Online Portfolio

It's really exciting to see what my work looks like all together and how it communicates my tone of voice and what my actual portfolio will look like when it's printed. I like that there is a consistent style throughout but showing different skills and applications of my work. I know there will be more mythological creatures work in there over the next month or so also, along with a competition brief I'm working on with Shop Dixi. 

Final Presentation

Script
1. Hello

2. LAU 
Since first year my work has changed so much. I came to first year knowing I liked drawing and that was it and I spent the whole year having no idea what work I wanted to make and looking at everyone elses work hating myself. For some reason it never clicked for me to make gothic work inspired by dark mythology or woodlands when that's all I've ever really liked or liked in other peoples work. When that clicked for me in second year, I began making work that I actually liked and began communicating that message of enchantment. I sold some prints in second year and then actually gained some confidence and then this year I've just carried on with defining my tone of voice, building a portfolio and making the work I've wanted to make.

3.How my work has changed COP
This year I've spent more time on detail and small mark making where as last year my work was more about digital shapes and texture. I prefer this new way of working, I find it therapeutic and I prefer the final outcome when knowing I've spent a long time on a piece of work, I've also enjoyed adding bits of foil and glitter for a magical element. This started in COP when I researched and drew the gothic mermaid and that turned into these detailed almost trippy drawings and that's where this way of working started. 

4. 604 
Since COP I've been mainly looking at mythological creatures, in particular I've been illustrating The Book of Imaginary Beings and that's where these images have come from. I've really been enjoying this and has given me context for where my work could sit in the future in publishing or as spot illustrations. I've realised my work would sit in fields such as this and also surface pattern, print based work or other designs like jewellery. 

5.Print fairs
I've had a bit of professional experience this year as I took part in my first print fair and then also a couple of others. This was one of my goals for this year when I looked back at my presentation last year so it's nice to see that I've achieved that. I took part in the Girl Gang Leeds one first and it was a great experience in meeting people, talking about my work and selling way more than I thought I was going to. This gave me so much needed confidence in my work and the knowledge that there is the market for my work out there. I've also taken part in the Gross Studio Print Fair and that was loads of fun too and then also the Headrow House Open house this weekend just gone. 

6.Find &Seek
Also, Aderice on our course set up a pop up shop called Find & Seek in the Corn Exchange and I was involved in that too. It was exciting to be part of something a bit different to a print fair and have my prints in an actual shop for a weekend. I learnt about selling my work in a more professional environment, how to write an inventory with product codes and I also worked in the shop for a few hours which was fun to talk to the customers about other people's work and what the shop was about. 

7.Myths & Legends
One of my fears with my work is that there isn't that much of a market or opportunities and I sometimes feel like a black sheep. I feel like I've struggled in finding any relevant competitions or briefs that I could do that could potentially lead to my work reaching a wider audience. But I recently came across this exhibition and the deadline is next month. I hope I get to be shown in it as it's something I'm really interested in and a subject matter most of my work revolves around currently and I feel like not many of these types of exhibitions are around. This is my work in progress entry, it's not finished yet but I thought I'd show it anyway. The exhibition is in Liverpool which would be exciting to have my work shown outside of Leeds and not so much to do with uni or people from uni, as new people will see my work. 

8.Shop Dixi
Again with this competition, I found it the other day and it's like it was made for me and I can't wait to enter as I buy pretty much all my jewellery from here. I'm really excited how my woodland illustrations could be used for something different like jewellery designs. If I actually won this, it would lead on to work briefs that would excite me so much. Even if I didn't win it will be something different in my portfolio and I could also send off my designs to similar brands like Regal Rose to see if they wanted any collaborations too. These competitions and exhibitions have made me feel like there is a market and audience for my work, it's just about finding it.

9.Online Presence
This year I have worked on my online and professional presence. I created a website on Wix, set up an Etsy and also made a creative CV. 

10. Online Presence
I've also made business cards, Linked in, The Dots and I've continued to post on Instagram. I think I have a strong visual identity across all my platforms which I think is important in creating a successful brand. I think they all show the message I'm trying to communicate of work inspired by darkness, mythology and enchantment. SO many people look at Instagram and I need to utilise this more and think about posting more on there, even behind the scenes stuff and not just finalised, perfect drawings. LinkedIn and The Dots have been really useful tools in finding creative jobs, that I have applied for and my creative CV has proven to be useful. My business cards have been really useful at print fairs, people have often taken them. I set up an Etsy and have used it to sell work and earrings on and it's been quite successful. I like the outcome of my website as its clear and concise but I do need to buy a proper domain so it's a lot more professional but can't afford that right now but it will be really useful in showing an online portfolio to potential employers

11. Hanbury 
The Hanbury Symposium the other week was really interesting and inspiring. On this course I feel like you're led to believe you have to be a freelance illustrator but these talks were so eye opening in that there are plenty of other creative jobs out there and what jobs actually exist. After Ruby Boddington from It's Nice That mentioned placements in junior project management being available I went away and applied and also researched similar job roles that I'm interested in. I found a few and applied to them. I never really realised I could do a job related to illustration that isn't being a full time freelancer, and I think I could be really happy doing something like that.

12. What Have I Learned What Field I want to go into
I contacted places like McCann and Creative Race for any experience or opportunities but still waiting to hear back. I would like a creative job straight out of uni and I've been applying for jobs such as Junior Project Managers and Creative Artworkers at places like The Mighty Shed and Anyways. I realise that freelancing isn't gonna be easy or happen straight away so I'm going to need another job in the meantime and I'd rather it be a creative job that I will enjoy. I also went to an open day at BCU for a PGCE just to look at my options and I spoke to a really helpful woman from the art department and she was really keen for me to apply and it did sound like a really good course and I like that there is a guaranteed job at the end of it because teachers are so in demand, and this is perhaps something I'd do in the future but I want to explore other avenues first. 

13. Georgie Gozem 
I contacted Georgie Gozem. I contacted her because her work sits in a similar field to mine and she went to this uni and graduated a couple of years ago. I wanted to know how she found graduating and how she has found freelance work so far because I'm so concerned about it. She was SO unbelievable helpful, it turned into quite a long conversation and she gave me some great advice. She asked to see my online portfolio and gave me some tips on that too. The most meaningful advice she gave me was keep the momentum in making work after graduating, freelancing work is not easy and takes a lot of time and work and probably balancing a 'normal' job. She also said how important it is to push your work out there, she gave me ideas on how I could approach shops to sell my prints in, approach bands that I could do artwork for or sending my work to relevant publishers or magazines, there were things I hadn't really thought of doing. She also said to keep the crappy sketchbooks going and I quote 'fuck instagram always making you feel like you have to post finalised, perfect stuff' and I have to agree there and I intend to post more behind the scenes stuff. She just gave me a lot of hope and confidence in graduating, as she had been through it too she seemed the best person I could have talked to.

14. The Future

The last three years have shaped me as a person, creative and has also shaped my work. The course and the experiences I've had has influenced where I want to go after uni, but the uncertainty of graduation and afterwards is still really scary and daunting. My plan is to continue making work after submission and after graduating, keep up to date with my online presence and make those platforms look even more professional. I will keep emailing companies I want to work with with my CV and portfolio and see what happens. I will keep applying to creative jobs I like the look of and see what happens. Ideally, I would like to work in a creative job and have my own work on the side and if that happened to take off I'd be really happy with that. I guess we'll just see what happens

15. Thank you
Any questions?

Headrow House Open House

Being a part of another fair was really fun. It's always great to be part of a creative event where other creative are there to chat to too. This was my biggest table yet and it was great to be able to spread out all my work for people to see properly. The amount of positive comments and feedback about my work was encouraging. However, it was quite quiet and only sold a few prints. It was still a positive experience and has opened the door for being a a part of future Headrow House and Belgrave events

Contacts

Headrow House
After taking part in the Open House and sending e-mails to Alice who runs it, I am now part of the mailing list for the events she organises

Girl Gang Leeds
After taking part in the Girl Gang Leeds print fair I am part of their mailing list to hear about other opportunities

Gross Studio
I am part of the 'Friends of Gross Studio' facebook group with 24 other artists to hear about upcoming events

Georgie Gozem 
After having that lengthy chat with Georgie about graduating, she said to contact her with any other questions 

Sam from NoBrow
I spoke to him briefly at Hanbury about how to get into publishing with no experience as I am interested in publishing and he was really encouraging

Aderice 
Aderice set up the Find & Seek pop up shop and I think she will be a great contact for the future as she will set up similar events to this

Dasi from The Making Project
Dasi runs The Making Project where I volunteered in hostels helping in art workshops, she said she will let me know if there are any other projects to help with in the future and she is also down as one of my references

Tracey Goodyere
Tracey is head of A&D PGCE at BCU and after speaking with her at the open day, she gave me her email for any questions or if I want her to help me get any experience working in a school

Jobs

I've been researching possible job positions to see what's out there in the creative industries because I don't know what opportunities are out there. Jobs I have found to be interesting and would suit me in terms of experience and skills are junior project managers, creative artworker, event marketing assistant. 

Job Research Researching into the roles.

Jobs I've applied for:
Junior Project Manager at Anyways Creative
Junior Project Manager at Ogilvy
Creative Artworker at The Mighty Shed 
Event Marketing Assistant at Suberabound
Team Administrator at World Animal Protection
VM Assistant at Jo Malone

It will be interesting to see if I get any interviews from these. I have decided being a freelancer isn't the route I want to go down but I still want to express creativity working for a company such as these.

Shop Dixi Competition

I recently found this competition brief and I can't believe my luck, it's like its made for me. I have struggled finding any relevant competitions or opportunities but this and the Myths and Legends one is really exciting. I'm really excited about designing for this and it's making me think there is a market out there for my work, maybe it's quite small but it is there. Maybe I could be a freelancer one day. (see how the competition goes first)

Hanbury Symposium

Notes from the Symposium:

Publishers
No Brow, Cicada, Hatchette
-Process: acquisition meetings, choose projects and illustrators
-They look on instagram and at agents for illustrators
-First time publishing- send to a publishers, open submission policy, might not reply
-The more places you're seen, the more odds of an opportunity arising
-Enter publishing competitions, work gets shown to many
-Only send work to publishers you'd want to work with, make it personal, don't forget to include contact details in footer of email
-Children's books is a way bigger market
-Concertina books and zines aren't effective for a traditional book shop, only special shops or fairs
-Sending work to a publisher, just send as a PDF or somethings physical work and follow up with an email
-Getting into publishing, remember there are creative jobs that aren't being an illustrator
-Be easy to work with
-Publish your own work, follow publishers on social media
-Go to book fairs and book launches
-Remember there are spot illustrations and covers too, not just narrative

Anthropologie
-Everything you want is the other side of your comfort zone, have to feel uncomfortable to grow
-Have work ethic and learn new things
-Transferable skills from degree to a new job role

Agencies
It's Nice That and Big Active
-Project manager role to apply for at It's Nice That
-Use instagram more seriously, use hashtags
-Be polished and proactive
-Continue work after leaving uni, developing a voice takes time
-Ask people to give feedback if they're not hiring, hound people
-Being an agent
-Find out what careers exist, research thoroughly, look on The Dots

Advertising
Dusk Studio and Ogilvy
-Independent vs. large company

Agencies
CIA,BA, Plum Pudding
-Agencies find illustrators and develop them
-They look for orginality
-Send a CV to be an agent to the agency

Feelings
The whole event was really inspiring and interesting. It was interesting to hear about job roles I didn't really know existed and that I could do a job that is related to illustration that isn't being an illustrator. 

What I need to do
-Update website
-Apply for placement as Junior Project Manager at Anyways 
-Use instagram more
-Make a professional email address
-Join the Dots
-Make different CVs, catered to different jobs
-Make connections on the Dots and LinkedIn
-Book a careers appointment
-Make a plan for my life
-Join the AOI

Find & Seek

Aderice set up a pop up shop in The Corn Exchange called Find&Seek for people from our uni to sell their work for a weekend. This was a great opportunity and I was really excited to be part of it. I hadn't had my work in a shop before, only sold at print fairs etc. I ended up selling 2 prints which I was happy about as there was a lot of amazing work there.

What I've learnt from this process:
-Selling work in a professional environment
-Learnt how to make an inventory with product codes
-How to think about a reasonable price without underselling myself
-How effective advertising an event on social media can be, the turn out to the launch party and customers in the shop was great
-Also worked in the shop for a couple of hours, this was fun to talk to customers about other peoples work and what the shop was about

Myths & Legends Exhibition

I found this exhibition and I'm sending my work into it. The deadline is 14th April and I hope I get to be shown in it because it's something I'm really interested in and a subject matter all my work revolves around. I have 2 possible entries but I think I'm going to refine them, ask for peers input and pick the best one. The exhibition is in Liverpool and it would be really fun to have my work exhibited outside of Leeds and not to do with uni/ people from uni. 

Contacting

People I'd like to work with or contact or gain experience in their company:
Shop Dixi
Regal Rose
Georgie Gozem
Sabat Magazine
I need to find other publishers/magazines
Send my work to bands I like for music posters/albums?





I contacted Georgie Gozem who left LAU a couple of years ago and I love her work. Her work sits in a similar category as mine as it is also inspire by dark mythology/gothic.
She was SO helpful, gave me some great advice and it turned into a friendly conversation/crit, she asked to see my online portfolio and gave me some advice on that too.
The conversation was quite long so I just wrote the notes to take away:

-keep up momentum in making work after leaving uni
-look at graduation as a continuation of the work I've been doing
-she had to get a 'normal' job to begin with and that's common 
-freelancing isn't something you can just walk into
-it's important to push your work out there
-send e-mails and your work out to people and companies
-sometimes it's worth taking a lower offer to get your work out there
-ask AOI for advice if you're unsure
-print fairs always seems to have an audience for this type of work
-send my work to a range of magazines, publishers, bands
-switch to an Adobe site
-listen to podcast called Creative Pep Talk by Andy J Miller
-keep going with sketchbook work, the ideas are important 
-'fuck instagram always making you feel like you have to post finalised, perfect stuff'
-it takes time, and if you keep plugging away, it snowballs
-contact shops to see if they'll take on some of your prints 
-she said to contact her any time with any questions!

Contracts

Today's PP session was about contracts. I had no idea about anything related to contracts before this session so it was very useful.

-I need to remember that I send a contract to my client at the start of a brief and I can ask for an upfront payment
-This will be something I can learn in the future with experience
-The contract needs to involve details such as what I am being paid for, how much I'm being paid and when
-Taxes is also something I need to learn about if I am going to be a freelance illustrator and work for myself

Instagram

I realise how important social media, branding and how you look online is. SO many people look at instagram and if I improved my instagram game that could easily lead to more opportunities. I have tried to create a strong visual identity across all my social medias and platforms and I think I have achieved this.
-My instagram has a strong message of what I'm about which is dark, enchanting and mythical creatures work and creates a strong brand overall
-I do need to post more regularly
-I need to add my website and email to my bio when they're finalised
-I could use the stories function more to show behind the scenes
-I could also follow more accounts to improve my following/ increase the amount of people that see my work
-Instagram has led to a couple of print sales for me but if I post more this could happen more often

The Dots

After getting used to LinkedIn and how to use that I finally got round to making The Dots. It seems really useful for looking at what creative jobs are out there and also seeing what other creatives/ creative companies are up to.

Gross Studio

I was asked to be part of Gross Studio print fair at Hyde Park Book Club. I had a lot more space here to display my work and I was really happy with how my table looks. A guy was even looking at my work and said my branding was on point! I was happy about this as I always aim to have an overall image of dark and ethereal. Also a few people took a business card if they didn't buy anything so it was a good move getting those printed for this fair, which I learnt from the last one. This print fair wasn't that busy but it was still great to be a part of something with other creatives and still sold a few prints. I upped my prices from last time as my confidence has grown and I don't want to undersell my work.

Business Cards

I have a business card now, pictured below.
I wanted my business card to encapsulate me and my work which I think it does. I think it goes well with my whole aesthetic of dark, mystical and woodland-y. With a piece of my work on one side and my details clearly stated on the other, I think it works well.
I realise the email address and website don't look that professional, I can't afford to buy a decent domain but I will make a professional email soon, by the time I next print off business cards. Also, the guillotine didn't cut them very neatly, which is something to think about next time. 

Networking + Events

I heard back from McCann and they said they had no suitable work placements for me based on my CV and portfolio which is a shame because I wanted to see what it was like in an advertising/marketing agency. So I emailed a few others in Birmingham such as Core advertising and Cogent. (Still no answer from any of them) I think I will get a lot of no replies  from creative businesses but that's to be expected but the more I contact, the more chance of one replying.

March is a busy month in terms of events and fairs.
I have coming up: 
2nd March Gross Studio fair at Hyde Park Book Club 
11th-17th March Find and Seek Pop Up Shop at the Corn Exchange
21st March Hanbury Symposium 
30th March Headrow House Fair 
14th April Print Social Myths and Legends deadline

I need to sort out pricing, prints and business cards for these.

CV and Networking

I emailed McCann and they asked for a CV and portfolio. I realise I don't have an up to date or creative CV so I made one and sent it off. Waiting to hear back and here is my creative CV. I think I should make another more academic CV which is catered to more serious jobs if I am going to be applying for those too.


I'm really pleased with my creative CV. I think you can see what I'm about at a quick glance. It's only one page and has all the important details about my education, creative experience, creative skills and employment history.

SWOT + Future

Today's presentation was about other career paths that aren't freelance illustration. I feel this is where I want to go as although I still want to be creative I don't think I have the drive or motivation to be freelance. A couple of things mentioned were useful to me and things I want to explore more and research. 
McCann was mentioned as one of the biggest marketing agency's and there is one of the offices down the road from my house, so I think it would be worth it to email about hopefully doing 1 week placement there over Easter or something. I have no idea if this is something I would be interested in or good at as I don't really know what it involves. I'll email them this week and also research what they do there.
Also things to look at are Creative Proof Jobs and The Directory of Design Consultant. 

Strengths
-organised
-time management
-analogue and digital ways of working
-fast learner
-photoshop skills

Weaknesses 
-lacking discipline  
-lacking confidence
-presenting
-don't like talking about my work

Opportunities
-Need to make the most of online presence and post more
-The gothic/dark trend is popular
-Need to take part in more opportunities such as fairs and exhibitions

Threats
-There's is similar work to mine and people that do it better
-What makes my work different?
-Need to improve public speaking/presentation skills

I also filled in this SWOT analysis to think about what my strengths and weaknesses are so I can think about what kind of job I'd want/be good at. 
My friend recently said I would be a good project manager because I'm so organised and motivating which is something I could apply for.

The Making Project

I contacted The Making Project who go to hostels (one for the homeless and one for 16-18 year olds) in Coventry and run art workshops. I volunteered in 2 different hostels helping with the art workshops, encouraging people to join in and chatting with them.  Although I don't think this is something I want to go into career wise, it was really inspiring to see art touch young kids or homeless people's lives even when they're not normally arty. It was something for them to work towards, something to distract them or bring them together and we creating a mosaic garden. It was also interesting to hear that Dasi, who runs the project, gets funding from the Lottery to fund her projects. Something to keep in mind for the future because who knows what project I will think of.

Life as a Freelancer

Today's PP session was thinking about life as a freelancer

Concerns

-Procrastination, I'm not very good at getting loads done from home

-Motivation/ discipline

-Loneliness, I like being around people at least for a bit of the day, if i worked from home all the time I think I'd go a bit crazy

-Would need at least a part time job to start with as I'd have no income from graduating

Shape of my working week

-I'm definitely a morning person

-After a few hours of work I completely lose concentration

-I would like to work from other places than home, maybe a studio

-Some days could be set aside for more admin/finance and others for practical work

Strengths

-Numbers/ money

-Organisation

-I like talking to people and I can be a leader or part of a team

-Photoshop, practical work 

Development

-I need to improve my procrastination and discipline

-My knowledge on contracts, money, taxes

-Where my practical work can be applied

Networking

-Need to join The Dots

-I'm on LinkedIn making connections

-Email people my work and ask for work experience? advise?

Where would I work

-Could potentially join a studio

-I'd need a better computer/scanner

-Would need a part time job for an income

Website

https://jennifermariewitch.wixsite.com/mysite
-I chose Wix to make my website on, I like the simple professional look and easy to use.
-The homepage is a stream of work that looks quite professional and easy to scroll and see everything, I think it looks sychronises well together as a body of work
-On the About page I added a couple of sentences on what my work is about and my process and I like the simplicity
-The Contact page shows my insta, etsy and email which is all my relevant details currently
-This website will be useful in showing an online portfolio of my work for any future employers
-Overall, I'm really pleased with my website and how it displays my work and I will continue to update it when I have new work to show

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-whitehouse-34712b17a/


This will be really helpful in graduating and making connections. I have been making connections with people in the creative industry and there are many interesting posts and jobs that these people post. These could all open doors in the future. I have found the job searching tool on LinkedIn also really helpful in finding out what other kind of creative jobs are out there because I didn't really know.

Etsy

-I set up an Etsy shop to sell my earrings that I laser cut and also some stickers I made. I have sold about 10 pairs of earrings on here
-Has been a good way to see the process of selling work online and also to make a bit of pocket money
-This is also good platform to get some work out there and also having a go to create a bit of branding with the logo, shop name and banner
-I could work on the professionalism of the photos

Goals

Today's PP session was about goal setting and thinking about the future. 

Who am I now? 

Enjoying the process of adding foil and glitter to dark and mystical illustrations. I enjoy drawing by hand but also editing digitally to create a clean and professional finish. I know I like drawing creatures, especially mythological creatures, and anything related to enchantment, witchcraft and forests. I think this work can be applied within spot illustration, book covers but also making prints to sell and be seen in exhibitions.

Ideas for future practice?

Ideally I'd like to be freelance but realistically I need a stable income and I won't be able to be freelance straight away, I feel I need to refine my practice still and this takes time. I could potentially be a teacher, maybe work part time as a foundation/ university tutor and also selling work/ freelancing in my free time. OR I would like to work for a creative company but I don't really know what as. 

Research?

I need to research what job roles are out there in the creative industries that aren't an illustrator to see what else I could do

What does my practice need to grow?

-Improved online presence, joined The Dots, LinkedIn, 

-Networking and connections

-Make more work I like, create a strong portfolio

-Take part in more exhibitions and print fairs

-Look into teaching qualifications

I went to a PGCE open day not long ago at Birmingham City University, I looked at the Design&Technology and Art&Design departments and it looked quite fun and I like the idea of a guaranteed job at the end of the qualifications in something that would be enjoyable. I spoke to a lady there who was really encouraging and positive. However, I think I want to have a go at being freelance or working for a creative company first and this is my plan B.

Girl Gang Leeds

Girl Gang Leeds hosted a print fair at Left Bank Leeds and this was my first time being a part of a print fair
- The process of applying, talking to Girl Gang Leeds, getting the stock and money ready was eyeopening and interesting 
-I had to think about everything such as about how to display my name or even having a table cover

-I didn't get much table space but I made it work and plenty of people came over to have a look

-Was encouraging to know people want to buy my work, made about £100, which has increased my confidence in my work and being an illustrator in the future

-People asked for a business card which I don't have yet so that's something to sort for my next print fair

Context of Work

Today's PP session was starting to think about what context my work would lie in, what area of work I am interested in and what kind of people I want to get in contact with or invite to the symposium. This list was from the group task of thinking about who to invite to the symposium. 

-Advertising companies
-Dr.Me
-Music promoters
-Art therapy/ community artist
-Retail companies/designers
-Editorial- magazines
-Printing company
-Publishers

Areas I'm interested in:
-teaching or part time teaching
-I'd like to teach art classes or foundation and above
-freelancing, own projects or selling own work, etsy etc
-working as a designer for company such as Regal Rose, Shop Dixi, Mary Wyatt London
-designing for alternative brands
-starting an independent alternative brand