Finding Your Place
I'm all for a 21st century fluid career, in fact I relish it, being able to control where you flow to and from, being in control of who you are and being able to evolve or completely change direction when you want/need to. After the passed few years we all have to be more adaptable and fluid, my friend Henry Gibson from Engine was recently telling me about the theory of no longer building businesses, or indeed buildings, on strong foundations, but instead both should be built for flexibility, no longer having the restriction of their own rules and traditions, instead they exist more naturally and more able to adapt with the times, the environment and the economy.
But with all this flowing and fluidity, how do you ensure you don't float out to sea, what could you do for an anchor when you need to stay put? In the passed few years, without any plan or aim to do so, I found an anchor, something that holds me steady and stable when the world around us turns tumultuous. I’ve always enjoyed working with a variety of people in a variety of industries, the music world, coffee, car production, furniture designers, educators… but nothing has brought me as many commissions as the world of healthcare and wellness. If you want to see more of this work you can check out my Healthcare and Wellness portfolio, but also, read on…
Client: Sleep School
Like I said, I didn’t set out to drop anchor here, it just happened that I was getting more and more clients in those sectors. My work was appealing to those clients more than others, it seemed that my illustration style simply suited their requirements perfectly. In hindsight, it would be nice to be able to say I set out to do this, I developed a style that I knew would appeal, but I can’t take that credit. I can, however, look at where my illustration style and portfolio is, and consider what is ‘right’ about it, in order to attract more work in this enlightened industry. I bring an air of optimism to visuals, the graphic and geometric-nature of my illustrations makes for a simplicity often required when tackling difficult subjects. My work is not overloaded with emotion, I prefer to portray clarity and get across the required information or tell the required story. I have a good use of colour, often with some warmth, that I think people find inviting as if to create a safe space to be welcomed to.
Client: CCMSA
And as ever with the career of illustration, whatever you put out there you’ll be asked to do more of, so every time I add a healthcare project to my portfolio, there’s a chance that a potential client will approach me with another. Of course I’m more than happy to build more and more relationships in the health and wellness world; it’s positive, it’s full of clients out there doing good things and it’s a thriving, lucrative industry right now, from veganism and nutritional health, to mental health support and improved sleep programmes. This industry feels right for me. Personally, as I approach middle-agedom, I’ve been looking at my own mental and physical health, fixing areas of myself now before it’s too late, so I feel like I’m on my own journey in this industry while I work with clients who are supporting so many others on theirs.
Client: Well Now
And as for you? Well, if you’re an illustrator looking for a safe anchor to drop when the waves are rocking the boat, find an industry you can use as a base to attract more commissions, allowing you to take risks elsewhere in your practice perhaps. Consider your portfolio, what’s it saying and who does it agree with? If you consider the tone of your illustration work, which industries or individual businesses does it align with? What functions does your work serve, and who could be in need of such brilliance? Good luck on your quest!
Finally of course, if you’re in the healthcare or wellness industries and would like to work together, check out my portfolio here or get in touch!
