Hanbury Reflections

I was pretty nervous for Hanbury but I actually had a really good time. I think I was scared because we had spent so long talking about it and it being hyped up that I was worried I would ruin the opportunity with my shyness or something?
I was pretty proud of the personal branding items (trees business cards and Hanbury portfolio) I took down and the trip also coincided with a Hockney drawing exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery so I was able to go to that on the Wednesday woo!!

The talks from the panels were really interesting - especially to hear from 4 different fields - although this did mean we got quite a lot of conflicting information (eg work for free to get a good client name under your belt vs never work for free) but I guess this was to be expected with the different panels working within different areas.

The organising team worked so hard to make this happen and I'm v grateful for all they did to make the event run as well as it did !


BRANDING AND ADVERTISING - The Clearing & Ogilvy 

- talked about how the most important thing is problem solving
- they look at instagram to find people to work with - never really look at websites
- find agents frustrating, prefer to work directly with illustrator
- face to face connections are the best
- WORK HARD
- work for free to get a good name under your belt (I dont agree with this, goes against everything we've been taught on this degree)
- they like to be sent something physical - letters are more interesting than emails
- constant low level noise rather than one targeted communication is the best way to get yourself noticed
- learn to animate
- the ability to solve problems and think conceptually doesn't change with changing trends
- they go back to illustrators with flexibility rather than one very set style (he used the example of Jean Julien, great for one ad campaign but can't really use him again)
- problem solving is timeless
- role of the illustrator is to make complex things understandable


AGENCIES - Plum Pudding, B&A, Debut Art

- agencies take 30% commission
- their artists rely on them for the intel into the legal stuff
- bigger agencies like B&A have inhouse lawyers
- Plum Pudding do things like artist meet ups - sense of community, form relationships, make illustrators feel less isolated
- community is very important
- B&A represent 45 artists - all v different .
- they don't take on anyone with similar styles, respect the artists
- triple bids = when they as for pitch from 3 artists, choose favourite
- ideas are the most important thing
- CRISPY IDEAS
- B&A man said do at least a year of working it out on your own before you consider an agent
- B&A man also said he likes it when people ring him up for internships and stuff, too much happens over email these days


'PUBLISHING" - It's Nice That & Cicada Books

- Cicada is a small publishers - publish 10 books a year
- Jyni (its nice that) is a staff writer, she stopped doing freelance and started writing
- Cicada = like conveying information in interesting ways, they start from the story
- like it when illustrators come with a story
- they have a bank of stories and look for illustrators who fit these books
- Jyni found the its nice that job through 'if you could jobs'
- she also recommended 'lecture in progress' = platform for recent graduates
- she did a 10 week placement - turned into full time
- Cicada lady said that Chinese market for books is massive- esp non fiction like science
- Its Nice That have 2 contact meetings a week to discuss work theyve found
- Cicada lady likes brief communication - just a link to portfolio / PDF and a brief intro - she doesn't like hard copy material. Wants you tell her what its about quickly
- Its Nice That Graduates = work youve never seen
- publishing is small profit margins (she didn't really sell it as a career, it sounds scary)
- books are a set price, they never really change.
- Whatever the people at its nice that pitch, they write themselves which I thought was nice
- Its nice that do a 3 month rolling editorial assistant contract which sounds exiciting


PRACTITIONERS - Polytechnic, Tess Redburn, Shotopop


- Polytechnic did the 2013 Green Man rebrand!!
- Tess talks about how that now she has a full time job she just does her personal work on the side for herself which she finds liberating
- its important to have indulgent projects
- push other things in your skillset, be well rounded
- skill share
- working collectively is good
- diversity
- WELLBEING IS IMPORTANT



Overall I learned lots and it was a fascinating day. I was quite shy at first in terms of going up to people and talking to them, I felt annoying and awkward at the prospect of giving them my material, but I got better towards the end and realised they might be interested in seeing it and they wouldn't be here if they didn't want to be. My trees got a happy reaction which was great!!
I geeked out about the Green Man identity with Arthur from Polytechnic, he told me about how they researched a lot into old Welsh which was really interesting. I would love to do a project with them one day, and he gave me his card. Later at the pub he wrote down someone he knows called Jenny Broom who works for Magic Cat Publishing (Wide Eyed Editions) and he said they might be interesting to contact when I told him about my FMP project.
The women from Its Nice That were so so lovely - their job sounds wonderful, finding and researching into illustrators and creatives and giving them a platform !! The placement internship thing they offer might be something I look at in the future? They also told me about their Graduates programme and how its about showcasing new and exciting work, show off your FMP if youre proud of it kinda deal. So definitely going to apply for that!


It was really interesting to hear about people who have full time jobs in the creative sector, it all seems very appealing. I do want to be a freelance illustrator but the idea of having a steady job in a steady environment that is fulfilling and creative sounds great and something I might be interested in. I'm quite worried about the uncertainty of freelancing and the loneliness.

All in all it was just really nice to know that these people are just normal people, they're not intimidating and are all v lovely. I shouldn't be scared to network, its all just conversations about nice things and trees.

Also London was a nice trip and I went to a curiosities museum and saw Kyle Minogues poo in a jar and the biscuit crumbs of Bowie

Emma drew me bum