I sometimes find it difficult to put a lot of thought into what I want to do in the future work wise. Maybe because I try to avoid pigeon holing myself wherever I can. Maybe because I have broad interests, not only within the creative industries but just in life in general. I don't believe that a creative person should ever put large, sweeping labels on their practice, especially in today's world.
Pigeon holing yourself as a creative is a thing of the past in my opinion, and can limit your potential. I have noticed that when I tell people what I am studying BA graphic design, their usually react in one of two way. The first is usually positive, but always followed by a question like 'What do you actually do?' and things along those lines. The second type of response is usually less positive and pretty dismissive. I have seen first hand the consequences/reactions of pigeon holing my practice as a student, I dread to think what it will be like when I am a 'professional' practitioner.
My wish list/'goals':
To be happy (in what I'm doing) - I think that this is probably a dream that everyone shares to some extent. I have included it because I want to be happy with I am going to be doing for probably the rest of my life. I want to work in a place which requires me to use my creative skills, where I am challenged and kept thinking, where I produce work that fulfils me as well as others.
To produce conceptual work - I appreciate any form of artistic expression that is conceptual, that comes from a place within that has a lot of meaning. Otherwise, what is the point. I accept that I am going to probably have to do a lot of 'graphic design' that has very little conceptual meaning in my life in order to survive and earn money. But, I really will aim to produce work that has a lot of personal meaning, work that communicates my character and creative style well. That to me is what great visual communication is about.
To produce amazing poster, editorial and promotional work (should I chose to work in a design studio/agency) - At this point in the course, I have a rough idea of the areas of Graphic Design that I am interested in, and also the areas I am not so keen on. I know my interests and strengths lay in poster design, editorial design, leaflets, promotional collateral and so on. So ideally, these are the types of things I would dream of designing once I graduate and begin looking for work. I know that I am not keen on packaging, branding or logo design as such, but these are skills that I want to get under my belt anyway to be as rounded as possible.
To get away from digital (sometimes) - I really enjoy using analogue techniques and processes to produce work, and I know that I could get really good them with continued practice. One of my biggest wishes I suppose is to work somewhere that shares a similar passion of analogue processes. That is important to me. Analogue is experiencing a revival, and I think its a very positive revival. Perhaps in the future, analogue techniques will become just as commonplace in design studios as Macs are now.
To try not to pigeon hole myself as a 'creative' - the days when you used to be able to get away with just calling yourself a 'graphic artist/designer' are long gone in my eyes. Admittedly, there are plenty of creative people around today who refer to themselves solely as graphic designers, but I don't really see the point in doing that. Before starting the course here in Leeds, I had never studied graphic design as an independent topic, but the interest was always there. I have broad interests and an even broad skill set, so pigeon holing my practice as a creative person just doesn't make sense. It is a goal of mine to be known as a creative person rather than just another 'graphic designer'
To try to never take everything so seriously and have fun with what I am doing - this is something I try to do on a daily basis, but sometimes struggle with. I am a natural stress head, and I over think things more than I should. However, one thing I tell myself to do, especially within the realms of the course is to not take everything so seriously and to just enjoy what I am doing. After all, if you are not enjoying what you are working on, the work will reflect it. It is a dream of mine to get satisfaction from my work and I see this happening if I remain true to myself and to not take everything I do so seriously, all of the time.
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