We had the fantastic opportunity to attend a networking event put on for us by the careers and employment service. We were able to tailor the networking event to suit our own interests. I selected to visit the table with children's book illustrator Pippa Pixley as my priority. I also chose to visit the table with the director of Quad to discuss opportunities for students there and alongside this I went to the Wild Rumpus table where they were telling us about there festival and set design voluntary schemes.
The most beneficial meeting of them all was with Pippa Pixley and Karen Logan, a freelance artist and creative. I got chatting with Pippa and was telling her about how I'm scared to leave University and worried about getting work. It was really refreshing to her Pippa's perspective of being in the industry and I left my conversation with her feeling a lot more confident about being able to find work and commissions post university. One of my burning questions for her was how does she secure her commissions as she has illustrated several professionally published children's books. Interestingly her response quite surprised me. She gets her work through networking, that bit doesn't surprise me after my interview with Ian Morris, but its primarily through twitter surprisingly! Not the conventual way so I asked how that works. The explain to me how she networks on there so she will follow and show interest in publishing company's and any kid of children's or youth society that are likely to publish a book aim at children.
She explained its a give and take platform so she will share a companies tweets to show that she is interested in the company and the work they do and then in return companies will generally sharing her tweets too. They will begin exchanging like for like and eventually build up on online rapport, I found this really interesting as this is how I have tried to network but I assume to best social network platform to do this over would be Instagram. I assumed this because Instagram is more of a photo sharing site which I assume would be of more interest to artists. However, after listening to Pippa Pixley talk, I assume twitter is a bigger platform for businesses and as their the ones likely to commission work, you have to follow them to the platform that they are most active on. Also by sharing tweets from companies it shows more of a commitment to them as opposed to just liking a post.
Speaking of twitter, a member of the careers and employment service asked me if I would do a quick interview for twitter, so I said yes because firstly I thought it would be fun and secondly, its all good exposure to get my name out there! They linked my twitter account too which was good. However, sadly I don't really use that account so its not very developed therefore I didn't manage to gain any followers. It was also a good experience as I know the events funding may be cut for next year which I think would be really sad as I think it's a very beneficial event for students. The people that came to the event all had exciting opportunities on offer or great advice. I'm the student rep for my course so therefore I really wanted to push the event and let people know how successful and useful the event was from a student first hand.
After speaking to Pippa and Karen I followed them both on Instagram and I was thrilled when they both followed me back! It was really lovely because I felt like I really got along with both of them as the table was rather quite when I got my opportunity to speak to them. I was absolutely thrilled when Pippa commented this on my work!
She was even so kind as to offer to answer any other questions I may have about working freelance if I send her a message! I also realised yesterday that the screen print class my mum had been attending was Karen's. My mum told be about how that workshops she was doing were with National Lottery Funding for Derwent Valley Millsand therefore I may message Karen or maybe drop into my mums workshop with her and ask her about how she went about getting funding for projects like these!
Action Plan
Continue to like and comment on Pippa's Instagram and maintain her as a contact
Take Pippa up on her offer if I do have any questions I want to ask
Visit or message Karen to see how you go about accessing government funding for projects
Get more involved in local community art with my mum
Create more of a social presence on twitter, follow publishing house and authors that interest me and connect with them!
Continue to actively network on social media