SB1 - Hanbury symposium

The 57 Symposium Event

Things I am taking away:

BE UNIQUE
Do things that other people don't do
I think that I am quite unique and this is what I am struggling with, where I fit.
My work definitely doesn't follow trends (I am bad at having people I aspire visually to which means my work is very authentically mine)

GET YOURSELF OUT THERE
I spoke to Big Active and he said that my market is very niche so play on that:
Find fan pages and send my imagery to them and the bands themselves
Take some really nice photos of them on display
Have copies that could be sold

BEING POPULAR 
I have never been a particularly popular person in general, everything I do is quite unusual and not generic. This forms who I am. It also means that I dont have many followers on instagram and things like that because my work isn't "trendy" and appealing to everyone but it is what makes me unique.

COMMUNICATION
I think I am quite a good communicator. Yes I am dyslexic but it just means that I communicate in a different way. I like the power of words and I love interacting with people. Following what Anthropologie said, something I need to work on is being confident in uncomfortable situations. In Leeds/art school I wear flares and consider myself quite chatty and confident however when I am in a job setting or even back home in my small village I am much more reserved and self conscious. I need to work on having the confidence to be my true and colourful self in all situations.

DON'T HAVE TO BE AN ILLUSTRATOR TO BE A CREATIVE
I don't think that when I graduate I want to be a visual creative. The talks have really inspired me that there are ways of being a creative through supporting other creatives. I just need to find the right role and place for me.

LONDON
Also the whole experience of London was great. I was quite apprehensive about the trip as I know London is exhausting. It was exhausting but in a very inspiring and intense way. I realise that it is definitely not somewhere I wish to live ever. My health (ME) would never hold up but it is less scary doing short trips in the future.

PUBLISHING

NoBrow - Sam Arthur
Cicada - Ziggy Hanaor
Hachette - Sophie Striker

Selection Process:
Nobrow
-Have an acquisition meeting once a month (propose projects and persuade publishers elements) drafts of a whole book or 2/3 pages and cover
-Back and forth for a while first
Cicada
-Have an idea first and then find an illustrator that fits the style
-illustrators that catch their eye
Hachette
-search through magazines, postcards, instagram and agents
Always looking

Open to new ideas, a lot of back and forth
No harm in sending things through
* the more places you are seen, the better the offs*
Being active is a very good things
Peoples personal network and personality is important to do the promotional things around a book contract like teaching and being on tour.
With submissions if there are elements or they like but its not quite right for a current project they save the work
Only smaller publishers will get back to you but just because they dont reply doesnt mean they dont like, they just dont have time
It does get passed around the creative team
Get a THICK SKIN to face rejection
ORIGINALITY and being DIFFERENT are important
Entering competitions is a good way of getting noticed because the publishers view all entries

Who do you want to work with and why
Make sure your works fits before sending in, be realistic
Be PERSONAL and THOUGHTFUL as this makes a difference

Publishing Decisions:
Nobrow - adult publishing. More difficult to earn as there is a smaller market
Flying Eye - children. sell rights in many different ways, publish faster so more turn around

Marketing is very important
Produce things that work
Dont produce concertina and umberella books (difficult to mass produce and sell)
They are popular at artisan book fairs and festivals
Format is important and they do make mistakes
Have to think about what fits well on the shelves
*Spine is important* Need to be able to find the books therefore stapled zines dont work well
Bookshops like formats and sizes that they know work and they have a place for
Being experimental can be good but it is expensive
Publishers tend to have aesthetics that they like and they stick to

Submissions:
Physical work can be very impacting and memorable but always follow up with an email
Can get attention but dont reply on
If small they look for PDF only - hard to reject expensive samples
Physical copies pile up, what do they do with them?
Need to be able to send samples on digitally to rest of team wherever they might be

They do give 2nd chances
There are many variants as to why a book might be unsucessful
Happens so often you need to just move on
If you bring a pre created book to a publishers you need to be open to collaborating and unpicking
Need to be with a publisher you trust
If youre pushing back youre not likely to get signed again
Its a very collaborative and listening process
Everyone is a stakeholder

Important skills:
-Dont be afraid to look to the side/around to other options for jobs
-Be easy to work with and a nice flexible person who is good at COMMUNICATION
-Follow publishers that you like and network and opportunities are more likely to pop up


RETAIL

Anthropology - Nicola StLouis

Aims:
An immersive journey through the store
Sell investment pieces that are exciting
Take a trend and give it a twist
Keep store relevant

A department that reaches out and researches designers in the US
Go out and about to research in the UK
Find people that are a good fit for their vision
Don't have a product design office in the UK but are very open to freelance collaborations

Inspirational Quotes:
'Creativity is borderless'
'Know who you are and be comfortable communicating this outside of your comfort zone'
'Everything you ever want lies on the other side of your comfort zone'
'Be guided by your own authenticity'
'Open your eyes and mind'

Copyright:
Some contracts artists buy prints outright
Other deals some get a cut of profits
Negotiate at start

Gets inspiration from travel
-India (how light can affect colour, artisanship)
-Independent stores (more experiential)

The stores evolve throughout the seasons and 6x a year window displays

Important skills:
-Versatility
-Multidisciplines
-Passion
-Work ethic
Picked on skills that she had developed through other work and experiences
Communication is the key
How do you conduct yourself through challenging times?
Put time into learning what you dont know, teach yourself to be better

Sometimes because of the the creative vs commercial relationship you have to reimagine and refocus

ART DIRECTION

Greg Burne - Big Active (graphic design, music and illustration agency)
Ruby Boddington - It's Nice That (projects and events)

Help artists represent and market themselves
Help develop and find clients
Keep an eye on new talent
There is lots and lots of mentoring before use for projects (eg. 2 years)
Agents can be a good in between (saying NO)

Not interested in your CV just your artwork
There isnt a conventional way of getting into the industry
Ask for feedback even if not hiring
Hound people!
Thoroughly research behind the scenes
The Dots creative job search engine

*Try and do what other people aren't doing*
Use media well - print based imagery has slowly eroded
Unlikely to take on illustrators that create still imagery
MOVING IMAGE
Think about *the future of what a canvas is*
Want to see work that they have never seen before
FRESH
*Do the unexpected*
Dont follow trends and styles
Do what is true to you
Develop your voice
NEVER sell out

Want influencers as well as creatives
Want the art to be an experience as well
Apply your work
Collaborate?

Not crucial who you know but it is helpful initially
Internet means it is easy to reach out
They use instagram a lot in the industry
Use the # stream function
Younger generation are the supasors
POPULARITY is very important, self promotion

Be proactive
Document work
Make sure everything is professional and smart looking - scanned and properly photographed
Explain your artwork

STUDIOS

DUSK - Mike Crozier (tiny)
Ogilvy - Matt Nankivell (huge)

Love making all sorts of things
Art Direction is good because it involves ; ideas, solutions, working with a range of mixed creatives, working on multiple very varied projects

Worked in a small studio first to understand who they operated
Started creating the company before leaving old job

Agents take 30% cut of pay check
Seems a lot but saves time, guarantees work, makes you visible and you have time to work on the projects

Freelancers:
Pull freelancers to work with
Cost more to hire than an in-house designer but you can get from all over the world
Find by following over time or searching specifically with something in mind
You are working for a client
Sometimes lots of freedom but sometimes you have to submit to their vision and what the client is paying you for 
TASTES VARY
Clients have to have a consistent personality/brand
What type of freelancer? work at home?

What are your ambitions?
What sector of the industry?
Do self initiated briefs to fill gaps in your portfolio
Find your thing
Be DISTINCTIVE
Show what you enjoy and what youre good at

Illustration applies to every industry
Say YES to opportunities

Project Structure:
Initial sketches/roughs
Presenting styles, colours and moodboards
yes/no
coloured sketch
yes/no
development
yes/no
final image
edits?

Clients follow trends - proven, guaranteed success
Don't jump on for the sake of it
Don't lose your creativity
Apply findings
Trends move fast

What is the clients purpose?
money?
genuine?

HAVE A BACK UP PLAN

AGENTS

Ben Cox - Central Illustration Agency (CIA)
Sam Summerskill - BIA
Chloe Morgan - Plum Pudding (children)

Finding:
The algorithm on instagram makes searching bias
Design festivals
Students/fresh talent (catch right time, mentor)
People seem to want to commission youth, under 25
30 emails a day, lots of copied work
1ce a month find work they like!!!!
ORIGINALITY
Be as diverse as possible
Recommendations by clients
Agents raise awareness
STAND OUT
*Make it so that you HAVE to be commissioned because no-one else can do what you do*

Agents were match makers now curators, cutting through average imagery
Don't control the projects, just advise
Copied into all emails
Not involved in creative thought process
Connect client with creative
Act like a parent hearing both sides to the story
Email chains:
Admin - client + agent
Artist - artist + agent
Creative - client + artist + agent
Telephone/video calls./meetings/human contact is best
Emails can be read wrong
*Be a nice, hardworking human*

Update websites!
Use instagram as a professional scrapbook, showing development of projects
Keep up a personal practice a long side jobs to keep passion alive

Get some work experience! People will help you if they like you!

Helping people develop their potential rather than doing themselves is very rewarding and creatively fulfilling
Gained an art school background even if you dont want to be the artist. Have knowledge of the language and how illustrators think