"Do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life…" by Rebecca Killen Ceramics

Do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life…I love this sentiment and truly believe it. I have been ‘working’ on Rebecca Killen Ceramics for over three years now and I continually feel blessed to be able to do what I love every day. But really this work started much longer ago at a time when I didn’t really consider clay to be a career. I found clay through a passionate teacher at school and have been learning about and exploring the material ever since. It was only through taking a year out during my Fine and Applied Art Degree to study business at a college in the U.S.A that I realised the possibility of combining these new found skills with my passion for ceramics. Fast forward a few years and I am delighted to be selling my handmade bone china products internationally and throughout stores across the U.K and Ireland.

Having made loads of mistakes along the way here are a few tips that might help in getting your work out of your studio and into the world:

Say Yes 

At the start of your journey it is important to explore different avenues to really understand which route is best for your business. Saying yes to opportunities that come up at the beginning will open doors and introduce your brand to new audiences. 

Seek Mentorship

After graduating I was successful in gaining a place on Craft NI’s ‘Making It’ programme, a creative business start-up scheme that provided participants with studio space and business mentorship. This opened up a network of makers including previous participants who had gone through similar experiences, their guidance and support was key in the development of my business. This was a structured scheme but it can be as simple as asking for help, seek out someone 5 or 6 six years ahead on the road and take action on their advice.

Test the Market

Whether it be through exhibitions, craft fairs or on social media it is important to get a grasp on what customers are drawn to and how much they will spend on your product. This gathered information really helped me to create a core collection before approaching potential stockists.  

Work with Stockists

Your stockists are incredibly valuable, listen to their feedback as they are dealing directly with your customers on a day to day basis. There is also the potential to collaborate with your stockists, this could include an exclusive range or a one off statement piece. This is a great way of challenging your practice whilst staying true to your individual style.

Say No

Contradictory to my first point but sometimes it’s okay to say no as stretching yourself too thin can be detrimental to your business. As business has progressed I have learned to trust my instincts and during busy periods only commit to opportunities that I will be able to fulfil with integrity.  

Images by Esther Irvine Photography

rebeccakillenceramics.com

"Defining who you are" by designer Emily McIlwaine

The way we spend our time defines who we are. It’s important to make sure we are putting our time into something we really believe in. For me, this can be described in three main points.

Identity

It wasn’t until I was in my early twenties that weaving found me. I had started a degree in textile art, but felt that I could neither be classed as ‘artist’ or ‘designer’. When I started weaving, the process was all consuming. There was something so fascinating about the rhythmic, meditative (some might say boring!) processes to weaving fabric that appealed to me. Identity for me means finding a career path that engages your head, hands, and heart. Once you find your design identity, immerse yourself in it! 

Community

The more educated and skilled in our disciplines we become, the more we encourage others to share that passion, and it starts the ball rolling for a fantastic support network to share ideas with. Supporting each other’s disciplines and business ventures lifts the standard here in Northern Ireland for good design and strong practices, bringing creativity and job opportunities further afield than just the big cities. For this reason and more, Blick Shared Studios is an excellent regional hub for creatives to meet, share and inspire.

Inspiration  

I find cross-disciplinary experiences stimulate creativity and encourage me to produce more interesting designs. It can encourage me to appreciate the skill needed to create something beautiful, functional and well designed. Most inspiration for me comes from fine art, or sculpture. Don’t be afraid to immerse yourself in something completely detached from your discipline; you might just break that creative block! 

instagram.com/emtextiles

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Heidi Sandstrom.

"Service Design, the human element and me" by Elizabeth Meehan of coffeenosugar

In ways Service Design found me. One morning I woke and realised my then job wasn’t right. It lacked creativity and I was a creative person; I was a problem solver, nothing brought greater joy, but the skill felt under utilised; I was an ideas person (I didn’t always want to carry them out but I always wanted to pass them on), and I’d always felt people were at the heart of everything. My then present day job did none of those things, not really or not enough.

So I set about doing all the usual things you tend to do to find the ultimate career option when it isn’t somehow etched in your DNA. Research had taught me to observe, to question, to reflect and I drew everything I could from it. The recession was an interesting time and there was lots to learn. I started noticing the gap between the customer experience and business owner perspective; the focus on the intangible elements and how it was overlooked. And despite the fact that we were in the midst of an experience economy the human element was more often than not missing. I knew consumer tastes and needs were changing and their increasing demands would only be satiated with the design of great experiences that embellished the human element: Service Design, i.e. the process of problem solving by designing with the very people who will use the service, addressed so many problems in a practical, resourceful way. I knew something was needed because people are complex; one persons experience and expectation would not be the next, and transition from the goods economy meant huge challenge for businesses having to respond in a completely different way to survive into the future. 

But as sure as I felt, I had doubts, including the receptivity here towards design. As a child my father would berate me for paying attention to ‘frivolous’ things, like ‘design’, and urged me to focus on the practical. Which I later realised, in ways represented the attitude that was embedded in our culture towards design. The result, we were blind to it, but Service design was all about the human element, blending all the things I wanted in a career; a sense of meaning, purpose, challenging problem solving, creativity and design, so I took the bold step, which felt bold given the endless times I was asked the question, ‘eh…what’s Service Design then?’

I doubted myself, until I realised that just because someone hasn't seen something you have, doesn't mean it isn’t important, or that there mightn’t be a career there. All decisions come without guarantee. So, this leaves me with three things to share;

1. Sometimes it’s important to trust yourself above others, sure, by all means do the research and check the need is there, but then go for it.

2. Use all of you because it will bring you most happiness. Life’s journey is all about finding ourselves and expression.

And

3. if your passion is design, now is a great time, because thanks to the hard work and commitment of Blick Shared Studios, design is growing here and one day the goal that design is embedded in the fabric of our day to day lives, will be a simple reality.

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Find out more from Elizabeth at coffeenosugar

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Photograph by:

Luke Chesser

"Seeing the bigger picture in the day-to-day" by Hunter Paper Co.'s Emma Jackson

I’ve been working for myself now for 4 years, firstly as a freelance illustrator after graduating from a degree in illustration, and for the last 3 running my own stationery and greetings card brand, Hunter Paper Co.

Hunter Paper Co. originated as a side project while I was freelancing and quickly gained momentum and became my full time business. It took a while to niche down to what was really selling, find a consistent brand style and also tackle learning the business side of things, but 3 years on from officially setting up the business I feel like I’ve really found my flow and I’m beginning to strategically plan ahead more and more.

It’s so easy when you’re building a business, especially if you’re doing it on your own to get caught up in the day-to-day. There’s so much to get done, you want to say yes to everything and the to-do list never seems to get smaller! So I thought I’d share some tips of what I’ve found helpful in planning ahead and thinking strategically.

Look at the year as a whole

I usually do this at the start of the year, I mark into a diary or a calendar big work events in the year, even if they aren’t set in stone. That way when I have those big events in mind, I know they’re on the horizon so it probably isn’t a great idea to veer of course too far in the months leading up to those big events. I also highlight calendar events such as Mother’s Day, Valentine’s etc, which play a huge role in my business, so if something like this could boost your sales it’s worth paying attention to them even a few weeks before.

Prioritise on a daily basis

It’s easy to get into the studio in the morning and just start working on the most exciting thing or the thing you’d like to do the most. If there’s a big project looming though this procrastination can have a huge knock on effect. Write a to-do list of just 3 - 5 things and put them in order of priority. This gives you a little bit of structure in your day, when there’s really no rules - sometime you’ve just got to be the boss and discipline yourself.  

Do your accounting!

I have to admit, I’ve only really learnt the value of this in the last few months! 🙈  If you’re on top of your accounts you can plan ahead with confidence and stress a whole lot less! It’s also given me a little extra motivation, I’ve set income goals and I’m driven to reach them each month rather than just producing work and seeing what sells!

Make it visible

In the run up to big events in my business, like a trade show for example, I draw it all out and pin it to the wall in front of my desk. I draw out a calendar and cross out days to remind myself how quickly time is passing and I don’t have time to browse facebook! I also put floorplans for the show, or design drafts or to-do lists up on the wall in front of me, so everything is easily accessible, and it also reminds me to keep the final goal in mind in everything I’m doing.

 hunterpaperco.com

"Starting up your own business" by Katherine McDonald of Katherine McDonald Illustration

With May fast approaching I’ve realised it almost two years since I graduated from Belfast School of Art. To all the students graduating soon and to those pursuing a creative career, it can all be a little overwhelming. I remember being on a complete high and then what? I actually hit a bit of a wall. I didn’t know what I was expecting to happen but I knew I had to make the most of the big ball that I had began to roll. 

Having no commitments and the freedom to explore, I literally threw myself out there. It wasn’t easy but little wins make up for all the rejections. Sort Design initially took me under their wing, collaborating with them to create Sow, Grow, Munch by author Jilly Dougan and what a little gem of a project it was! I was feeling super lucky to be able to illustrate with an amazing company and author on a project I was very fond of. From there I went on to collaborate with the National Trust and Mid & East Antrim Council on little dream projects and I even got the opportunity to part-time lecture the Foundation year Illustration students at Ulster University Belfast who were amazing and something I wish to pursue in the future. In between commissions, I also worked at The Creativity Hub, as I was curious about studio life and working within a team setting. Needless to say I loved that too. So it was a difficult decision to make, when you’ve explored and worked with so many great people, how do you channel all these great experiences?

"Full-time self-employment was an exceptionally scary thought – I wanted to work for myself but just didn’t know how."

The suggestion “why not work for yourself?” had been advised to me many times before, much to my dismay. I haven’t a business bone in my body! Full-time self-employment was an exceptionally scary thought – I wanted to work for myself but just didn’t know how. So when I applied and was successfully offered a residency at Blick Shared Studios I was delighted. Just what I needed to kick start my little dream. Initially a little shy and not having the confidence to do so, I was so lucky that this opportunity offered me the chance to test the water and my only regret is not starting out sooner! As well as being mentored, it provided me with an inspiring space to focus on commissions and personal work, as working from home proved a disaster, taking procrastination to a whole other level! So it hasn’t all been plain sailing but how else do you learn? It changed my whole perspective, with social media playing quite a big part in it all. So it doesn’t matter if you live on this small island of ours. Anything’s possible!

I love the randomness of it all. I’ve slowly found my way into illustration and like so many others I’ve learnt on the job. Experimenting between digital and traditional techniques, I like to combine digital collage and back to basics painting depending on my mood and the commission. Inspired by the simplicity of everyday life, I love to tell a good story with imagery.  

"Just do it. Keep it simple. Quit procrastinating and comparing."

It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race and it’s not for everyone but taking the twisty route can be enjoyable to explore if you can hang in there and persist. It takes an incredible amount drive and energy to keep your inspiration alive and materialise your ideas. Essentially, there’s no right way of pursuing a portfolio career. Just do it. Keep it simple. Quit procrastinating and comparing. Socialise even after a long day’s work, as there’s lots of potential commissioners and collaborators out there if you go look! Less doubting and more doing! And enjoy it all.  

www.katherinemcdonald.co.uk

_katherine_mcdonald