Looking back on it, the whole Picaresque project has been really good for me and has benefitted me in lots of ways.
When we first started it I wasn't really that keen on the idea of travelling to somewhere I had never been to have a conversation with someone I'd never met before. Looking back on the whole day though it was definitely good for me to get out of my comfort zone which is something I don't do very often and will make a real effort to do more of in future. I feel it's important as an illustrator to always test what you're capable of, push yourself, and break out of what you're used to.
It was the first time I've felt quite professional since I've been at uni and it felt like how I imagine it is to go meet a prospective client for the first time which is something I would not be as nervous in doing now.
As well as giving me an insight into meeting new people on a professional basis, Katie also gave me a lot of ideas about getting your work out there, and what it's like working as an illustrator after graduation. It's made me consider actually being an illustrator post-university, where as before I was certain I was going to use my degree as a starting point for something else creatively based such as advertising. As well as this she showed me her process of how she creates her work, this taught me a lot in that I've always thought my work needed to be more 'finished', and seeing Katie's process gave me a few ideas at how I can achieve this.
Picaresque for me went far better than I imagined it would and was far more useful than I thought it would be. It's really given me the incentive to pull my finger out a bit and make the most of my degree and at the same time start making connections on a professional level and get my work out there more.
