Holly Exley

I have followed Holly Exley's work for a while now. Although it is much more painterly than my own and we have different visual styles, I can see a lot of similarities between her practice and what I would like my own practice to be like. Her client list includes M&S, Voyeur Magazine, Lonely Planet, Chronicle Books, Stylist magazine and numerous others. Aside from her client based work, she also runs her own online shop where she sells originals, prints and products. 

Examples of her work in context: a food journal, an app about classical composers and a campaign for wool. These are examples of the broad range of applications one person's work can be appropriate for, I would hope that my way of working is versatile enough to achieve this some day. 

Holly Exley also has a YouTube channel where she discusses her life as a freelance illustrator and gives insights into her working day and advice to people who want to do what she does. I have watched many of her videos and find them really useful, especially as the information is coming from someone who has recently been in the same position as me. I particularly like the videos which are about a day in the life of an illustrator working from home as I can really imagine myself in that position in the future. 

One of her videos about what to expect in the early years of being freelance is particularly relevant to me right now. I noted down some points to remember...

• Consider a day job for steady money but choose it carefully. You don't want something too tiring or stressful that will mean you don't want to do any of your own work when you get home. It will make you better at organising your time and you also won't have the huge pressure to be making money from your work right from the beginning. Also, working a job you don't really like is a great incentive to really push your freelance career so you can quit. 
• Rejection or just silence from potential clients is really disheartening but you have to grow a thick skin. It's nothing personal but sometimes your work just isn't appropriate, maybe they don't have any work at the moment or maybe they don't have the budget.
• You will learn the most you've every learnt in the years after you leave university, about yourself and your practice. 
• People will take advantage of you if you have only recently graduated, they will think that you're desperate for work and will take less money. It's inevitable that you will make a few mistakes but be conscious of people who are exploiting you. 
• There will be a lot of confusion and self-doubt, especially if work isn't just falling at your feet. You will be asking yourself if you are wasting your time but the best thing to do is to keep working hard, then no time is wasted. 
• You will have times when you're feeling really inspired and you will discover how you truly work best in the real world when you are actually in it and not just in your university bubble.