(Drumroll please…)
Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to formally welcome you to… MY BRAND NEW SHINY WONDERFUL BLOG.
TA-DAH!
I’ve not decided to start this blog on a random whim. Oh no. This is part of a plan. A wider plan for excellent and exciting things.
You see, 2018 is a year of investment, innovation and change for me and my illustration business.
For over a decade now, I’ve watched my client work flourish and go from strength-to-strength… but last year a few things made me realise that it was time for the actual business itself to enjoy a bit of TLC and attention.
So that’s exactly what it’s getting. I made a plan.
I didn’t just have a quick think about the business and jump on in. Instead, I took my time. I talked to other people, gathered up their ideas along with my own, and then I sat down and really thought about where I want to take things.
That research and thinking time paid off. It meant I could put together a firm plan for the future, and also some exciting ‘extra’ ideas too. As a result I’ve got a real feel for where I want to be heading.
All that was left was to work out what I needed to do to make all that happen (and then do it).
Making it happen is about more than just investing money. Money is a part of it, of course, but putting in time is just as important, and so is finding the right people to take along on the journey with me. I’m loving it!
This blog is part of the plan.
Shaking up my marketing and bringing it back to life is definitely one strand of this year’s work. So this blog goes hand-in-hand with my new website and my investment in social media – and both of those showcase my fresh new branding.
With so much planned for my business this year, my social media and this blog will help you to keep up with the changes. They’re also my way to help get you behind the scenes, find out what I do, what makes me tick, and get to know me a bit better. If you want to follow me on social media you can find all the details you need in the footer of my website.
Another strand of the plan is about growing my collaborative work.
I’m expanding the team too, bringing in new energy and fresh ideas. It’s good for the business and it’s good for me – I’m a real people-person so I thrive on having a creative crew of dynamic professionals around me.
Right now I’m training up a new graphic recorder in graphic facilitation and I’m working with another animator to expand the services I offer. I’m also bringing someone on board to support the business side of things; keeping everything efficient, bringing fresh perspectives, and giving me the space to focus on the creative side of things.
Finally, I’m investing in myself.
It’s been a while since I’ve really focused on myself and kept my own skills polished up (it’s so easy to get your head down into all the client work and not find the time to spend on that side of things, isn’t it?). So, I’ve been dusting up my digital skills recently at Central Saint Martins, part of the University of the Arts London, which I have LOVED so much that I’ve booked more time there in August. That time will be focused on the creative side of things instead, which will (hopefully!) help me turn some of those really exciting ideas I’ve been conjuring up into a reality.
It’s an exciting time in my world, so watch this space over the next year… there’s SO MUCH MORE TO COME.
In the meantime, find out more about the illustration, live content capture and workshop services that make up my business.
Keeping Social
