A look inside my mind

step inside my brain and see what makes me tick. Who I am as a person and a creative.

Challenging myself like there's no tomorrow

I am a very proactive individual, I thrive in fast paced environments. I keep myself moving constantly engaging in activities whether it be for personal development or social interaction. I study a degree in Illustration as well as attaining my two part time jobs, one of which freelancing for a large media firm. Alongside this I try to maintain a healthy work-life balance and partake other personal challenges regularly. I am an active member of my university lacrosse team in which I work with my team to face challenges. Personal development outside of work has always been pivitol to me, whether this be making myself well read, pushing myself physically in my sporting achievement or learning new skills. I have constantly worked alongside my education from the ages of 16 and my long and diverse CV history is evidence of my willingness to work and proactive nature.

University of Derby Women Lacrosse team celebrating our promotion

Art has always played a pivotal part in my life as those around me recognised this as a skill. My parents nurtured this skill and helped me to develop it further. Consequential my up bring was filled with workshops trying out a wide variety of art forms such as a summer workshop learning the art of Mosiac, collaborative murals for my local park, extra art courses at local collages, card making, textile workshops and so many more. My mother always partook in these experiences with me making them something I enjoyed possible motivating me to continue to develop these skills. I currently regularly attend a potter course in which I have learnt to independently throw a variety of pottery on the wheel and see this process through from start to finish. Recently I have also been learning the art of stain glass window making. I enjoy a challenge and I get a kick from the sense of achievement I feel after these workshops and after creating something I am proud of. I feel for everything I do my ultimate goal is to feel this sense of achievement. Each time I do something I want to do it bigger and better.

To better understand these personality traits I took the Myers-Briggs test to determine in depth just what these mean and how I can develop within my personal growth. I found this test of particular interest as in my life I have always been devided between my logical and creative side. This become very apparent my post 16 as I could not decide whether I wanted to pursue a career in environmental research or arts. I chose environmental research built all of my work experience around this during my time at 6th form doing placements and summer internships investing my time in environmental research and environmental consultancy. I was both enthrawelled by the arts and environmental sciences at this point. I choice to study Environmental Geography at the University of York. However, mid way into my first year I fell ill and had to defer the year and return home to recover. This time was key for me as I reflected on what I enjoy most in life and what would give me the most pleasure. I then decided that I such pursue the arts. This was not a decision I made lightly as I felt very attached and settled in York but knew ultimately, I enjoyed being art more. Therefore, I moved back to my local university to study something I was incredibly passionate about. The Myers- Briggs test seems to focus around whether you are a more creative or logical person which was a challenge for me to figure out myself as I feel this has been my lifelong dilemma! Another element of the test struggled with was decided whether I am a more organised or spontaneous person. I like to think I am organised and to some degree I am. I also get a thrill out of being spontaneous and deciding things in the moment, as I feel nothing can ever be planned out of things change. Evident from the impromptu career change.

My results? The detailed report from the myers-briggs test pinpoints my characteristics and value as those of an “Improvisor”. I agree with this and all the associated characteristics of this personality type. I thrive in fast paced environments and therefore I have to make decisions fast. I enjoy creating solutions to problems.

My skills have been acquired from a wide variety of experiences. My specific creative skills are detail, patience and the ability to reference thing accurately within my work. My feedback on my work often remarks the high level of mark making in my work and previous tutors have commented on my ability to create intricate pattern and line detail. I have been told my skill is drawing and therefore this is what I will continue to develop and focus on in my work. Alongside this, I have developed skills in papercraft and modelling. My papercraft skills were flagged up by my graphics design teacher when she pulled me out of class and said she would love to see my pursue this and strongly advised I take her graphic design course. I then developed this as I enjoyed creating paper mechanisms and then took an interest in origami. I have year worth of origami calendars in which you make piece everyday. I enjoy modelling things into shape as a discovered in the form of sugar craft. This was highlighted by my home economic tutor when decorating cakes and this lead me to win an award, further motivation to pursue this craft. I feel I am able to confidentially mould characters and creatures, this lead me to use other medias such as clay and wire to create figures.

My transferable skills have been acquired through many difference jobs, environments and interactions with lots of different people. I have always been a confident person which has enabled me to get lots of different jobs and build a bank of a large variety of experience and skills. The most important skill I believe I have learnt in communication. I began developing this when I did my award in verse and prose, a level 2 award in communication at distinction level. This developed my technical communication skills enabling me to speak both clearly and properly to be easily understood. The further development of this came from my more practical skills working in retail, consultancy and in bar work. I have been in my bar job for the longest and I feel I have been able to develop an ability to build up a rapport with customers. I feel I have been able to build friendships with regular customers and a good understand between ourselves. Another influence to how I communicate was working for my University in admissions. This job was delicate in the respect I would access applicants and let them know their outcomes, a job in which you had to be particularly understanding and tactful and the people I was dealing with were often very emotional. I learn how to deal with upset, disappointed and angry applicants.

I feel I have also developed a strong leadership skill, this was helped by my natural tendency to lead and confidence. In my current bar/front of house role in my local pub I often have to lead the team and relay information. Alongside this the team would look up to me to deal with any complaints or resolve any issues. I also often delegate responsibilities very logically whether it was in the admissions job, my pub job or one of my many customer service facing roles. This naturally came with the ability to do the above at a fast pace in these environments.

My personal action plan is to gain more experience in the creative arts as I have more transferrable than specific skills. I have already done several art jobs such as the role of graphic illustrator for my University. Which involved rapportage illustration and graphic design capturing ideas of the University of Derby’s Teaching and Learning conference’s seminar, symposiums and key note speaker. Visualising concepts and conveying ideas and information. I have also been asked to do caricatures and rapportage illustration at a University open day by the marketing team to enable myself to interact with potential student alongside building up a rapport. However I wish to gain even more experience within the arts so I feel total confident in my ability to free-lance. None of my experience has enabled me to understand or see the inner workings of how other creatives free lance or deal with any of the business side of their work. I believe this module at University will be a brilliant insight and fantastic opportunity to do just this help me understand how I can do this myself in the future.

The illustrator I am most desperate to contact in one I have been following and influenced by for year, Luke Dixon, creator of The Bear Hug. I have already began using social media to follow artists I find massively influential and interact with them through my own art Instagram. Potentially enabling me to build a rapport with them and hopefully gain some guidance. I am one of Luke Dixons 37 top fans on Facebook out of 14,000 and regularly comment on posts to hopefully get him to notice me. This again demonstrates my proactive nature as I have created social medias for my work. My art Instagram is the main device I use to interact with other creators, @emilyberesfordillustration. I also have a flickr account I use to get my work out into the world, https://www.flickr.com/photos/151186229@N02/. I plan to approach Luke Dixon to see if I can visit his studio and meet him as I feel his work is so extraordinary and influential, I feel an insight into his create process will allow me to develop further as a creative myself.

I am also largely influenced by the work of Mark Powell whose work largely influenced me through my 6th form work. From researching on his website he has what I believe to be an open studio which he encourages fans to visit. Therefore, I plan on visiting and contacting him to see whether I would be able to spend the day shadowing him.