Creative Futures 2 - Thursday 5th March

There and Back Again: An Animated Journey: Susan Young

William Aston Hall, 10.00: Susan Young is an animator who makes very dynamic animations and films. They are all about the movement.

William Aston Hall, 11.00: Most of what Susan had to say didn’t really interest me or apply to me and she showed a lot of her own work. However some things I have taken away from her talk were: You should feel your way through your drawings, let your emotions lead you; and art and design can be political, but it doesn’t have to be overly or overtly political.

Illustration to Tree Carving: Simon O’Rourke

Catrin Finch Auditorium 1, 11.30: Simon specialised in Children’s Illustration when he studied at Glyndwr, but struggled to find his own style at the time. While studying, he took up a job as a tree surgeon and then it became his full time job after university. He then tried tree carving and now does commissions for people for thousands of pounds.

Catrin Finch Auditorium 1, 11.50: O’Rourke suggests that if you have days where you have no work to do, use them to produce work for charities and other people, get involved in competitions. All of these are a great way to get your work out there and testimonials from other people are more powerful than ‘bigging yourself up’.

Getting Started, the First Steps on the Road to Turning Professional: Mike Corcoran

John Troth Lecture Theatre, 13.30: When you are starting a business or turning freelance, there are certain things you need to think about, according to Mike Corcoran:

• What do you want to do?
• Start with a solution, most businesses solve a problem and every solution you can think of is a business opportunity.
• Think about what services each of your skills allow you to provide.

• Who do you want to do it for?
• Who are the customers?
• How much would they be willing to pay and how often?
• How should you present yourself to them?
• How is the best way to contact them?

• How much do you want to charge for it?
• What can customers afford to pay?
• What do they expect to pay?
• What do your competitors charge?
• Would you earn enough to make a living?

John Troth Lecture Theatre, 14.00: When you are happy that your business is viable, you should register for self-assessment with HMRC as soon as you can after starting the business. This means that the government knows that you are working for yourself. You should also make a formal business plan, as it will:

• Help to make your plan clear for you
• Help to make your plan clear for others
• Help to secure funding and support
• Help you to set and achieve goals
• Help you to anticipate problems
• Help to spot opportunities
• Help to make better decisions

John Troth Lecture Theatre, 14.15: Finally, Mike Corcoran leaves us with some top tips and advice:

• Don’t stop learning: even after university, go to courses, seminars and conferences. Expand your repertoire. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and learn from others.
• Keep good records: keep a record of what you earn and spend and keep all records backed up.
• Create a business environment: you can go into ‘business mode’.
• Find opportunities and don’t wait for them to find you: Network, volunteer, meet potential customers, talk passionately about your business and work.
• Take it one step at a time: stay focused on the dream and you’ll get there.