Networking as a tool for Creatives! !
!Establishing a personal practice as a Graphic Designer, starts early. Mid way through ones degree or College course we identify (hopefully) the most attractive direction that our practice! can offer us as an individual.!
!
However throughout ones development, we meet many people from not only our own sphere! of work, but from many others. Photographers, film producers or creatives from many other! disciplines. This adds to the experiences that can interplay within your own professional framework. As a student, we do this automatically within the College, course and year groups as a day to day thing. Therefore we slip into the networking mode virtually automatically through ‘crits’ and by collaborative tasks.!
! !
Near to, or after graduating, we come away from College with a degree (hopefully) which illustrates/indicates to our profession and others that we have achieved a certain level of skill, and an academic understanding of our industry and other areas that we may have contact with, now or in the future.!
!
It would be amazing if that was the ‘magic ticket’ to a long and lucrative career within the business...sadly not true. This is merely a springboard that has lifted your foot onto the initial rung of our live’s/career’s ladder.!
!
We can survive in a bubble now we have the technology, sitting alone in a room somewhere! completing and distributing work to whomever and wherever. Becoming a ‘creative hermit’ has a few downsides however. No one being aware of your existence, your ability, your brilliance. Remember there are over 7 billion of us clinging to our planet.!
!
Networking in all of it’s forms will introduce and engage you within the wider areas of our! profession, gain you friends (some that can last a lifetime) colleagues and even clients from near and far (sounds a bit like either a fairy story or a recruitment ad?).!
! !
How can we effectively network with others?!
! We can establish a network in quite a few ways, and I will identify a few, but you will! more than likely add a few more yourself.!
!
1.JOIN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS allied to your discipline. ie the! Graphic Artists Guild, AIGA and many others.! http://graphic-design-info.com/dir_organizations.php!
!
2.Specific NETWORKING SITES where one can upload a portfolio and! obtain feedback from fellow professionals such ad Behance, Cargo,!