Thanks to everyone who joined us last Wednesday evening and to Lauren Kelso @laurenkelsoillustrator  for a brilliant creative talk and for letting us look through all her beautiful sketchbooks! Our next creative talk is on Wednesday 9th May with artist and illustrator Danni Simpson @dannisimpsonart

EVENT DETAILS: CREATIVE TALK WITH ARTIST AND ILLUSTRATOR DANNI SIMPSON
Event Date(s): May 7, 2025
Event Time: 7pm - 8pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: Free
Booking link below and in profile

https://blickstudios.org/events/creative-talk-with-artist-illustrator-danni-simpson/

- - Shared & Private Creative Workspace Coming Available Great Northern Street South Belfast - -

PRIVATE STUDIO SPACE
We have one small 1 person private studio space (approx 8sqm) with sink, fridge, kitchen units and kettle coming available. It is £285 per calendar month all inclusive (rent, rates, utilities, broadband and 24 hour access).

�SHARED STUDIO SPACE
We also have 1 dedicated deskspace in our shared/ coworking space available for £150 per calendar month all inclusive (rent, rates, utilities, broadband and 24 hour access).

ABOUT THE WORKSPACE
– 24 hour access
– Breakout area
– South Belfast location close to the Lisburn Road with lots of shops, coffee shops and bars within walking distance
– Minimum 3 months contract then on a rolling monthly contract
– 1 months rent required as a deposit

Contracts are for a minimum of 3 months then on a rolling monthly contract.

Interested? Get in touch by emailling christine@blickstudios.org or visit our website for more info: https://blickstudios.org/locations/great-northern-street/

- -LAST CHANCE TO BOOK!! CREATIVE TALK - ILLUSTRATOR LAUREN KELSO - -

Our next creative talk is this Wednesday with award-winning illustrator Lauren Kelso @laurenkelsoillustrator (https://laurenkelso.uk/) sharing her creative story.

Inspired by travel, fashion and the world, Lauren creates a variety of illustration prints, greeting cards and more and has recently opened her own bricks and mortar store and studio!

EVENT DETAILS
DATE: Wednesday 9th April
TIME: 7pm - 8pm
VENUE: Blick Hill St

MORE INFO & FREE TICKETS (link below and in profile) https://blickstudios.org/events/creative-talk-with-illustrator-lauren-kelso/

The second part of our interview with @laurenkelsoillustrator who is sharing her story at our next Creative Talk this Wednesday evening!

Ahead of her talk for us on Wednesday evening award winning freelance illustrator Lauren Kelso @laurenkelsoillustrator did a short interview for us on her creative journey so far including her recent experience opening her own studio and shop!

Here is part 1 of the interview, you can also read the full interview on our website blog (link in profile)

To hear Lauren`s story in person you can sign up to attend our talk this Wednesday evening from 7-8pm in our Hill Street Studios!

https://blickstudios.org/events/creative-talk-with-illustrator-lauren-kelso/

Last Friday was the first Creative Hubs Meetup of 2025, kindly hosted by @vaultartistsni in their Marlborough House studios in Belfast City Centre!

It was great to have so many different people working in the creative hubs sector in the same room, talking about shared issues and interests and how we can work together to support each other!

Of course we were so busy talking we forgot to get a pic of the whole group together, but here are a few pics of the tour of the studios including Artist @lindamcburney`s studio which has the best view!

Thanks to everyone who came along including
@pssquaredbelfast @millennium_court @courthousebangor @pancake.studios_ @belfastfilmmakingclub
@moneydarragh_hub @gallery545online and @creativeexchange and to Linda and the other artists for showing us their studios, Neal from Vault for hosting and Jane Morrow @namej_janem for presenting her work on creative workspaces!

Thanks to everyone who joined us last night for our Adventures in ChatGPT workshop, especially because it was such a lovely sunny evening!

Thanks also to Graeme Watson @graeme_theory and Katya Buryakova @stormy_kate from @homewerk.project for hosting!

Just a week to go until our next Blick Creative Talk! The local creative very kindly sharing their story for us at our April Creative Talk is award-winning Illustrator Lauren Kelso @laurenkelsoillustrator

Lauren graduated in just 2023 but has already achieved so much and has just recently opened her own bricks-and-mortar shop and studio.

In this creative talk, Lauren will share her experiences and some of the highs and lows she has experienced on her creative business journey.

EVENT DETAILS:

Event Date(s): Wednesday, 9th April
Event Time: 7pm-8pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB

For more information and to book visit the events page of our website (link in profile and below)

https://blickstudios.org/events/creative-talk-with-illustrator-lauren-kelso/

- - `DIY YOUR BRAND` RESOURCES FOR CREATIVES - PART 2 - -

A list of super useful resources for emerging creatives looking to DIY their branding compiled by Laura Whitehouse founder of Mighty Fine Design
@mightyfinedesign who recently hosted a creative skills workshop for us on `How to DIY Your Brand` for creative business owners.

To get inspired

visualjournal.it

brandarchive.xyz

pinterest.co.uk

To generate colour palettes (and see them in action)

coolors.co
P.s. Use the ‘Tools’ button top right to check contrast and see the palette visualiser

To start meddling around with fonts, icons, and social posts

www.canva.com

For great free fonts

Google Fonts can be downloaded and added into all sorts

To get inspired by font pairings

www.fontpair.co/fonts

To find free photos

www.unsplash.com
Please just no men shaking hands across a table!

A great email signature maker

www.hubspot.com/email-signature-generator

www.honeybook.com/email-signature

For simple websites (that you can make yourself)

www.squarespace.com

To edit photos you’ve taken yourself

Download the Adobe Lightroom CC app

Full list can be found on our website (link in profile and below)

https://blickstudios.org/resources/how-to-diy-your-brand-in-partnership-with-mighty-fine-design/

Part 2 of our interview with Homewerk founders husband and wife team Katya and Graeme ahead of their workshop for us on Wednesday 2nd April on ChatGPT for creatives
You can read the complete interview on our website blog (link below and in profile) https://blickstudios.org/blog/an-interview-with-graeme-and-katya-founders-of-homewerk/

You can also sign upon our website for their workshop Adventures in ChatGPT which is at 7pm on Wednesday 2nd April in our Hill St studios!
(link below and in profile)

https://blickstudios.org/events/creative-skills-workshop-adventures-in-chatgpt/

Ahead of their workshop for us on Wednesday 2nd April on ChatGPT for creatives we have done an interview with Homewerk founders Katya and Graeme to find out a bit about them and their new business Homewerk!

Here’s the first part of the interview or you can read the complete interview on our website blog (link below or on profile): https://blickstudios.org/blog/an-interview-with-graeme-and-katya-founders-of-homewerk/

You can also sign upon our website for their workshop Adventures in ChatGPT which is at 7pm on Wednesday 2nd April in our Hill St studios!

https://blickstudios.org/events/creative-skills-workshop-adventures-in-chatgpt/

- - `DIY YOUR BRAND` RESOURCES FOR CREATIVES - PART 1 - -

Laura Whitehouse, founder of
@mightyfinedesign recently hosted a creative skills workshop for us on `How to DIY Your Brand` for creative business owners

Following the workshop, Laura has very kindly shared this amazing Brand Thinkin` Kit Worksheet, which you can download from the creative resources section of our website to help you on your DIY branding journey. She has also shared other useful resources and her full presentation. You can find everything on our website (link in profile) ✨️

- - ONE WEEK TO GO - CREATIVE SKILLS WORKSHOP - ADVENTURES IN CHATGPT - -

Our next creative skills workshop is all about ChatGPT for Creatives.
Helping you explore some of practical ways as a creative professional you can integrate it into your work life
In this workshop session for beginners, Graeme Watson and Katya Buryakova will explain some of the major controversies and opportunities around using ChatGPT in your work.

ABOUT GRAEME & KATYA:
Graeme Watson and Katya Buryakova are the founders of Homewerk, a project that designs workshops, courses and projects to give creative professionals time, space and inspiration to learn new tools and tricks, and make new connections.

EVENT DETAILS:
Event Date(s): April 2, 2025
Event Time: 7.00pm - 9.00pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: Free

Book on our website. Link below and in profile
https://blickstudios.org/events/creative-skills-workshop-adventures-in-chatgpt/

- - CREATIVE TALK - ILLUSTRATOR LAUREN KELSO - -

Join us for our April Blick Creative Talk on Wednesday 9th April with upcoming illustrator Lauren Kelso @laurenkelsoillustrator sharing her creative story!

At Blick we like to share the stories of creatives at different stages of their creative journey as inspiration for others at a similar stage in their own journey. Our April creative talk is with Lauren Kelso an award-winning freelance illustrator who graduated in just 2023, but who has already achieved so much and is currently in the process of opening her own opening her own bricks-and-mortar shop and studio. In this creative talk Lauren will share her experiences and some of the highs and lows she has experienced on her creative business journey.�

About Lauren:
Lauren Kelso is an Award-Winning Illustrator based in Ballymena who has completed illustration work for businesses such as Galgorm Resort, Ulster Orchestra, Digg Deep for Kids Charity and others. Lauren is inspired by fashion, travel and the world, often creating illustrations using ink and a cocktail stick, collage material and created textures. She loves to be experimental within her practice, enjoying the process and embracing the unknown.

Alongside selling her illustration prints and more through attending in-person markets/pop-ups, her online shop and through various stockists around Northern Ireland, Lauren is opening her own bricks-and-mortar shop & studio in Raceview Mill in Broughshane. This will be a creative shop where people are welcome to come and browse and buy illustration gifts for themselves and/or friends and family and the premises will also provide a working studio space for her to complete freelance client jobs etc. The space will also be used for delivering creative workshops and Lauren is really looking forward to this next step in this exciting season.

Lauren graduated in July 2023 with a First Class Honours Degree in Graphic Design & Illustration and following graduation, Lauren was selected to be a Graduate in Residence for the Illustration course at UU Belfast School of Art where she completed the First Steps to Teaching course, delivered a range of presentations and