Studio Brief 1 Professional Strategy

SCRIPT

1. Hi

        Hi as most of you know I'm Jenny.

2. First year

I started putting this presentation together by looking at my presentation which i gave this time last year. Here are 2 slides from that presentation about what I wanted my work to become, and then what my manifesto was for this year. I was surprised to see how much of this I had accomplished but you can be the judges of that too after this presentation. I struggled a lot with first year and I was worrying too much about everyone else work and not making the brief's my own, and didn't like any of my work and in second year I really set out to make work I enjoyed at liked. I knew I wanted my work to have themes of enchantment, magic, the dark and unknown.

3.Second year

Overall EVALUATE

4.Strengths and what I've learnt

I've learnt so many skills this year, more information about the illustration business and also more about myself and what I enjoy. I've learnt more printing methods in 503, especially lino printing and how to incorporate foil into lino prints. I have learnt so much on Photoshop, last year it was so alien to me but now it's so helpful and quick but I don't want to rely on digital. I want to combine both analogue and digital whilst keeping my tone of voice. I don't believe I've found my style but I think this year I have progressed a lot in finding my tone of voice. I want to carry on experimenting with different medias moving forward but also carry on combining analogue with digital. I like the rawness and unpredictability of analogue but the ease and immediacy of digital even if it's just for editing.

5. Need to improve on

This year I really could have improved on my research skills and the content of my work. I'm always inspired by nature, witchcraft and something but I feel I don't immerse myself fully in information like I could. I know I want my work to focus on magic, witchcraft, the occult, feminism but I think  I get a bit lost with motifs rather than the actual context but if I focused more on research I believe I could push my work and ideas a lot further. Also I feel I need to work more in my sketchbook to visually solve problems, because I often think about my work a lot without actually drawing and experimenting in my sketchbook and again I think my practice could be progressed more if I did this.

6. Colours May Vary

For the first time ever I was able to be part of an exhibition this year. It was really fun and eye-opening being in an exhibition and also helping put it together as a group. I had never realized how much went into planning and putting on an exhibition. The whole process taught me how to present my work in a professional way, as part of an exhibition and as standalone prints. I also sold 2 prints there which was cool cos never really sold any of my work before. This gave me a lot more confidence about my work which I was severely lacking so I suppose this was a real turning point for me in my practice.

7.COP

I enjoyed COP a lot more this year as I got to create work where I was really interested in the content. I chose to research witchcraft, in particular  why modern which craft is increasing and then for the practical part I created 3 greetings cards designs in an attempt to normalize witches. I think I enjoyed this so much because I had put so much into the research beforehand and then that showed in the final pieces. I need to apply this method to my other creative modules. I then got the cards actually printed, folded and packaged with an envelope and I intend to sell. I realized in this module that I find making an actual product really satisfying and exciting.

8.504

So then for 504 I chose to go into retail and packaging. I've realized I prefer to make my own work on what I want and then apply it to products or make products to sell rather than keeping to a brief from someone else that I'm not really interested in. I'm definitely a lot more motivated when working like this. For 504 I created different designs for products such as patterns for bed sheets and tapestries, stickers and notepads etc. I went even further on this module and got some of the products actually made. 504 was the major turning point for me this year where I made the most work, enjoyed the work the most and realized what area of illustration my work sits best.

9.Selling stuff and setting up Insta

Since 504 I learnt how to use laser cutter and also how to make stickers so I have started making my designs into stickers and I've also made earrings and fairy lights I've been selling. Also this year I set up and art instagram and have been posting regularly, I know most students do this anyway but for me it was a big thing as I had never really had to confidence to post my work out there to the public before.

10. Inspiration

For the contact report in the professional practice module I contacted 2 illustrators who inspire me Camille Chew and Cassidy Rae Marietta. Both are inspired my themes of feminism, the occult and this task really pushed me as I would never have the confidence to contact someone as it was a really scary thought but after doing it I would happily do it again.

11. Application

They both make incomes from online shops like etsy, society 6 and red bubble. They gave me many tips in their replies to me and they said websites like society 6 are great as they print on demand and you only have to make the work and they take care of the rest and it supplies them with most of their income. They also said through their online shops, they have been offered commissions where based on the work they have made. They gave me a lot of confidence when hearing about how they got to where they are now, it's really reassuring knowing they started out like me once

12. What do I want to do next year

The past 9 months have made me realise what I want to do, given me way more confidence and shaped my work into something I'm a lot more happy and excited about. Moving forward into level 6 I want to sell work on etsy, take part in craft fairs to sell work and meet illustrators, and I want to keep making more work and having fun with it. Also, after the group project in PP where we proposed an idea of an art therapy centre it has made me realise my interest in community art. Over summer I am volunteering in art workshops in prisons and with homeless people and then from September I am planning to volunteer with the workshops at Inkwell once a week.

13. What I want to work towards after uni

I think in the future community art is something I want to volunteer in but also I want my own practice. Hopefully I can find a way of juggling the two even if it's just volunteering once a week to give back to the community. Over summer I'm going to set up an etsy and put some work on society 6 and also volunteer to gain experience.

14. Manifesto

Looking back at my manifesto from last year and realizing I had accomplished a lot of it I thought I'd set some goals for next year too. I want to put more into researching and really think about what I want to say with my work, make more stuff to sell, and sell more stuff, by setting up an etsy/society 6, and doing craft fairs, and also volunteer different places and gain experience.

15. Thank you

Studio Brief 2 Contact Report

Studio Brief 3 Community Art Community

RESEARCH AND PLANNING FOR GROUP COMMUNITY PROJECT

Who is your community?

• mental health issues
• people in and out of prison
• physical disabilities
• learning difficulties
• drug users/ reformers

What do they need?

• Art therapy --> to improve their emotional and mental well being
• Express themselves --> sometimes language is direct and limiting when expressing feelings (self discovery)

What do you do?

• Art therapy
• Address emotional issues
• A form of expressive therapy that uses the creative process of making art to improve a persons physical, mental and emotional well being
• Can help people to resolve issues and reduce stress and grievances

Community Project 

Inkwell

Today we went to an Art Therapy Centre called "Inkwell" in Chapel Allerton. It was a really inspiring, friendly and creative place. 

Their manifesto is : 
'A creative space for positive mental health' 
'using art and creativity as a tool we work with people to recover and maintain a robust mental health'

It is a centre that was created 7 years ago from a pub (The Shoulder of Mutton) which was derelict and they faced problems when renovating due to the location being quite a rough area, however it was a location that was important for the locality of the facility.

The centre has a combination of paid workers with expertise as well as a huge volunteer base of 65 people.

People are referred from a GP or mental health professional for some sessions but others are open to support anyone in need for a small donation. 

They are funded by Leeds Mind as well as some ASC funded classes.

They is a vast range of different creative sessions available. They are always looking for other innovative specialisms, especially when there are new volunteers which bring new skills with them.

They are open 7 days a week with classes covering; walking, dance, art, craft, sewing, reading, music and cafe.

All the classes have a wide range of people varying from people who have studied art at further education to people who have never drawn before in their life

There isn't a curriculum and independent projects are supported. 

There is a quarterly reviewal and the longest stay is 2 years (many people come back afterwards as a volunteer)


Initial project planning

USP --> Trialing our idea with Inkwell and finding out what they aren't offering yet. Not necessarily doing something that has never been done before, just something that is lacking in the Leeds community. Something which is a combination of the skills that 3 Illustrators could share.

There seem to be roughly 3 focus sections to begin this project:

1) Finding a property - researching an appropriate area, finding out the costs of starting up an organisation, researching the legal standing, how much it would cost to rent the property, how much it would cost to pay employees, how important volunteers would be...
(Jenny is researching)

2) Funding Bodies - figuring out which organisations could provide money for our project, how much money we could get, if this would be enough to start the project going, if there are other ways of getting money...
(Katie is researching)

3) Members/Clients - finding out where the clients would be referred from, what the range of mental health could be, which classes could benefit them and why
(Alex is researching)

Later...

4) Branding - flyers, posters, leaflets, schedules, logo, name


3) Where are clients referred from?

The therapists must be registered with Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC)

• GP
• Psychiatrist
• Social Worker
• Clergy

Art therapy is not a cure... clients must have qualities of motivation and willingness to embrace change.

Can be offered on its own and alongside other treatments.

Can be offered in a group or 1:1 sessions depending on personalities.

It is offered at:

- hosptials

- private homes 

- therapy centres 

- residential care

- day centres

How does it work?

It is for clients to come to terms with feelings, events and memories - to think about what they have created and how it relates to their experiences

• drama
• dance
• music
• visual art - OBJECTS (remind of experiences) CLAY (when colour is difficult it can be calming... easy to transform) PHOTOS (images chosen may be connected to a memory)

What is the benefit?

- to help feel distanced from feelings
- when experiences are too upsetting to talk about
- to think about the causes of feelings
- to figure out how to cope with feelings

• relationships
• understanding
• perspective
• distraction
• personal achievement
• expression
• relaxation
• empowerment

Who are the clients?

People with:

• chronic or life changing illnesses (cancer)
• mental health problems (depression, addiction, schizophrenia, psychosis)
• relationship problems
• eating disorders
• learning disabilities

1 ) Finding a Property

Appropriate area?

The costs of starting up an organisation?

Start up costs would include:

-premises and associated costs such as utilities

-stock

-IT and other equipment

-furniture

-branding

-business stationery and office supplies

-marketing

-website development

-travel and transport

-phone and internet charges

-art supplies and materials

-insurance

-wages for staff

- costs for moving premises or renovating

How much would it cost to rent the property?

Most lease from a commercial landlord which usually operate on a quarterly basis than a monthly basis.

How much would it cost to pay employees?

This is dependent on our trustees/funding.  Normally trustees are likely to allow the basic remuneration for running a charity, but employees should not expect more money than is necessary to support themselves. How much they earn is also directly tired with the sources of funding.

How important would volunteers be?

Very important when this is not a business set up to make money which can then in turn pay staff but it its an charity organisation set up in order to help people. The more helpful volunteers the better.

Insurance?

The main ones to consider are public liability insurance, professional indemnity insurance and employers liability insurance. There are also many other insurance covers which can protect things like tools, equipment and the premises itself.

Useful contacts in finding funding

The Charity Commission – this should be your go-to resource as a charity. The site contains step-by-step guides on starting a charity, adopting a governing document, registration, and the experience of being a small charity.

National Council for Voluntary Organisations – the UK’s leading volunteer resource site. Find potential trustees here, or become a trustee yourself.

Trusteenet – A resource site to find trustees, targeted at small charities.

Trustee Works – Claims to be the leading trustee-matching service in the UK, having placed 750 trustees in organisations since 2009. Its service is free to charities with revenues under £1m.

Guidestar UK – an independent charity directory where organisations can upload in-depth profiles detailing their structure and goals.

2) Funding

Our proposal could potentially receive funding from any of the following:

·      MIND organization – supplies funding for Mental Health based community work for places like Inkwell -https://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/news/mind-is-offering-funding-for-community-projects/#.WqmBMJOFgWo

·      Organisations & Businesses – Leeds Community Foundation received funding from ASDA for mental health projectshttp://leedscf.org.uk/2017/02/08/leeds-fund-mental-health-projects-receive-380k-boost-from-asda-foundation/

·      Comic Relief – supply funding every year to Mental Health services ‘Over the past 30 years, we have funded 291 organisations in the mental health sector, totalling more than £33 million in the UK’ https://www.comicrelief.com/news/mental-health-matters

·      Lottery funding – have funded many mental health projects and organisations in the past https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/research/health-and-well-being

All require standard applications and proposals – something we need to research further if that is what we were to pursue. Inkwell have been through this process and would be able to advise us on it.

Prince's Trust

Start up costs

Once you’ve worked out your monthly outgoings, you’ll have an idea of how much your business needs to make for you. After that you’ll need to think about the start-up costs you’ll need to get your business off the ground.

One of the biggest challenges when starting your own business can be the question of funding. This is where we can help. As well as providing you with the opportunity to apply for a low-interest loan of up to £5,000, we can also offer you one-to-one mentoring support and training.

Tax can be taxing

Once you’ve set up your business, you must register as self employed with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

HMRC has loads of really useful information on setting up a business, including an e-learning package called Starting in Business developed especially for us.

For more detail on registering your business with HMRC and further information on setting up in business, visit their website.

Insurance

All businesses need insurance as soon as they start trading.

Some types of insurance are required by law and should be in place before you’re up and running. For example, you must have employers’ liability insurance if you employ people.

Other types are optional but worth considering, as uninsured losses could put your out of business or leave you in debt.

The broker or insurance company you use should be registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). You can call the FCA on 0800 111 6768 or visit www.fca.gov.uk to find an authorised insurer.

For more information about insurance in general, you can also speak to the British Insurance Brokers' Association on 0870 9501790.  Please note that there will be a call charge for ringing this number.

Further Research: 

• How much would the van and markee cost?
• How much would insurance be?
• Which grant/s for mental health and art would we apply for? 
• Would they help with start up costs or long-term?
• Where will our ‘community’ be?
• What workshops will we run?
• Where could we go? Mental health fairs and festivals? 
• What training would we need to be qualified for? 
• Visuals - mock up posters, leaflet, info pack, logo

Creative Movement

Mobile Therapy

Expression through art

Mobile therapy centre

• cheaper than renting building
• allows for more outreach
• VSP - visits places often to support community
• Accessible

Aims

• Improve community outreach for mental health and the arts
• Supply the community with therapy for wide ranging mental health issues
• support for referred people
• drop in sessions for anyone
• non profit organisation - based off of Inkwells model
• Funded by organisations like MIND
• Led by the 4 of us 
• possibility for volunteers with different skill sets to expand what we offer - like Inkwell

To Do:

• Specifically choose funding - look into application etc
• Find van & markee ebay etc
• Land we can pitch on regularly - contact local council for permit? 
• Mock up a few events - what would they be? where, when? flyers, posters? tour dates? regular schedule with irregular one off events? 
• Research possible training needed to offer different services 

Study Task 10

Notes:

-Include heart content (values, beliefs, purpose) what people remember you for
and head content (what, how, where) the basic information
-The logical levels of constructing a presentation, environment level, behaviour, capabilities and skills, beliefs and values, identity, mission and vision levels
-Bookends, something you introduce at the beginning and revisit at the end, makes the audience listen throughout
-Use the power of 3
-Memorise presentation, use cue cards with bullet pointed words
-Do not read directly off notes


Remember:

-Plan properly
-Structure presentation well
-Eye contact
-No nervous itching, swaying, moving
-Appropriate talking with hands
-Talk slowly, loudly, confidently
-Pauses are ok, do not fill them with 'umm ermm ahh'
-Silence is my friend

(Still terrified of public speaking)

Study Task 9

There are different types of CVs; standard, skills, artist and creative
Depends what job I am apply for, what CV i send
I need to make a LinkedIn profile
Add my own tone of voice to CV, add some art work

I have begun to put together my details, education and work experience

                                                     Jenny Whitehouse

17 Treeford Close, Solihull, West Midlands, B91 3PW

07769993158 jenny.whitehouse@hotmail.co.uk 12/04/1996 Education 2016-2019 Leeds Arts University BA Hons Illustration: Currently studying 2015- 2016 Royal Leamington Spa College BTEC Level 3 Foundation Diploma Art and Design 2012-2014 Solihull Sixth Form College A Levels: Mathematics (A), Chemistry (A), Biology (B) AS Level Psychology (B) 2007-2012 Alderbrook School

GCSES: Mathematics (A*), Core Science (A*), Additional Science (A*),

English Literature (A), English Language (A), History (A), German (A), 

R. E(B), I.T (Distinction), Art (Distinction*)

Work Experience

2015-Present 

The Woodmans Rest, Solihull

I work on  the front of house on the bar and also as a waitress. I have dealt with working under pressure to perform tasks quickly in very busy periods. Also I have trained many new employees on the bar. I have been a seasonal member of staff working there over Summer and Christmas since moving to Leeds for University.

2013-2014

Clarks, Solihull

I worked on the kids section and I am fully trained fitter. I worked well with the kids and the parents, gave friendly customer service and had many customer compliments throughout my time at Clarks. I was also chosen to train new employees for the back to school period.

2012-2013

Boots

Mell Square, Solihull

I worked as a part time assistant for the Christmas period. My duties involved working on the tills, stacking shelves, answering customer queries and I was also nominated as an ambassador for the store . I was also asked to cover Boots in the Retail Park for special promotions. 

Positions of Responsibility

I was chosen as prefect in year 11. I volunteered as a peer coach where I mentored younger years through school life and I also joined the leavers committee which involved planning and organising the end of year celebrations which I enjoyed. I am currently on the Solihull Sixth Form student council.

Study Task 8

Reflective Summary
We worked well as a team throughout this whole project, we researched lots and visited Inkwell to find out more information about the community. We managed to communicate well with each other and meet regularly. I think we covered everything that we needed to in starting up a business. It was really interesting to think about a business proposal and everything that's needs to be included, before this task I would have had no idea on how to start. Perhaps we can continue this after uni, but if not the research has helped a lot. I now know how to get funding, how to figure out starting costs etc. Community art is something am definitely interested in and I am planning to volunteer at Inkwell in September to gain experience.

Script

Katie

1.   We are ‘Creative Movement’ - Myself, Alex, Jenny and Heather. For our PP Project we’ve decided to create a community outreach mobile therapy service providing the Greater Leeds area.

2.   Our Ethos is ‘Mobile Therapy, Creativity can help, Expression through Art’. We’re a non profit organisation and hope to supply creative outreach to the wider Leeds area through mobile events.

3.   We decided that we would try and get to the wider areas of Leeds on the outside of the city centre. These are areas that would maybe benefit the most because they are lacking the opportunities that are in the city centre

4.   Our aims are based in the belief that we can give back to our local community through mobile art therapy, specifically in areas that would benefit the most from our free service and drop in pop up sessions.

5.   To find out more about what’s going on in our local community we visited Inkwell, a non profit organisation based in Chapel Allerton which provides both drop in and referral services for mental health. They provide a variety of art and creative classes and it’s a really vibrant place which felt like a big part of the community

In the planning stages of our project we want to get involved in the community as much as possible to get ideas and a feel for what works and what doesn’t. We’d like to be involved with Inkwell as volunteers going into next year and get experience with them.

6.   Our USP is that we’ll offer a similar service to Inkwell, except we will be completely free and every session is drop in. Inkwell is run with mostly referrals (which has a long waiting list) and drop-ins are infrequent and usually cost a small amount. We’d provided a rolling service 5 days a week every week bringing our classes to local communities as we found that it was quite difficult to get to Chapel Allerton without being able to drive. Anyone can come along and benefit from our classes, free of charge.

Heather

7.   Our ideal clients would be: chronic illnesses, mental health problems, addiction and recovery, relationship problems, eating disorders and learning disabilities… but we imagine it would also extend to families and young people in the area

8.   Art therapy helps peoples process trauma, work through mental health issues and generally improve wellbeing. We aren’t qualified counsellors but we’re there to provide a place to go to and a support network. Throughout this project we’d look to expand our skills and gain qualifications to provide an even better service.

9.   To fund our organisation there’s a few different options. We’ve looked at MIND, who fund Inkwell and others. All require thorough applications and approval. Inkwell have been through this process and will be able to help us with it.

10.       Our initial research has shown our start up costs to be around £10,000 without wages. Depending on our funding there’s room to adjust this. Some of the things we’d need to cover would be buying a van, insuring it and buying art equipment, tables and chairs.

11.       There were quite a few things that we hadn’t thought about that kept popping up. We wanted to create a thorough plan of everything.

Alex

12.      There are lots of different possibilities for cheap transit vans around the initial price of £1000 off ebay. This is something we need so we can transport equiptment  like a marquee and furniture around. We realise that there is only 3 seats but we think that rotating 3 different people should be enough. We would alternate who was doing admin and if someone is ill it wouldn’t cause a huge problem.

13.      This is a proposed image of what our van could look like! You’d see us coming and I feel like it would make people smile!

14.      We had to do some maths to figure out rough measurements to insure the van and figure out other travel costs. This equation helps us figure out how many miles we would cover visiting the 5 different places per week and per month and how this is affected by diesel for our costs.

15.      This 5 1/2 grand is a rough insurance cost for 2 of us to have shared insurance driving the van. This is a lump sum we would pay at the beginning of each year and we need to factor into the initial start-up costs we have to pay.

16.      We plan to fit this in the van to transport and then the 3 of us will put it up as a team effort. The capacity can be for 50- 60 people for this marquee - and therefore events. As 3 people will be working at one time it will be 15-20 people to one person and with also potentially volunteers helping.

17.      There are extra things we need to factor into start-up costs… like tables and chairs that are fold up and would fit into the van to transport They also need to be good enough for people to sit on and work at but also to be transportable.

Jenny

18.       These are the different places we plan to visit that are the areas of wider Leeds. We decided that it would be good to have a regular day per week that we would turn up so that there is some structure to build a community with. We also have decided that we would have a month where we focus on one activity, offering on rotation 4 different sessions on the different medias. Each media will vary in cost and we will need to budget all of the costs for materials.

19.       We need to fill in an event application form to find out from the council where we can and can’t hold an event. Because we will be holding lots of different events we will need to apply frequently for events permits and be very organised and forward thinking.

20.       We technically don’t need to have training but it could be beneficial to us and the people who are coming for us to have a range of different qualifications. This could include counselling training, art therapy diplomas, volunteering experience, PGCE training. We already have experience making art ourselves and all of the techniques through our degree, and we all have CVs which evidence us working with people… We think that the most important quality is our passion and commitment to this project.

21.       We want to get up and running early 2019 and hopefully run from Easter through to the end of the summer. Depending on how the community receives us, we hope to expand and have a base and many volunteers.

We also mocked up a leaflet:

Study Task 7

Camille Chew replied also

 Hi Jenny,

Here are my answers,

1.What inspires all your work?

This is a very broad question since pretty much everything I encounter in my life has the potential to give some inspiration. But some things I always find inspiring are witchcraft and the occult, mythology, street fashion, interior design (for color and pattern inspiration), and of course the artwork of fellow artists.

2.How have you found working freelance? What have you found are the biggest challenges? Have you needed to have other employment alongside this?

I really enjoy working freelance, I’ve been lucky enough to work with some great clients on projects that I really love. The biggest challenge for me is time management. As a freelancer I’m my own boss and have to figure out how to schedule my time between client work, gallery work, and personal work. In addition to actually making all this art I also have to deal with the business side of things; emails, invoices, contracts, etc. all of which I wasn’t taught about in art school and had to figure out along the way.

I had the privilege of living with my parents and having them support me after I graduated, so I did not need other employment as I worked towards freelancing full time. This is certainly not the case for everyone, and if not I would encourage getting a full or part time job, whether it’s art related or not, while you work towards a freelance career. Currently about half my income is from freelance work and half is from my online shops.

3.How did you start getting commissions or getting your name out there within the illustration/art world ? How would you suggest I go about making contacts?

I first started getting commissions after gaining a following on tumblr. Nowadays all my clients find me through social media (Instagram and tumblr are where I’m most active), my online shops, and other places online where my work has been featured. To get your name out there I would very much suggest you take advantage of social media—it’s free and it’s where tons of art directors, clients, and potential customers are looking. Focus on one or two platforms, have a separate professional account that is specifically for sharing your art (of course some personal posts to let your audience get to know you are good too), post as regularly as possible (I aim for once a day when I have new work to show), follow and engage with fellow artists to build community and make contacts in the industry. Attending conventions and participating in group gallery shows are also ways gain an audience and start making contacts.

4.Do you think it’s important to find a niche and have particular style or be more versatile? What makes a strong portfolio?

If you’re working inhouse being more versatile may be beneficial (I don’t have personal experience in this though). If you’re freelancing I’d say it’s better to have a distinct style, that’s what will set you apart from other artists and give clients a clear idea of what to expect from you. But don’t get too caught up in “trying to find your style,” which is something I think a lot of young/beginning artists worry too much about. An artist’s style is something that develops over time through just making tons of art. There’s no need to force a style or impose one on yourself, If you feel like you haven’t found your niche just keep experimenting and making more art. And you should never feel limited by your style, it’s something that will always be evolving and growing.

A strong portfolio is about quality more than quantity, include only your best work and regularly go through to add new work and get rid of work that is no longer relevant/doesn’t show your current skill level. You should put only the kind of work you want to be hired to make into your portfolio. A strong portfolio site will be easy to navigate, cleanly display your work, have links to social media, and have your professional email address easy to find for clients.

5.I know you make and sell a lot of your own work. Do you prefer working like this as you can have more free reign? Or do you prefer working on a project like the Basic Witches book and working with others?

I like having the balance of both. Client projects give me the opportunity to collaborate and work with others, often resulting in final artworks that I wouldn’t have come up with on my own. It also lets me work on a scale that I can’t on my own, like having my work published in Basic Witches and sold in bookstores across the country. Personal work is great because I only have myself to please, it allows me to explore the things I’m really interested in, and to experiment and play. Most often it’s my personal work that draws in clients. It’s important to take time for personal work as it helps you grow as an artist, and it’s a reminder to yourself that art isn’t just work, it can be fun too. Any personal work you make can also be monetized by selling or licensing it.

6.How was working after education and what tips would you have for me as an illustration student graduating next year?

The biggest change after leaving school is that you no longer have anyone telling you what to do, no one giving you assignments and no one making sure all your work is done on time. Freelancing takes a LOT of self-motivation and self-discipline, these are important skills that you should cultivate as you’ll need to be able to initiate and complete projects all on your own.

My tips for you as a student pursuing illustration are to:

• Utilize social media to connect with potential clients and customers, as well as fellow artists. (You're off to a great start with this on your IG account!)
• Try selling your work. This can be through conventions, local craft shows, online storefronts like Etsy or Big Cartel, or print-on-demand shops like Society6, Redbubble, etc. (POD sites can be a great way to earn a passive income, once a design is uploaded they take care of everything else. If you gain some popularity this has the potential to become a fairly steady stream of monthly income, which is nice with the unpredictability of freelance). I’ve also had several clients find me through my online shops.
• Find a way to support yourself while pursuing your illustration career, whether that’s living at home, getting a part or full time job, and/or creating passive streams of income.
• Fill your portfolio with the kind of work you want to be hired to do. Think of your dream projects and give them to yourself as assignments.
• Seek out resources on the business side of being an illustrator and educate yourself (invoices, pricing, contracts, taxes, etc.).
• The blog dearartdirector.tumblr.com has a lot of good information on having a career as an artist.
• And most importantly, keep making art! I began my career by just drawing constantly and posting it online. Creating consistently is what will improve your skills, get your name out in the illustration/art world, and help you start your career.

Hopefully this has been helpful!

Wishing you the best of luck in your studies and in your illustration career!

Camille :)