Inky Goodness Make your mark Bootcamp. From the beginning to Week 3.
I am very happy to share that I have been selected and I am attending the Bootcamp at inky Goodness. I am so happy I decided to go for it despite my initial reluctance. I was scared of the first and the last part of the masterclass as it was about wellbeing and money and I was not really sure it would be something relevant. My friend thought the same initially and that was what put me off a bit and make me think a lot about it.
I am glad I trusted my instinct and I chose it for the rest of the course content and for the others super inspiring take aways. At the end of the day we can pick and choose what we really want to focus on and what we need from it in order to grow in the direction we want. We don’t have to choose passively and ingurgitate everything that is in front of us but we can deliberately pick what is worthy and useful for our path.
In the first M1 part of the course, for instance, the initial Habit tracker did not work for me and I decided to quit the one provided and keep using the one I tailored for myself after ages of trials and errors. I used to become physically sick to similar ones I tried in the past and I completely forgot how detrimental for mental health they can be instead of actually helping. We are not all the same and some tools are helpful for some people but unhelpful to others. Bullet journals with habit trackers and diaries can vary and be tailored differently depending on the needs of a person.
However the other activities were really helpful to scope again what was holding me back, where I need more support and what I should improve like ‘the growth zone exercise’. This was a good one and I think it is important to look at it every now and then with different eyes like I do with journaling. This exercise was helpful to see what I really need to improve in all areas of my life.
This is an analysis l started long time ago when, in an old sketchbook, I asked myself questions and I came up with interesting answers that shaped the current vision of shirokuro. It was very good to come back again to ask myself more questions as these were different and more targeted towards illustration, a topic that has been neglected for ages and that now needs to be reviewed and analysed again from different perspectives like purpose, market, clients, the way is displayed... These aspects were touched further during the Portfolio Review with Totally Reps. The last portfolio that was analysed was from a course colleague who is a graphic designer as well and had both design projects and illustration in one portfolio. He has been suggested to separate them into two different portfolios as agents might get confused and finally opt for someone that has one distinct personality and area of expertise.
After my long research on my own voice which I started ages ago, long before dedicating to this matter my own dissertation at LCC, I was not really sure what to think about it. However it was pointed out that everything has to be taken with a pinch of salt and that it depends on every individual person. At the beginning I was confused but I still believe in my vision. I am sure I will at some point review my portfolio again and this is just the starting point of something that probably will never be perfect but definitely it was very helpful to stop and see my website and illustration with different eyes.
It is so important to stop, think and analyse and I am sure I did it a lot when I planned my website and the way I want to be. I started already to listen to myself and shape my vision and find and accept my own voice. That s why I chose to build my concept around being UNAPOLOGETICALLY HYBRID. But I guess I I’ll save this rant for another blog post. I have to say this part of the portfolio review raised so many thoughts that I really might need to dedicate a separate flux of consciousness. Maybe a second part to my original dissertation.
After setting up our mindset in the next M2 we started diving into setting specific goals and visualise more in depth where we want to head to.
Reflection and analysis exercises helped a lot to visually and theoretically define ourself. This part reminded me a lot of what I was doing with Marie-Pier, my ex uni colleague at LCC when I started listening to her amazing podcast the ‘self-growth nerds’ and follow her instagram full of precious suggestions. She was an (amazing!) illustrator and now a life coach for creatives. Her podcast I think helped me a lot to free myself from the idea of dividing myself into either graphic design, illustration or tattoos and on the contrary, to embrace myself in all the different aspects. Thank you Marie-Pier from the bottom of my heart. This is just scratching the surface, imagine to actually do a course with her! My vision of my Shirokuro multidisciplinary project actually is a product of just listening to you. The mood board exercise here at inky goodness helped me to see that it might be possible and maybe achievable. One of the main Inspo of my Shirokuro studio is actually a Canadian (like Marie-Pier) space called Velour studio, where design, music and tattoos meet!
In the M3 we started attending panel talks and masterclasses with super interesting illustrators, designers, agencies and publishers. It reminded me a lot when I used to go to Nicer Tuesdays talks. My favourite so far was Marc Conlan. He gave super interesting tips on how to manage work from a mental health point of view and made me think that there is nothing wrong with being more human and vulnerable. Every single sentence he was saying could actually be a quote. I had to stop and listen again several times. That was actually annoying as he was too good! Haha
This module was focused on precious hints on how to find your voice and rediscover your artistic self. I liked to jump in the past and go back to where I was in tune with my illustration side, after I published the pop up children book and I went into mono print, I was living in Rome and I was attending illustration courses and workshops with famous illustrators after I graduated at Scuola Internazionale Comics in illustration. That s when everything basically started fading and that s where I have to restart from.
After taking my tattoo side back to life it s time to take the illustration too!
I forgot to mention that throughout all the course we have been given slides, reading lists, articles to read and we have access to an immense amount of current and previous talks and creative resources. Wow everything it s just a big Wow. Can be overwhelming as I have two jobs and loads of family stuff going on where my help is needed but it is also a good exercise to become more organised.
I m currently in module 4 and editorial illustration, diving into the Aquila brief, the first one in the course. So I stop ranting and start doing.
:)
