us had contributed to its creation. I hope that the public appreciate the artwork, and the message behind it too.

I would definitely be keen to be involved in Public Art productions in the future; this whole experience has been so valuable, enjoyable and I have made some useful contacts.

The Art Market

Shortly after submitting PPP I received an email asking for submissions for the end of year show art market. Keeping to my rule of 'say yes to every opportunity', I decided to go for it, as I have never sold any of my work before and am thinking about setting up an ETSY store in the upcoming months.

WHAT TO SELL?!

I thought it would be a good idea to actually produce some of the designs that I mocked up for my 505 project, as I received such positive feedback from my peers, tutors and friends on my designs and concepts. I would have liked to have had a wider range of stock including prints and designs from different projects, but typical me I quickly develop a hatred for previous work.

Proposal for Stock:

• Two-pack notebooks
• Screen printed tote bags
• Screen printed cushions
• Stickers
• Postcards (4-pack)
• Wrapping Paper (maybe)

Pricing

Pricing my products was the hardest thing for me, without the help of my annoying habit of wanting to be polite and not ask for too much money for items. I must get over this if I actually want to make a living! Anyway, I carried out a little research and asked people how much they would buy my things for to gain an accurate insight. In hindsight, my insight was really inaccurate; I should have spent a lot more time researching the pricing of particular items and taken into consideration important things such as overheads and costs per unit in more depth.

This is what I priced my items as:

• Notebooks: £3.00
• Tote Bags: £5.00
• Stickers: £2.00
• Postcards: £2.50
• The wrapping paper didn't make it
• Cushions...£6.50 - BIG MISTAKE!!!!

My main regret was pricing the cushions so CHEAP. So many people came up to me and said that they were surprised that I priced them so low, which was disappointing because I could have potentially made more money on them. This was mainly because I didn't look enough into the pricing of handmade cushions and mainly went on the unit price of mass produced cushion covers. But I know now for next time.

Production

The whole process of producing my stock was a steep, steep learning curve which resulted in many costly mistakes. However I realise that this is completely normal, learning through mistakes is the most effective way to learn and I can take those experiences forward.

Digital print was really testing; the postcards caused a lot of confusion being printed with the correct designs on each side and on the correct stock etc. Also, I printed the stickers on clear adhesive which caused the ink to smudge so I couldn't use them unfortunately. I must have spent around £30 on printing my post cards, many of which I didn't feel confident in selling because they contained a few mistakes. It is difficult relying on another person to print your things correctly and to the required standard, especially as the print room is so busy and technology can be so unpredictable.

Screen printing on to fabric was the hardest part of the production process, as it involved a great deal of trial and error as I had never done it before. Thankfully the print room staff were really helpful, but there was added pressure printing straight onto the fabric as it is much more expensive than paper and less feasible to just throw away when it goes wrong.

The tote bags were relatively straight forward to print, but the cushions were so much harder, again as this was completely new to me! I watched a few youtube tutorials on how to make a simple cushion from scratch which were really helpful, yet I made SO many mistakes in the process (all happy mistakes though!)

Setting Up

When setting up the Art Market, I got a good place in the queue really early when I realised that I had written out my inventory completely wrong resulting in me having to write another out by hand and queuing up from the back again! This was really annoying but it taught me to pay better attention to the requirements. The market looked great, there was such a huge variety of items for sale which were all fantastic.

How did I do?

Much to my surprise, my stock somehow managed to completely sell out! I was really overwhelmed at this response, and from all of the positive comments that I was receiving from other sellers in the art market as well as people that had bought my products. I know I have a lot to work on (pricing especially) but participating in the art market has been such a valuable and confidence boosting experience that I hope to continue to develop within my practice.

Over the summer I plan on setting up an ETSY store online selling similar products to these in mind of developing a whole number of different ranges including greetings cards, more prints, more cushion covers and tote bags, and a lot more. If the shop is successful it will act as a good 'CASH COW' in my practice to keep a potentially sustainable cash inflow if the demand for work becomes quiet for example.

Exciting times ahead!

End of Year Show Favourites

I was so impressed with the result End of Year show and how much hard work and effort had gone into producing it, not to mention how fantastic the illustration display looked in its first year of showcase. I took many photographs of the work that I was most fond of and that inspired me the most, but there are way too many to write about all of them, so here are a few of my favourite show pieces.

'Living off the Land' - Rosie Taylor 

Surface Pattern

Rosie's project was a children's interior range focusing on where food can be sourced in different areas. I first came across Rosie's work in the art market when someone showed me one of her really charming print of a fisherman entitled 'Graham', (this really tickled me for some reason?!) The thing that I loved most about this range was the use of textures and layering to create a flat image which creates an abstract feel and emphasises each character and shape, whether this be teepees or seagulls there is a glimmer of charm that holds everything together really well.

'After School Club' - Liv Johnson

Fashion Communication

I have an indication that the starting points for this project come from the three words displayed on the board; 'female youth, friendship, true beauty'. The visuals create a strong pang of nostalgia focusing on valuable aspects of social interaction and how the idea of being accepted by society has been twisted and warped as our generation has grown and the next is being suffocated by unrealistic expectations. Liv has written in her statement that she proposes that this project inspires young girls and gives them a positive perspective about achieving their aspirations, also stating that 'real people' and real life should influence fashion.

This project portrays such an important message, and I am really inspired by the way that Liv has focused on different people with different hobbies and interests and documented a truthful and humble story about the ways in which our interests and perceptions of life can be influenced through our love for different things as well as being persuaded and brainwashed by what other people think of us.

 'Doodle do/Imagine' - Vicky Nelson

Visual Communication

Vicky states that the aim of this project is to encourage children to creatively play and use their imaginations away from the digital screen. I love the playful take on the publication, especially in her choice of language and interactive features such as the acetate pages that create more of an 'activity book' approach. The message Vicky is trying to portray is so important, seeing as many children nowadays rely on technology and video games for entertainment as opposed to appreciating real life opportunities. I would definitely buy one of these books if I knew any children that were turning into robots!

'Get rid of the Daily Mail' - Izzy Drake

Visual Communication

For me, this was the most powerful display I had seen amongst the whole exhibition. It truly opened my eyes on how toxic certain publishers within the media can be, and how this is creating an epidemic of small minded hate culture and ignorance throughout society. Previously I always assumed that the Daily Mail was somewhat of a prestigious newspaper, however I guess the olde English typeface completely mislead me, not to mention the contents inside the cover.

Izzy's artist statement reads:

"I really want to make clear the fact that the Daily Mail is not really a news source, but more of a consumer product feeding the capitalist, meritocratic ideology and system. I urge people young and old to have more conversations about society, the way it is run and how we can create positive change"

The visuals raise issues including:

• Aggressive media advertising to children
• Rap 'musicians' boasting about materialism
• How the media only focuses on the negative implications of countries that are more densely populated with a particular religion
• Lack of perspective
• Social media obsession

I found that I could relate to this topic really well as it is something that I am very passionate about. I appreciate how Izzy hasn't solely based the project on slating the Daily Mail, but how she has unpicked the moral and reasoning behind the things that they publish and compared it with valuable first hand experiences from people including herself and other sources. Using newsprint collage emphasises the metaphor of mis-linked pieces of information being thrown together to make a story that ultimately will sell, disregarding all aspects of social responsibility.

Summer Plans

I have learnt a hard lesson from last summer not to waste away my days slaving away in a mind-numbing job that pays an absolute pittance! Subsequently this year I have decided to go easier on myself and give myself more time to explore and develop my creative practice. But here are a few things that I have planned:

Summer Job: Tribe Leader at The Bushcraft Company

Applying for a job that was pretty far out of my comfort zone was a bit of a spur of the moment decision, but I'm hoping it will benefit me in a number of ways. The Bushcraft Company is something I hadn't heard of until I searched for fun and interesting summer jobs on google, but spending a part of my summer teaching children about the great outdoors and survival skills really appealed to me. If you're reading this you are probably wondering what on bushcraft has to do with illustration, but it has many interlinked skills that I am hoping to capitalise on which include:

• Teaching and leadership skills
• Communicating with different age groups
• Self confidence
• Increasing my personal knowledge
• Working in a team
• Essential survival and first aid skills

Staff training in the Easter Holidays! (I am in the middle with the dark blue hat)

I am really excited about this job; it will be a great opportunity to open my mind and challenge myself in ways in an alternative environment. Also, I have found that balancing two jobs works well for me, i.e. half of the week putting my energy into working with others, and the other half in a solitude environment where I can have time to myself.

Travels

I'm not planning on going anywhere extravagant on my travels this summer, but I do plan on taking a few trips by myself to explore places that I have never been even if it is just an afternoon somewhere a train ride away. Some places that come to mind are:

• London, the non-touristy parts
• Cambridge
• Bristol
• Brighton
• Some really gross seaside towns e.g. Skeggy 
• Some nice seaside towns e.g. Wells-Next-The-Sea/Cromer etc
• Scotland! I've never been to Scotland
• Villages nearby in the vale of Belvior maybe? 

The slightly more obscure places will just be interesting to spend a day in with my sketchbook. Otherwise I wouldn't ever go to Skegness.

Etsy Shop

I am super keen on setting up an ETSY shop to sell some of the things (and hopefully more) that I have made for the art market. This will be a great way to get my work out there as well as having the potential to develop into a substantial 'Cash Cow' within my practice that will create additional sustainability. 

I made a list of products and prices that I will aim towards selling, although these may be altered at any stage:

My aim is to set up my shop by the end of July!

Everything in between

I definitely need some time to myself after such a challenging and intense year to relax and unwind before starting third year. During this time I plan to do a lot of the things that I struggle to find time for during term such as reading, watching new films, exploring etc. 

ELCAF

Yesterday Naomi and I decided to take a trip down to the East London Comic Arts Fair! The pair of us aren't massively into comics, but following on from the inspiration from last years Thought Bubble we thought we could explore this field further.

The venue was lovely; a really quaint little London church that had such a buzzing atmosphere. I think it is important to keep artists and customers in such close proximity to emphasise the social and sharing aspect. 

Things I Bought

I made sure that I spoke to as many people as possible, although I have to say that a lot of the artists were SO PAINFULLY SHY! Maybe that explains why they have become artists so that they escape the fundamental aspect of a job relying heavily on social skills?

Anyway, Naomi and I were able to have a chat with people we already knew which was so nice, for example Jon Boam and Krystena Baczinski who were really interested in finding out how we were doing and how our studies were going.

New people we met:

Kim Clements

http://www.kimclements.co.uk

Kim was lovely to talk to, and I was really attracted to her playful child like tone of voice within her work. Many of her publications such as zines focused strongly on light hearted humour, especially the caricature-esc drawings of Freddie Mercury. 

Babak Ganjei

http://www.babakganjeiworks.com

I really commend this chap for just 'grabbing the nettles' in the way that he visually expresses his vibrant thoughts, feelings and opinions so openly and confidently. My favourite thing of his was the greetings cards that were painfully funny and passive aggressive. This is great because it's noticeable that sarcastic/punny cards are becoming increasingly popular in such a 'meme' culture.

Anna Krztoń

Anna's zine entitled 'first weeks' had a kind of reportage feel to it, as it visually recorded her first few weeks moving into and living in the Polish city of Cracow. I love the raw-ness of how her feelings come across through the energy in her line work, and how she has described the new sounds and sights around her. 

Summary:

Today was a great opportunity for inspiration and aspiration, in the fact that by asking various illustrators about their creative journeys and what inspires them within their work to gain some scope  on our own creative practices. I personally don't feel as if narrative is my strongest area within illustration, but I am really interested in developing greetings cards and zines within my practice.