So last week I had the delightful (and also utterly terrifying) experience of chatting to folks at a General Assembly event called ‘How To Be A Badass.’ This was set up by Badass Gal which promotes young female talent in the industry. If you haven’t heard of them, do check them out and nominate yourself, or a friend - it’s an incredible platform to make yourself known.
Anyhoooo, I wanted to do a blog post on the things I spoke about to recap and also elaborate on some of the points to help people overcome the barriers to being a badass as well as showing people how making your own work can speak volumes about the kinda creative you are… and want to be.
Even crap briefs have the potential to bE, you know… less crap
Got the most boring brief ever? When you’re first starting out, this going to happen a lot. And you have to prove you can do the crap briefs well, before you even get a sniff at the more exciting ones.
So do the brief as it asks, and do it graciously… but also show your team what the brief could be, as an additional ‘Wild Card’ idea. Here, you can do whatever you want to. Turn the brief on it’s head. Throw it out entirely. If you think there’s a better way to solve the problem, show them and introduce this idea at the end as the Wild Card you just had to share.
The great thing about this is you show people what you can, or want to do (whilst still doing your actual job) and get feedback on it too. They may even go with the ruddy idea, which has happened to me a few times.
Don’t limit your thinking to your job
Is your day-to-day work in general a bit of a snooze? You can always go outside the norm, and show your boss proactive ideas too. This can be for your client, an agency client, a charity… again there’s nothing that’s off limits here.
When I worked on Philips, I worked on Philips Hue for the most part. And although lightbulbs are not the sexiest clients in the land, I really enjoyed my time on the account cos I came up with my own proactive ideas that were made. These are still in my folio today.
I still present proactive ideas today, with my latest proactive idea for Dyson not being killed off yet. The simple fact is, I get excited. I get excited about the possibilities of what could be, and I can’t help but pursue ideas that I think could really work. You don’t have to pour hours and hours into these ideas either, a simple truth to the brand followed with a scamp can be enough for your Creative Director to understand.
It can show how keen you are, as well as the potential of getting the work you imagined, into reality.
Not loving your job, but have diddly squat for your portfolio?
Why not make your own work? Around something you truly care about.
I’m really passionate about women’s rights and the negative words used against women. In particular, words used for women’s vaginas. Ohh-err.
I had an idea to make a colouring book that showed these ugly words, but also allowed every cunt, snatch and fanny to be reclaimed (and made pretty) with colour. Publishers… well they hated it, but I launched it on Kickstarter and it blew up. I got press in the US, UK and reached my target in just ten days. I made the books and sent them to as far away as Australia. The best day ever was seeing my VAG illustration on the front page of Glamour.com – I balled my tiny eyes out.
This is one of my favourite pieces in my portfolio, and the reason I was hired at my last agency. So, if you feel stuck in a rut or care about something and have a voice you want to share, I would say just start it. Check out the colouring book here
There’s a really helpful book called ‘Show your work’ by Austin Kleon if you’re worried about putting your stuff out into the world that may inspire that courage.
FIll your world with people who inspire you
This can be your friends, colleagues or even just the people you follow on Instagram. If you surround yourself with people doing amazing things, you’ll be more inspired to go for the things you really want to do too. And it won’t seem that scary either… they’re all already doing their thing, so why can’t you?
My friends are incredible, like Danny + Charlotte (The founders of Badass Gal) who inspire me to get up and do talks like ‘How to be a Badass’, even when I’m quite obviously shitting my pants about being on stage.
My Instagram is a world of inspiration. Social media doesn’t have to be the scary shit-hole that media makes it out to be, if you curate it right. I’ve filled it with people who really inspire me, so it feels like a safe and positive place to be. I’ve reached out to people on social. Like @_MarcHayden as I love the way he portrays women in his work, and @EdoZollo who photographs people wondering the city, in the middle of the night.
If you see someone who inspires you and you want to make work together, reach out. It’s pretty nerve racking, but you’re online so they don’t even have to see your awkward face when you ask. Just me?
I start with a simple hello, what I love about their work and why I’m reaching out. It also helps to know what you want from them, and of course… make it mutually beneficial. Why would they want to work with you? It shouldn’t just be for your benefit. Collaborations should be beneficial for everyone involved so make that obvious to them when you slide into their DMs.
5 badass women to follow on Instagram:
@JacqTheStripper – Her wife bought a colouring book and pointed me to her Instagram a few years ago, and she’s become one of my fav ever women on the gram. Jacq is a stripper and comedian, so basically the best combo ever. She promotes sex worker rights through ironic illustrations where strippers go round to other people in there job saying things Strippers often hear. Her gram often gets pulled down by the fun police, so yeah pretty Badass.
@TashWillcocks – She’s a good friend and a massive inspiration to me. She’s an amazing designer, illustrator, letterer and right now is championing women above 50 in her work. Tash started a project #MunedaneADay to stop her scrolling on social. She drew simple things in her life everyday, and has been doing it for over 5 years now. You can see how the practise of drawing everyday has opened up a world of opportunities for her. From Ted talks, to murals, I couldn’t be prouder of her.
@JessicaVWalsh – I’m sure you know who this is, if not check her out. Art director, founder of LWD and she’s just started her own studio & Walsh. Her iconic style has inspired most of the design in the past five maybe even ten years. She’s also just got a new puppy… if that wasn’t incentive enough.
@KateMoross – Kate set up Studio Morross and works as an art director in music/film/festivals… anything they want to really, that’s the joy of owning your own studio #Dreams. In the studio I love that they aren’t allowed any reference material when they’re working so they make work that is unique to them. Kate also identifies as they/them, and is a powerhouse in the LQBTQIA community.
@BodyPosiPanda – Bringing the body positivity into my feed is Megan who dances in her underwear and lets it all hang out. She shares the hate she gets, as well as body positive messages to show how everyone has an opinion on how she should look.
K. Thanks. Bye…
If you don’t have anything to do, no pressing deadlines, and no-one needs your help… please just LEAVE! The industry have a terrible habit of convincing people that staying late benefits them in their job, and that’s is one big fat lie.
It’s not good for creative. I get my best ideas when I give my mind space from work, and let’s face it… your desk is not inspiring. I’ll often find I’ll get the answer I’ve been looking for when my minds wonders somewhere else usually when I’m having a bath or drawing something else. Inspiration can strike at 3am as well, so I keep those thoughts in my phone’s notes and I won’t go back to them till I’m back in work.
It’s also not good for mental health either. As someone with anxiety, having mental space away from work is something I need. No-one wants me on burn out, trust me. But this is true for everyone, not just pissy-knickers-anxious here. I wish I’d been told when I first started out, man, it would of saved me a lot of time and a lot of effort faking working, just to be seen to be doing. So go home. Go to a gallery. A movie. A talk. Anything that your heart or your mind desires.
All the proactive ideas, the wild cards and the colouring book wouldn’t exist if I stayed at my desk to be seen to be doing… so don’t bother.
Plus, let’s face it. Getting your coat and leaving on time, may just be the most Badass thing you can do.
