End of module evaluation

This module has shown me how challenging and but also rewarding it can be to gain contacts and get start your foot into the industry. It is very nerve racking sending emails, post and packages out to international, national studios and art directors. But I have managed to start getting over that initial fear and just doing it, and starting to do this also spontaneously.  At this stage in our careers we have nothing to lose sending requests and self-promotion out to potential clients and not getting a response back. Also, not letting that nock your confidence. I managed quite quickly to develop a thick skin for this which I was surprised at. My thinking is that you send work out the either through email or physically there is a chance they will see your work. Weather they respond or not is there choice but even if they don’t, because of that message or post you might be on their radar. In the vast majority of people, I have contacted there has been that much response back but it was a lot more than I anticipated. I didn’t expect to get an internship at Print Club London. It felt like a stab in the dark trying to work for them, but I am relived and so excited that sending a physical letter and work got me this. Also getting a reply and invitation from an artist who has illustrated a popular Harry Potter book and is working for one of the top publishing companies in the UK. But the hardiest places to get responses form are international industry professionals. Thinking about how to contact frenchforch was the most challenging, given that English is not their first language I had to take into consideration which language would be best to use. I decide French for the title and then English for the rest of the email. If google translate was 100% reliable in translation, then I would have put the words through it but I thought that this was too much of a risk so decide to stick to English.  

At the start of this year however as part of a personal project relating to context of practice I decide that I wanted to work with a group of people who were directly affected by a significant political and or social issue. This led me to get in touch with the Refugee Council in late July, August with a proposal for a series of workshops I could run with the clients of the council. We had meetings and collaborative discussions about the project, and throughout the time things where changed, adapted and added. In the end, it was a positive project that benefited both the council and its clients. I gain invaluable experience with working with a small part of a national charity, but more importantly working with a group of individuals who are highly vulnerable and lack confidence in being within a new society and learning how best to offer them the opportunity to be part of activity’s that promote unity within the own community. Also with the support of the university for the younger participants introducing them to the prospects of studying all sorts of different subjects at further education.

For the independent side of my practice however self-promotion is something I thought I would find difficult. Some parts I do for example having to write biographies about myself and my practice. However, I have surprised myself with how ambitious I have been with the people who I have got in touch with. This has increased my confidence quite a bit and I am starting to become more bolder and getting to grips with the best methods in which to do this with. After talking to several practitioners from not just illustration but textiles and advertising too, I am going to schedule in mail out days, where I just write a load of letters, get prints together and send them off. This so far has been the most effective way of getting in touch with people.

Overall this module has made freelancing less an intimidating prospect and one in which I now believe I can do, and it has highlighted my goals for the future. In the next 5 years my aim is to have strong contacts in publishing and editorial sectors and work towards hitting the big names I want to work for, New York times , New Yorker , Guardian and Folio. And also have my own make shift print studio.