Endings and Beginnings

"For last year's words belong to last year's language.

And next year's words await another voice.

And to make an end is to make a beginning."

(TS Eliot)

IN A NUTSHELL
Well it's been quite a while since I sat here and wrote. Around 26 days ago I finally came to the end of my journey as a student of design and illustration. I think that the first week after finishing was one big let go as I allowed myself time to rest and regain my strength for the journey ahead. The next week became a planning week - figuring out what my next step was. I decided on the following things:

1. Illustration is my passion, my focus, my growing skill and my dream. I will pursue this until I can make a living off it (and then keep going).
2. See number one.

But to work as an illustrator full-time is a tricky business (see any three of my interviews with Melbourne illustrators at the end of last year for insight into this!) 
Interview with Andrea Innocent 
Interview with Laura Wood 
Interview with Elise Hurst


TRYING TO FIND AN AGENT - Staying patient!
A week before the end of completing my studies I sent off my portfolio to a selection of illustration agents. I have been continuing to send off folios to agents every week since then. Most of these agencies suggest that the volume of portfolios they receive every month is more than plenty. Due to the high numbers of hopefuls they suggest not to expect any feedback or even to hear from them unless they wish to represent you. This kind of hopeful waiting is comparable to my former career as an actor. After going to a casting/audition there's a window of time where I used to be hovering around my phone waiting. After many years of working (and not working) in that industry I became more relaxed about it with the notion of "if it's meant to be, it's meant to be". This action of letting go was not an easy one. But at least it's prepared me for this silence and reminded me to stay patient. 

REDBUBBLE - T-shirts and more!
In the meantime I have decided to just keep working on my craft. Gathering my supplies, making networks and creating my own opportunities. I figure the more seeds I throw into the soil the more chance of a harvest (and being able to pay my rent!) I opened a Red Bubble online shop so that my work might be available on t-shirts, hoodies, phone cases, cards and stickers. At this point I have three designs available on the Red Bubble. Check them out here: Lou Endicott - Red Bubble shop

FREELANCE - Wearing shoes at home!
Last week I decided to really go full time with this freelance life. So every day I have been waking up and getting dressed (including putting on shoes) and going to my home office. I have been making lists every day and ticking them off as I go. I have been lucky enough to drum up a few clients - through online channels and word of mouth. I am working on a logo/branding design for a corporate consultant who works to help people find presence and confidence in the workplace. I have also created a logo and business collateral for a young Mum up in Qld who is launching a kids lunchbox business. I also volunteered to design a poster for a charity fair to raise funds to build schools in Africa. And I am donating prints to this fair to be sold to help raise funds. 

Here's a snap shot of my "boss" - my cat Ruby.

MAKING A PICTURE BOOK - I do!
And I'm illustrating my first book! Well, it's not really a "book deal" as such. It's a one off piece in the style of a children's picture book that a client is going to present to his girlfriend when he proposes to her in a few months time. The book contains stories of their journey together. And I get to illustrate them. It's a small business deal but the stakes are high!  It's also a great tester to see how I work with a writer and their ideas. To be given the precious contents of a person's story with their soul mate is an absolute privilege. To be entrusted to create the visuals is a lot of fun - but big responsibility!! Let's just hope his girlfriend likes the book and she says yes! Here's a rough thumbnail of one of the illustrations:

APPROACHING PUBLISHERS - Crossing fingers!
Last week I was given a hot tip that the publishing house Scholastic were looking for manuscripts for children's picture books and also for illustrators! This of course had me LEAPING to the computer to redo my illustration portfolio and rework my illustrations to show just what I could do if I was commissioned to make a picture book for children. All my fingers were crossed when I sent that email out into the ether I can tell you! 

A little under a week after sending out the portfolio to Scholastic I decided to send a manuscript in as well. Three years ago I had a dream of illustrating children's books. I wrote my own book and even did a little mock up with illustrations.  I sent it off to friends and family for feedback. I wrote and rewrote the story over and over. I then enrolled in a short course to learn about illustrating books for kids. And three times the course was cancelled due to lack of numbers. I shelved the book and went back to my life before at the end of 2012 making the decision to study design formally. So last week I dusted off my manuscript and wrote and rewrote it again until I was happy with it. Then I sent it off for consideration. I have a feeling that manuscripts take even LONGER to be considered than illustrations. The illustration on the right I drew in 2011 - feels like an age ago! But the dream is still there….


This process reminded me how much I love to write. I write regularly for a music blog and review music, interview people and generally promote new artists. (if you are interested see here: It's My Kind of Scene - music blog)
I have been writing for this particular blog for the last year (as a love job - not a paid job). So I guess that writing has become a part of my life almost without me being aware of it. 

SUPERGRAPH - Prints still for sale!

On Valentine's Day weekend earlier this month I had my first professional art fair showing. I had three illustrations up on the 
walls at Supergraph Contemporary Art Fair. And those three designs were available for sale in A4 print form. It was so amazing to be there on opening night walking around the Royal Exhibition Building here in Melbourne and feeling like I was a part of the industry. My favourite part of the night was walking past my work and then seeing a couple pick up the little slip of paper and pencil in front of it and write down it's details - that's one sale there!

 There are still prints available on the Supergraph website. Check it out and share it around! Prints for sale - Supergraph website

DRAWING - everyday!

Of course with all of these opportunities and little bits of joy and lots of handwork I have been drawing every day!
I think though, I have written enough here for today.
So with this new beginning I am ending this post for today!

With much creativity and heart.
Lou

Interview with Laura Wood

"I started doing this work later in life.. But I wasn't happy and one day I decided to change my path because I realised I couldn't do a job where my heart wasn't there. So I allowed myself to dream again and for the first time I let my heart choose instead of my brain…" (Laura Wood)

I recently had the utmost privilege of asking three exceptionally talented Australian illustrators some questions about the industry and their own work. 

In the answering seat for my second interview is Melbourne illustrator Laura Wood. Earlier in the year while waiting for a friend at a cafe I was flicking through a magazine. I came across a striking illustration that fascinated me in the way the illustration managed to tell a story in one single frame. I took a quick picture on my iPhone making sure I could read the illustrators name. Later I went searching online to find out more about the artist behind the picture. I ended up finding Laura Woods blog and Facebook page. After following both of these for a few months one day I decided I was brave enough to write an email to her asking for advice about the industry. The advice I got was invaluable. Recently I contacted Laura again and was delighted when she agreed to be interviewed. 

ABOVE: The picture I took of the editorial illustration that led me down the path to discovering the wonderful work of Laura Wood.

First of all congratulations on your new book ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” published by Ladybird. How did you manage to become the illustrator for this new book? How long did it take to illustrate?

I was lucky enough to work with Ladybird Books thanks to my agency, Good Illustration. When they offered me the gig, I was happy to accept the job, which was also my very first book project. 

From start to finish, it took me a couple of months, but not as a full time job.. in the meantime I was doing doing other work and finishing my diploma. 

You are a member of Illustrators Australia – a not for profit community of illustrators that includes access to events and online portfolio sharing. How does an organization such as Illustrators Australia assist you in your career?

For a freelance illustrator like me, Illustrators Australia is a good reference point able to provide support and exposure. 

Also, being involved in such community is a great opportunity to meet other people that share the same passion for illustration. 

Does having an illustration agent greatly assist you in helping you find work? And if so, do you have any advice on how to approach illustration agencies for representation?

So far, having an agent for me has meant getting work and recognition from bigger and more prestigious clients. 

However, I think it's still essential for me to keep promoting and actively looking for work by myself.

To approach an agent, I would recommend to send a quick and polite email with a link to your online portfolio explaining the reasons while you're contacting them. If they think you two could work together, they will contact you back!

Where do you think the main opportunities for emerging illustrators lie? Is it a matter of creating your own work or do you think collaboration is key?

For me it's all about creating my own work. But everyone is different and what works for me it might not work for someone else. 

So I believe the main opportunities lie in the things we find more comfortable doing. 

Within the world of design agencies are illustrators sourced regularly or is this usually an in-house job?

Mmm... not really sure. I haven't had lot of experience with design agencies so I can't really say. 

ABOVE: Illustration by Laura Wood while she was still studying. 

How did you start your own illustration career? What drew you to this as something you wanted to do for work?

I started doing this work later in life, after already having started a career in a completely different job. 

But I wasn't happy and one day I decided to change my path because I realised I couldn't do a job where my heart wasn't there. 

So I allowed myself to dream again and for the first time I let my heart choose instead of my brain...

What challenges do you think Illustrators face in a contemporary market place?

One of the challenges is for sure the fact that it's often not easy to get the economical recognition our work deserve. This is often because clients don't know how the our industry work and how much our work is worth.

Also freelancers have to face the challenge of running a business. This means they need to deal with tasks other than drawing and illustrating, such as managing money and marketing. 

Do you think the digital age has made it easier for illustrators to get their work out there?

Yes, absolutely. I truly believe thru the internet we have now the possibility to put our work under the eyes of creative directors all over the world in matter of seconds and without spending a cent. 

I think it's fantastic. 

What do you think the future of illustrative print publications might be? Is it a shrinking medium due to the computer age or do you think that printed works are in fact becoming more treasured pieces?

I'm not an expert on the matter, so I can't really predict what is going to happen in 10 or 50 years about print publications. 

However I think books and print products will always keep a place in our lives, no matter how digitalised we get. 

My hope is that the digital market and the print publications would coexist and be two different and complementary possibilities for illustrators. 

The above illustrations are from a brand new interactive app illustrated by Laura Wood "The Three Bears and Goldilocks" available via iTunes. 

To follow Laura's journey and to get updates on all her amazing work and projects check out her blog: Laura Wood's Blog or her web page: Laura Wood Illustration