- money- how much will I be making? Will part time job give me enough to afford rent? Will I be able to manage working this part time job and still have time for creative work and to develop my own practice
- how will I manage my time? I need to learn more about scheduling
- keeping in the loop and up to date with current events in and around Leeds once I've left university and am no longer around people my own age in the creative industry
- getting inspiration and continuing to make new and exciting images- where will I get inspiration/ motivation from when I'm no longer being assessed?
What is the shape of your working day/week?
- work from home
- usually have a to-do list at the beginning of each day, including stuff I didn't get done the day before, urgent things etc
- admin in the morning- answering emails, texts, instagram messages etc (this allows me to follow up later in the day with anyone who has replied during the course of the work day)
- creative after admin- commissions and urgent work taking priority, once these are finished either completing any personal or self driven work or general sketch-booking and idea generating
What are your strengths- practical skills/ management/ people skills etc:
- being reliable and getting tasks done on time- this has led to repeat commissions from people I've worked with before who know I can turn a project around in a short amount of time
- social media- posting regularly and being engaging with my audience, using polls and stories etc
- networking- I have good community links such as Girl Gang and other local creatives- this is a good way to stay on top of creative events happening locally and getting involved, finding commissions etc
- idea generation- I'm very rarely stuck for ideas and am pretty self motivated in my own practice. More often than not I have more ideas for personal projects than I do time in which to complete them as usually commissions have to come first
What do you feel you need to develop:
- a steady income at first to provide a financial cushion
- a stronger working schedule and routine- planning my weeks and months instead of just day by day
- a part time job based closed to where I live- this would mean less time wasted on travel and more time to be productive
- a better method of organising my schedule, maybe putting it all on one google calendar or in a big diary? something cohesive that has all the years events blocked out in it
Networking: identify and contact a minimum of 10 people who will potentially be useful to you in the future:
- Kristyna Baczynski
- Molly Lester
- Roar Agency
- Leeds arts university
- Girl Gang Leeds
- Kaz Scattergood
- Creative Debuts
- Sara Pintado
Where are you going to be working and what do you need to buy/ prepare for the future career:
- at home- Chapel Allerton, Leeds
- a bigger desk with drawers and shelving
- storage and organisational space for Etsy stock- easily accessible so I can see stock levels etc
- an Ipad- update my digital drawing style and make it look cleaner and more professional, plus be able to take it on the go with me- trains, work etc
- apply for loans and grants- Princes Trust, small business loans to help out with start up costs
- internet- to post work online and communicate and network
- better display and organisation methods for art markets and events- card stand, baskets etc
Keeping sane: develop your wider support network and skill swap:
- Girl Gang- get more involved with the organisation side hopefully
- friends from uni
- other local creatives
- look at attending life drawing and other creative events locally to make sure I'm around other creatives
