RiseCreatives

The Kilkenny Arts Fair takes place from the 7^th – 16^th August and two of our members Eily O’Connell and Sabrina Meyns will be exhibiting as part of the Workhouse Studio. The Workhouse Studio which is based in Waterford was set up in 2008 with the support of Waterford VEC and the Crafts Council of Ireland. Currently, the Studio is home to a talented mix of jewellery, textile and glass designers. Their exhibition takes place at Red Aesthetic Gallery, Kilkenny.

I came across this the other day. I realise the deadline has passed but there is a rolling recruitment so it may be of interest to some of our members and readers. The Wieden & Kennedy ad agency in London is opening up a creative school called Platform this September. They are looking for people from the arts, sciences and new technologies disciplines. Successful applicants will be paid to work on Wieden & Kennedy client projects. This on the job training will teach applicants to work to tight deadlines and budgets as well as generating creative ideas and working with a team to build on these ideas. More information on how to apply can be found at platform.wk.com

At a graduate show last month I overheard a conversation where someone asked the dreaded question all students hate “now that you have graduated what’s next?” There was a moment’s silence before the student replied, “I haven’t though that far ahead”. As a graduate you have spent months getting your final show of work together and now that it’s all over you are out in the employment market, competing with everyone else to get that job, studio or commission. What do you do next? How do you get yourself and your work noticed. It can be a very daunting experience but there are a lot of avenues you can take. A number of publications produce guides to help graduates get themselves noticed. I have put together a list of the most common suggestions.

1.    Get your work online.

Websites should show your work.  They should be clear and easy to navigate. From what I have read there are a lot of conflicting views on people using their website to show their design and technical skills. If you are lucky enough to be able to design and create your own website some articles suggest that you do not try and show everything that you can do so much so that you end up with a website that is flashy, distracting and hard to navigate as this does not show your true abilities. Other articles recommend that you use your website to show your technical skills – but they all agree that you should keep the balance right.  A good way around this is to show smaller projects of work that demonstrate your technical skill and leave the website clear and easy to navigate. The design of your website should enhance your work and not distract from it. Take time to consider what you will show and then present your work in a coherent manner. Keep your about/profile simple, clear and concise but make sure you list your education, awards, exhibitions and work experience.  It is important to keep your CV updated and it is a good idea to have a pdf print version. A pdf version is better than a word document as it retains its fonts and text formatting when viewed on other computers.

2.    Research your area of interest.

If you would like to approach an agency for example it is very important to research the agency, their clients and the work they do thoroughly. Do not just send out a generic letter. When you do contact them it is your chance to show the research you have done. Your first point of contact should be a telephone call to find out who to send your letter and details to. It is important to get the spelling of their name correct. Once you have sent your information make sure you do a follow up call or email within a week of sending your letter – but don’t pester!

3.    Join community portfolio website groups like RiseCreatives.

Community websites help your work to be seen by more people. Visitors, buyers and potential employers may be coming on to the site to see one member and then take the time to look at the work of other members. There are a number of free portfolio sites but be careful they often rely on advertising to generate an income and ads may appear in the middle of your body of work that can be distracting to visitors.

4.    Create a blog.

This is very effective when used alongside a website and is becoming very popular for creatives. People use their blogs to explain and demonstrate their skills, creative design process and to talk about their latest projects. Comic illustrator Declan Shalvey uses his blog to document his work for graphic novels and to show his latest illustrations while also having his work on a portfolio site.

5.    Join social networking groups like Facebook and LinkedIn.

6.    Contact magazines and newspapers to let them know about you and your work. (Members of RiseCreatives can download an article on how to write a press release from our members area). Writing a press release is a good way to let print media know about any awards you may have received or exhibitions you are involved in. They are always interested in newsworthy topics.

7.    Self-promotion.

 If you are working on a piece of self promotion be sure to invest sufficient money and time in the project.

8.    Build a database of contact names in Excel.

Keep in contact with people, send thank you notes if applicable (personal touch is always good), and let them know of updates to your website or portfolio site.

9.    Finally, be patient, not everything will happen straight away, be passionate, be original, and be hungry – keep researching and learning new skills and techniques!

Don’t Float Away is a quirky questionnaire aimed at getting graduates and students to think about their self promotion. One of the main avenues for promoting work is online.  A number of years ago it was sufficient just to have a website. Unfortunately, that is not the case today. Online promotion is more than just having a website. You need to use a combination of tools to get yourself noticed. For example, being part of a community-based creative website will help with your search engine ranking especially if the site actively promotes itself through online and print media (just so you know we at RiseCreatives do that!). Also having a blog and being part of social media groups like LinkedIn and Facebook (join us on Facebook) and self-promotion through print media all help to get people looking at you and your work.

Our posts over the coming weeks in this category (don’t float away) will look at how to get yourself noticed after graduation.

“Cracks appear after months of continuous rain”

Organic Geometry – An exploration of form in Contemporary Irish Craft

I was in Kilkenny this weekend to visit the Craft Gallery latest exhibition Organic Geometry. Over 20 craftspeople took part in the exhibition, which focussed on the idea of repeating patterns of growth in the natural world.

Jewellery Designer Rowena Sheen a member of RiseCreatives had a number of pieces at the exhibition. One of her designs pictured here uses silk, Vilene, silver and polyester thread. It was absolutely stunning. I just wanted to take it out of the display and try it on. According to Rowena, “she uses the process of folding to create a three-dimensional form with a life of its own. She then takes these forms and applies them to the human body, attempting to take advantage of and manipulate their potential for movement to complement the movements and form of the wearer.” Both pieces are beautifully designed and appear to be an extension of previous work created by Rowena. To see more sample of her work visit her web space www.risecreatives.ie/rowenasheen

Other work at the exhibition included an amazing cabinet by John Lee titled ‘Farraige’. Inspired by the sea this bespoke piece of furniture made from white oak, lime and leather made me and other visitors just stop and marvel at the beauty of the piece. Jewellery by Debbie Paul and delicate ceramic artwork by Mary Neeson were just some of the other work on show. The exhibition runs until the 12^th July.