Filed under: inspiration, reflection | Tags: assignment, business, case studies, mentor, product, struggle
Completed – Professional Practice, Planning & Presentation Assignment 1: Statement of Intent / Draft Plan.
I struggled. Found this really difficult. Why? Well, this isn’t the first time I have tried to write such a document, the same questions were asked when I was trying to build my business ideas in Bristol. Since then I can recognise that I have really worked on getting my product sorted, narrowing down the materials, the process, the objects themselves and the ethos behind it all. I am happy with these – the designs keep coming – hooray.
I find the ‘business’ hard. This I already knew. I find it VERY hard when a part of my qualification depends on it – I get incredibly stressed and feel paralysed by the fear of getting it wrong. We are given many examples, case studies, options about what we can go on to do… but few of them have felt like the right thing for me so in some ways I have to work twice as hard to get to the point where is starts to make sense on the page. It feels like it’s not as easy as saying ‘previous artists have done workshops, I have done workshops, I’ll do more workshops’. I have done nothing in the past that equates to what is needed to make my busines a success and I have no examples of what others have done. The only example is my mentor and I am aware that time with Debbie is limited and precious – I can’t rely on her for all the answers, she is only one person! I need to find more examples out there…
I have been given a mentor – and from what I have seen on DEBBIE BRYAN‘S website I don’t think it could have been a more perfect match.
Here is the wishlist I provided her with (and she wasn’t scared off!):
1. Venues for selling and showing my work – gallery / museum / retail / shows….where does it belong? Advice about this would be great.
2. Exploring other options that will support making & selling my work, e.g. running workshops, commissions…an unbiased view from the outside on what other things I could do.
3. Placing a value on your work – struggle with this one. I know the course will provide a costing session, but I need to ‘get real’ – I find asking to be paid for what I love to do difficult! Help to get a ‘business head’.
4. Balancing the designing-making process with the running of a business – managing time.
5. A bit of opinion on whether my goals are realistic – a viewpoint from experience.
6. Networking – I’m not very good at this! Ways, where, how…are there key associations / groups to be a member of?
7. Display of 3D textile products – touchy-feely vs don’t touch! Ways to balance this.
8. Managing suppliers – are there any dos and don’ts of sourcing supplies?
It is all to do with the business and presentation side of things rather than the creation/inspiration/skills side.
Excited to see what come of this!
