You are Here: Hanbury Hall 26/01/18

Key Points of Reflection

An obvious point was made clear to me, in that everyone depending on their role, have different perspectives on the future and development of the creative industries. For example, Greg Burne from Big Active sees a decline in the use of instagram as a promotional tool for independent artists, whether Nobrow and Its Nice That identify it as one of the primary ways they source new talent. This just underlines the importance of adjusting how you represent and promote yourself to your own personal ambitions, there is no set step-by-step guide to being successful or creating opportunities. 

One common point of discussion, however, was that agents and clients alike look for someone with personality, passion and a unique approach to visual communication. Many of those who spoke, particularly agents, valued the ability to generate original ideas over style or technical ability. Ricky Richard's talk particularly resonated with me, especially two  points he made: one concerning your input influencing your output ie. if you look at less generic visual references outside popular culture your creative output will be more unique; the second he talked about emphasised the importance of using your time effectively - will labouring over your online presence really bring you much opportunity, or is it best to email someone you want to work with everyday? I would say, going back to the previous point about tailoring to certain industries, is that it depends on who your looking to work for - your personal ambitions. 

Something I have definitely taken away from this experience is that there are many more creatively satisfying jobs other than being a freelancer. I could see myself working within an agency or for an online blog such as Its Nice That. I also think starting from this point, in which I would be able to network with clients, art directors and other leading practitioners, I will put myself in a much better position to then become freelance in the future. In light of this I would like to start looking at possible internships such as for Its Nice That or Penguin Random House.