Having done a few interviews with some of the speakers, I was lucky enough to be given a free ticket to Offset this weekend. A design conference of epic proportions, it provided lots of food for creative thought, and also kind of made me wish I studied VisCom/could draw better/knew how to make vector shapes.
- Always make face-to-face meetings. Infinitely more productive than faceless emailing.
- Go back to square one. Don’t just build on the examples before you – re-imagine your brief from the very core.
- Having a sense of humour is good.
- Take a different perspective.
- Find a style, and keep it consistent. Be adaptable, but always put your own stamp on it.
- Even if commercial work is steady, always work on personal projects to hone your style, add variety to your approach, and exercise your own, unmediated creative impulses.
- Digital illustration is great, but working with good ol’ fashion paint is way more fun. It’s good to do both.
- Social media works, but use it effectively. Use it personally and socially, as well as professionally.
- When it comes to blogging platforms, it seems WordPress is king (even though I’m still in a Blogger rut – I may be moving soon, though.)
- Take on as much work as possible, but always make sure you’re comfortable with it. Know when to say no.
- Formal education isn’t essential. Experience and practice is.
- Simplify.
- Evaluate everything around you – in the words of Olly Moss, “Learning from your own mistakes is good, but learning from other people’s is better.”
Rosa Abbott is an arts, fashion and culture obsessive originating from Yorkshire, England, and currently living in Dublin, Ireland. On top of being a student at the illustrious Trinity College, she is a freelance journalist, writing for a number of Irish publications, and also edits the visual arts section of entertainment magazine Totally Dublin.
When she’s not up to her eyeballs in writing, Rosa works as an assistant to stylist Aisling Farinella and volunteers at various art galleries. Her musings on life, style and art can also be found over at her blog, Too Gallant.
