Unpack Your Practice

I found this ‘Unpack Your Practice’ sheet in my notebook which I had filled in a a while ago, I had obviously been feeling pretty lost with what I was doing because the answers are really vague and unhelpful. I decided to re-do it about where I am now as I feel this will be more useful to me. 

What do you do best?

Drawing, working with ink, adapting briefs to suit me, working with analogue media, conducting myself professionally, organising my time, staying motivated, being disciplined.

How do you work best?

I work best by myself. This doesn’t mean I never want to work on collaborative projects with other creative practitioners, I just think I would find it hard to collaborate with another illustrator. I often work at odd times of the day (and night) and I am my most productive when under pressure. Depending on the task, I sometimes work better when I am ‘dressed for work’ and have a change of scenery like going to a coffee shop or working outside. 

Where do you see your practice now?

It sounds weird to say it but I feel my practice has narrowed down and broadened at the same time. I feel like I am adopting more distinctive styles that I can comfortably work in but the potential functions and applications of my work are widening. I think this is a good way for this to be going, honing in on what I am good a practically and then expanding the potential of it will mean that my work will appear more versatile. The fields I can imagine my work in at the moment include product, packaging, pattern design, greetings, book illustration, and editorial. 

Where do you want your practice to be?

In the future I would like my practice to be split into two parts. I would like to be commissioned for editorial work, book illustrations, greetings ranges, packaging and maybe products. I would also like to have personally driven projects which would involve my own products, pattern designs and making prints of my work which could be sold in an online shop. I also hope to explore potential educational and/or scientific use of my illustrations, maybe working on projects for factual books or museums. 

How are you going to get there?

Send my work out to newspaper and magazines, publishers, submit work to greetings companies, research where I can get my own products made, keep my Etsy shop up to date, continue to promote myself on social media. Look at applying for jobs to financially support me through the times when I am trying to get work.