After completing the past three years I finally think I understand what I enjoy, even if that is broad and I have to succumb to the idea of being a generalist. Bianca Ansems cemented this for me because it showed me that from her work as a storyboard artist / illustrator / animator director she can still be successful without fulfilling one role within the industry. Aside from my working developing a lot since the beginning of the course, I also think I have chanced as a person - or at least my attitude to my work has changed. I went into the course hoping to work as hard as I could and in a way prove to myself that I could achieve things without any other incentives than from myself.
I think my creative skills lie in storytelling, world building and in a more practical sense, illustration and specifically in the animation terms the pre-production stage. I enjoy the design and enjoy taking ideas and creating tangible works such as designs, illustrations that form the basis of media. My plans for the immediate future are to of course continue developing and improving the skills I mentioned, and in terms of establishing myself and a career, the freelance option seems like the best for me given my current circumstances. I think this will give me the best options in terms of learning and developing as a professional, but also building a portfolio simultaneously so that if a permanent or semi-permanent position does arise, I can use this professional experience combined with my portfolio to apply and maybe get it - not against getting a position in a studio. Difficult to say what will happen, so keeping different options open.
Aside from working freelance doing illustration / animation etc. I want to continue to write, whether this be through competitions - for myself or in an attempt to get something published. I have looked into being published in online publications and there are a lot of opportunities. For writing as well, there is the Leeds Writer’s Circle which is held every week and is a social event where writers have their manuscripts critiqued. There is also the writers guild, another support network for writers.
Aside from this, there is of course things I want to do that perhaps wasn’t available for me to do for either financial or time reasons for example, seeing new places and having new experiences that may also inform different aspects of my work. - life experience is often a contributor to the quality and imagination an artist can put into their work. Specifically about the options to freelance, it seems quite common knowledge at least to the people who have gone and done it, that one of the best ways to get freelance opportunities is to network in the sense that you form relationships but also do good work, so that people recommend you or rehire you. And of course, something else that Bianca Ansems said was in reference to way you speak to people and the way you handle and conduct yourself so these are things to consider when attempting this type of work.
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