Contacting Emma Sayor - Leeds collage or art alumni

Hi Emma!

I’m currently in my last year at Leeds collage of art studying Illustration, i came across your profile on LinkedIn and see that you said your work is driven by social change - something I too feel drives my own practice.

I would be most grateful if you could share your first steps after graduating and if you had advice for a soon to be graduate on how to tackle the creative industry a? I strive to create work with a purpose that could benefit society by raising awareness to social issue.  The projects you have taken part in and the companies you have/are working for look really interesting that I would have loved to be involved in!

Best wishes,

Rebecca.

Reply: 

Hi Rebecca,

I don't really feel qualified to give advice on tackling the creative industry! But I can give you an idea of my experience and what I'd change if could go back.

I volunteered a lot at uni and it was the best thing I did in terms of finding out about myself and broadening my opportunities. I would definitely recommend it and if you're interested in social change then look for charities which use visual communication to do that. Most charities need promotional material and it's a good way to explore the 3rd sector and find out about how different organisations work in your area. The voluntary work I did was the reason I could get a job working for a charity and then, teaching art in a day centre.

Being driven by social change has both helped and hindered me. It means I was never bothered about doing commercial illustration or graphic design, which is where the jobs are. So if I had the chance to be in your shoes again I would really consider doing some work together that would fit into a commercial portfolio if I needed it. I had a pretty horrific interview at a printing place right after I finished where the employer just ranted at me for 20 minutes about how no graduates can do what he wanted. Of course most graduates could do what he wanted (making small publications, menus, flyers), what he meant was that non of them were showing him what he wanted. He wasn't accommodating for the fact that making a pizza flyer wont get you a 2.1. 

I don't think that means you should stop doing the work you love though. Think about ways to show it, but also think of how you would like to support yourself so you can continue doing it. That might be having a slightly different job for now, eg, doing working in commercial design, or working for organisations involved in social change, or teaching. I decided to work with people in the day and continue semi-ish freelance work at night. Me and my friend have kept in touch and do art stalls together which has been good for developing my work further and keeping up skills. I do like working with people, but it does take away my energy from creativity sometimes and I am at a point where I would like to use my creative skills a bit more at work. I do teach art with East Street Arts now though and I am currently waiting to hear if an organisation can fund me as a designer so I feel like I might be moving in the right direction but for me tackling the creative industry is a working progress! 

If you want to be employed rather than freelance employers getting your foot in the door doing anything for an organisation you like seems like one of the best ways to start. It's cliche, but it seems to work. Employers have reviews and appraisals and if they value you they will take an interest in what you want to do and how you want to progress there. I think it also helps to be flexible if you can be. Some organisations, like the one I work for, have design teams but in other areas of the country so that's something to consider. 

I hope that helps. What do you want to do when you leave? I think your illustrations would work well as editorial illustrations.

All the best,

Notes from email; 

• don't restrict myself to just focusing on charity illustration work - show diversity/commercial use in portfolio ('this is where the jobs lie')
• working with people can take your energy from creativity sometimes - i will need to consider this if i plan to work with Kendal windows on Arts working with the elderly people and children. 
• she is connected to east streets art! - keep in contact incase i want to be involved with them in the future. 
• be flexible 
• the company she works for has companies in other area of the counrty so i could consider them.... drop Emma's name in a email/letter if i plan to get in touch with them.