online presence

I've already established something of an online presence so plan to keep going with the tumblr and instagram I already have. I'm trying to make my tumblr a little more formal, but it's not a portfolio so I'm still uploading fun little sketches etc. Personally I think the best instagrams are those with a personal touch, so I use my IG as a mix of pieces, sketches, and things I've found/ think are fun. It gives it a little personality. I have twitter but don't plan on using it in a professional sense, so have made it private. Twitter has been useful for me though, and is how I have met a lot of other practitioners.

Name dropping is weird and I've had friends google themselves and find themselves on this blog (hello if that's you right now)(Marianna) but seeings as PPP is after us making contacts...? (cringe)

I mostly get to know people when they've just graduated, I'm not sure why or how but graduates are keen to get around! I had illustrators Marianna Madriz and Wai Wai Pang stay over with me here in Leeds whilst they were here for Thoughtbubble. I've also met others through the internet and later events such as Thoughtbubble and ELCAF, like Lottie Puncheon, Lucie Ebrey, Jonny Clapham, Harry McKenzie, Lucy Haslam, Seekan Hui, Lizzie Houldsworth...

All these people have provided me with some excellent top tips regarding arts education, graduation, the illustrative life in general but are also very nice people!

Making friends with illustrators has been really helpful but if I'm really going to be schmoozing I should probably go after art directors and publishers too. Schmoozing is weird though I hate the idea of it and I think the people being schmoozed do too. Just make friends to be friendly!!

I have also begun making a portfolio website through Cargocollective as mentioned before. I am hesitant to set it up fully and advertise myself a lot through there because I don't feel that my actual portfolio, work wise, is there yet.

http://cargocollective.com/mollyfairhurst