Throughout this module I have picked up some very valuable skills and learnt a lot about life as an illustrator; for me this has probably been my most successful PP module as i've taken full advantage of the advice and opportunities I have been given. Through visiting lecturers and professional talks I've gained an insight to the creative industry, and I've learnt how diverse the meaning of being an illustrator can be.
Something I found personally to be a huge success was Print Stuff, the print fair I took part in in York as part of a collective, OK Sure. OK Sure is a collective made up of me and four other illustrators from the course, and it has been an extremely positive experience to be part of this; I feel our individual practices differ massively but also compliment each others, and I felt lucky to be surrounded and supported by such amazing practitioners. I found that especially during the print fair it felt a lot less daunting having the support of the collective. The print fair itself was also a really positive experience not just for us as a collective but for me personally; I found it really inspiring seeing other illustrators work and it was a good opportunity for me to talk to them about what life is like as an illustrator after university. The conversation I had with Marcroy Smith at Print Stuff was one I found particularly useful, and he gave me a lot of advice about my practise and the creative industry in general.
Pushing myself to get my work out there has also been something which has effected me positively. In the past I have lacked a lot of confidence in my work and in all honestly I think my practise has only just fallen into place; feeling happy with the work you are creating makes it much easier to put it out there for everyone to see. Something which was slightly out of my comfort zone was the Instagram takeover I did for a manchester based publication; I posted 6 pieces of my work on their account alongside captions about me and my practise. This was a really good opportunity for me to promote my instagram account and reach some other creatives I wouldn't have done otherwise. Instagram in general this year has been a really useful tool for me as an illustrator. I have made sure to post more frequently and think about the content I'm posting a lot more. I love how it works as a mini portfolio of work, and you have the ability to reach a huge creative audience. Beach London posting some of my work on their account has been another helpful aid in gaining reach on my account, and it also gave me a lot of confidence within my work.
Taking part in some exhibitions and showcasing my work to the public has also given me a good opportunity to get my work out there. This is something I said I wanted to concentrate on at the start of the year, and showcasing my work at The Old Red Bus Station in Leeds and the Fossgate Social in York has lead up to some potential commissions and sales, which shows they have been worthwhile and important for me and my practise.
Dealing with clients this year has been helpful as well as slightly disheartening; I've learnt that it's not always an easy road and there are going to be some set backs along the way. For example, the fact that many people often expect you to work for free/a small fee has been quite difficult; but it's made me realise how difficult being an illustrator can be, but also more determined.
This year I've also tried to further my professional practise by creating a website, which looking back is something I do feel like I should have done sooner. After researching other practitioners websites I decided I wanted to create a simple yet interesting looking website, with clear links to different parts and making sure I included all relevant contact information. I think my online presence is a strong visual representation of my practise as I've tried to stick with colours which can be seen frequently within my work. I'm pleased with my website and I think i'll feel a lot more confident when I'm applying to internships/jobs being able to show it. I do need to remember it's a work in progress though and to make sure I don't put anything work up i'm unhappy with for the sake of it.
My practical work progressing over the past year, and finding out ways of working I love, for example screen printing, has massively effected me as an artist and consequently had a positive effect on my professional practise, giving me confidence in myself as an illustrator. I never thought I'd feel ready to leave university, but this course and this module in particular has shaped me into a confident practitioner who is excited about what the future could hold.
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