This year I have continued to be engaged in the comings and goings of the illustration industry, and I continue to be thoughtful about my own and others' practice. Using social media I have been able to discuss these dialogues with friends and other practitioners, and it has been commented that I have a "thoughtful" approach to my work because of it. Sometimes there is such a thing as too much thinking though. Really it is about being self-aware of yourself and industry and doing the work. Sometimes it has even helped to be ignorant of others' work, to not let it influence my own, or to not get caught up in the conversation of others instead of my own. I am considering using my blog to write more long form than a few sentences on Instagram every so often.
On the one hand I regret not trying to get my name out there sooner, but on the other, I feel much more comfortable to do it with a fuller portfolio. As of yet my main outreach has been to potential editorial clients as a lot of my publishing / children's illustration work cannot be published online at this moment. I haven't received much feedback or responses, but I can only persist and do it politely. My hope is that attending shows like New Blood and the Carmelite Prize will allow me to network in a more successful way (in the least creepy way, they can't get away).
Participating in other smaller events, like exhibitions, Thoughtbubble and ELCAF coming up (as well as selling work online, the feature in FORGE Art Mag and a social media presence) has also brought an engagement within the community itself which, whilst also providing job opportunities, has also brought forward a community of creative people who I hope to continue to be a part of. It's reassuring, with the safety net of a creative university community about to dissolve somewhat...
Whilst I have a sensible amount of confidence in my work over the last few weeks in the Easter break I have struggled to understand its place in the world/ industry and I wish I had come to that realisation sooner when I could have discussed this more with tutors... However, the news from Carmelite restored some confidence in that it can be recognised at an industry level.
As time goes on, my interest in having a super commercial practice and a branded identity lessens. My approach to branding (physically) is to keep it simple and not try anything complex with what is a clumsy design hand. My approach to the *personality* I convey is to just be myself, but polite, and to not be afraid to continue engaging in discussions about (my own and in general) illustration, art etc. I have a sense of dread that if I think about it too much it will become bland or manufactured. I have observed it occasionally on the net, and it's a light touch of paranoia that I will seem "fake" (though I question how much that even matters). This said, I'm more than happy to do commercial work, I genuinely enjoy it. Illustration is a job, and it's important to remember that and just do it the best you can.
PPP has instilled a sense of reflection in me, and whilst I do look forward to not documenting it in such an academic way it is something that will stay with me and the way I look at mine and others' work.
