Ruminating about my second semester...

 This semester has been SO good, I'm actually gutted it's nearly finished! I've learned so much and ever since changing my main project I'm now a LOT happier with the direction I'm heading in and gaining more confidence with each new piece of art I complete. Using Procreate in tow with One Drive and Photoshop has helped me develop a workflow I'm growing very comfortable with and transferring files between devices is now a lot more streamlined.

Also, the addition of this blog which I've used just like a journal, has been essential to my development as well as keeping track of my progress and my work organised and up to date. 

I now know that Concept Art and Character Design is what I want to do, so I've joined the following FB groups to start sharing my work and gain feedback (I also intend to start using Artstation for the same purpose)...

 I've bought the following online Character Design courses to help with my development next semester...

I've also created a personal LinkedIn account which I intend to make full use of when researching Industry and building a network over the coming months.

The Group Project...

Taking part in the Going Live Project was brilliant for many reasons. To start with, if I'm honest I really wasn't looking forward to it. I wanted to concentrate on my personal work but more than that, I wasn't confident in what role I would play in the team and how I could contribute. After a slow start I was asked to team up with Heather and Rahul to jumpstart the project. Working together we had many meetings and through regular, open communication and playing to each other's strengths we developed the initial storyboard.

This challenge led to the realisation that I DO have valuable skills and knowledge and was becoming a valued member of the team. The power of collaboration has been one of the biggest lessons I've learnt this semester. I also started to build friendships with the other students and enjoy group meetings. 

The importance of communication was also massive and I learned to keep my team in the loop in a professional and considerate way. It's up to us to maintain a certain standard in how we conduct ourselves, keep ourselves in check and roll with the punches!

This semester has also taught me there's not usually just one way to do things in this line of work. You don't necessarily need to know everything at the start, your attitude and enthusiasm are key and if you can combine a tenacious desire to be creative and keep trying things out with developing the fortitude and determination to seek out the answers to your questions, you stand a very good chance of creating work far better than you ever imagined you were capable of.

I'd just like to say how GRATEFUL I am to my lecturer Kieran Duncan and my fellow students for their support, genuine concern and unwavering understanding while I was mourning the loss of my best friend and also finishing the semester early due to the imminent arrival of my baby boy. It's been truly appreciated.

I can't express enough just how much I'm enjoying the MSc and how excited I am to continue developing my project in the next semester! :)