Hopes, Fears and Opportunities

At the beginning of the new term we were asked to write a short post in regards to our personal hopes, fears and opportunities regarding the future. 

Hopes I hope to create work I'm pleased with, to produce a successful portfolio and receive good feedback from it. I hope to be proud of my work, get it in print, and see others enjoying it also. I'd like to improve my confidence in regards to talking and meeting clients - presenting my work and selling my skills to employers. I'd like to establish my standing within the community with a good website, identity and professionalism, and naturally I'd hope to receive a fair amount of commission work over the next couple of years to continue this and progress further. I also hope to achieve, explore, develop and maintain my own personal style to give my work the consistency clients request. I'm finding this more successful by the use of my critical journal. Lastly to have a standing that enables me to have enough say in the work created, to do the work I enjoy  - be granted a freedom with my work.

Fears like most people my biggest fear is not being good enough, sinking into a sea of an over subscribed job role and not being able to project my work or self. Having to give it all up and work in an office somewhere. Comparison - when I try to see my work against other people's, I fear that I'm not good enough and find it difficult to picture my work being used for anything professional. I see people far more talented than myself without work, working in a different department entirely. Presentations and meeting clients are still a part of this pathway that scares me. I fear when accepting a job - not being able to complete it - either due to time or in the standard they want, not being able to satisfy the client. I'm afraid of the uncertainty of my future as I will be relying on finding work. I fear illustration becoming too serious, stale and over worked for me due to complying with certain clients wishes or dull briefs.  

Opportunities To share my work with others, receive feedback and help. To participate in live briefs - to gain experience and a better understanding of timescale and requests. To see the work of people around me and be inspired and encouraged to continue to push my own further. To debate and seek opinions and thoughts of my peers when needed. To explore my style and apply different techniques and produce a portfolio with a range of work to suit clients needs and preferences. Becoming accustomed with exhibitions, and reaching out within the community to make an impression.  To be given a freedom in my briefs to explore and satisfy my illustrative interest.