Well, that’s it, I’ve finally designed a blog (A little on the simple side for now), I’ve created a schedule and I’m actually planning to stick to it! I promise I won’t make it too boring but I’m certainly not much of a writer, so if you do notice a string of bothersome ‘Z’s are floating around your bonce, simply waft them away and look at the pretty artwork instead.
Have you ever found yourself wallowing through life, hiding everything you do and create because your worried that you don’t live up to your own level of perfection? No? Oh, well That’s pretty much me in a nutshell, or at least I’m hoping it ‘was’. I reckon every artist I admire looks at their work and thinks ‘Uh, it could be better.’ The difference between us is that they weren’t scared to make mistakes in order to become better, whereas I’ve wasted a good portion of my life by fretting and not drawing anything incase, god-forbid, I draw someone’s eye at the wrong angle! Now this isn’t going to be a ‘woe is me’ type of blog, luckily I’m way too much of a naive optimist to give up and resign myself to working on a checkout for the rest of my life.
I’ve been a freelancer (a.k.a, unemployed) since I left uni, almost a year now (How did that happen!?). And I feel like my lack of progression during this limbo stage is due to the fact that I have no one to answer to anymore, no deadlines, no more creative friends to surround myself with, and I miss it so much! It probably isn’t a great idea to admit this stuff to an audience who may include future clients or employers but I’ve always felt like honesty is the best policy, and I’ve watched enough Simon Cowell based talent shows to know that people love a good rags to riches story. So this is me at the moment, 1 year out of university and I’m pretty much in the same boat I was when I left, only with less money, a cupboard full of baked beans and a throughly planned out to-do-list which should hopefully make me, A) Employed, or, B) A proper full-time freelancer, with money n’ stuff!
So, this is the basic plan…
- Become more social! (Online and offline)
- Draw like a child. (i.e. To have fun again, but without worrying about mistakes)
- Display my most consistent work.
- Learn how to self promote properly
- Acquire a job!
Now I’ve figured out what I need to concentrate on, the first 4 should be pretty easy. Number 5, as I’ve found out over the course of the year is virtually impossible, Only one person I graduated with has got a solid design job. But hopefully if I follow the plan it shouldn’t be as difficult, Fingers crossed!
Over the last month, as well as the blog, I’ve created a brand new, flashy website (www.leamonade.co.uk), I’ve updated most of my other online presences (Check out the links page for more info) and I’ve started becoming more vocal on twitter (@jammilicious) AND I have a facebook page (leamonade-art). I’ve also signed myself up to exhibit my work at ‘New Designers: One Year On‘ In London this July, which i’m now both nervous and excited about. I’m going into to London next week to have a chat about my space and meet some of the other …exhibitionists (??), I hope they’re nice!
Anyways, it hasn’t all been planning and socialising, I’ve found the odd time to stop being a pansy and start drawing again, I’d like to post some of the stuff I’ve been doodling but I think for my very first post I should show off something more complete. So here’s a painting I did of a guy called Barney who works for jellylondon. I’ve been pimping this picture out a lot recently so I hope he doesn’t think I have a crush on him or ‘owt, It’s just the first thing i’ve painted so far which I haven’t criticised to death! Perhaps that means the plan is beginning to work?
Anyways, till next time. Chow! x
Lea.
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