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Paul Boal’s Talk: What I Learnt
We had a big deadline at Blick earlier this month, so I am a bit late with this write up of the key things I learnt from our April Blick Academy event with Paul Boal founder of Clever Ghost. Clever Ghost is a branding and design studio which Paul founded in 2018. Paul has done a fantastic job growing his business during a very tough period over the pandemic and in the current economic climate. Paul shared many lessons in his talk, but here are some of the bits I think are most important.
1. Hard work and dedication pays off
An obvious, but important lesson! Paul shared in his talk that he graduated during the recession and at that time you needed 3-5 years experience to get a job! At one stage he had 4 different jobs including working security at night and as a cleaner to make ends meet and he went back to study at Belfast Met to upskill to get the skills he needed to get a job. Paul was a resident at Blick for several years, before outgrowing our space, so I have seen first hand the consistent hard work and commitment he put into his business. Paul was at Blick working on his business consistently every day, which really shows in his success.
2.Make sure people know your name and face
Network, network, network! Get out there and meet people. Paul talked about how he had the realisation that he didn’t know anyone in the design industry so he started networking. Making the effort to go to everywhere and anywhere, including places he felt out of place to meet people and be known and active.
3. Connecting with people leads to chance encounters, which leads to work!
Paul shared how his efforts to network and make connections within the industry, led to chance encounters that led to work. Over time he ended up with more and more people approaching him and asking him if he was available for freelance work and he decided it was time to go for it!
4. You never know what’s going to happen at some stage you just have to take the leap and go for it!
As Paul mentioned during his talk, people started approaching him and asking him about work and without any guarantees, or knowing what would happen he just had to take a chance and follow his dreams and go for it!
5. Find people who know more than you, spend time with them and learn from them
Paul realised during the early stages of working as a freelancer that he didn’t actually know how people got their clients. He figured out he had to use his connections, ask questions and find out. His advice is to ask all the questions to learn and grow.
6. Being creative is a privilege, enjoy it and use it to make the world a better place!
Paul spoke of the power creatives and designers have to change the world and the importance of using their skills outside work to do meaningful work and do good. Paul is also interested in trying to influence positive change within the industry, including addressing working hours and conditions and staff treatment. His plan for Clever Ghost is to become B Corp certified to create a positive impact. Certified B Corporations are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. Unlike other certifications for businesses, B Lab is unique in our ability to measure a company’s entire social and environmental impact.
7. Take personal responsibility for the skills that you need to develop to achieve success.
Paul spoke of how as well as building his networking and communication skills he has gone back to study several times to build the skills he felt he needed to be successful.
8. Listen to and learn from your clients.
Working with clients who are real life people with different needs and budgets is invaluable. You can only learn so much from education, it’s through working in the industry that you learn the most important lessons.
9. Reply to and follow up emails.
This sounds a simple one, but is so important when working for yourself. Reply and follow up all emails, even if you don’t want the work. Your reputation and reliability are crucial to your success and Northern Ireland is a small place, so it’s important to always be professional.
10. Take every opportunity that comes your way, especially in the early days!
Paul spoke of how important it is to take all work opportunities in the early days. In an ideal world you would cherry pick the kind of work you would like to do, but sometimes you have to accept reality and take on the more bread and butter roles, but also remember to be open to what they might lead to or where ideas will come from!
11. Remember your role as a service provider
As a self-employed creative or creative business owner, it’s important to remember that what you are being paid for is to provide a service. You have to remember the needs of your clients and that there are lots of different messages that need to be told and bills that need to be paid.
12. Offering a good service and being a good person, being reliable, open, transparent and honest is more important than your portfolio and creative work
Paul spoke of the importance of being respectful, offering a good service and treating others well, both clients and others working in the industry. 90% of his work is from referrals! Northern Ireland is a small place and people will remember how you treated them and the service you offered. Be honest about deadlines and processes. Under promise and over deliver, be kind, share ideas, congratulate others and have contracts in place where possible for clarity and to protect everyone involved.
13. When making the transition from being a freelancer to running a company, be clear on your values.
Paul spoke of the importance of knowing and communicating your company values when making the transition from being a freelancer to running a company. As they will shine through and attract the right kind of clients. We have an exercise on the resources section of our website to help you to work out your personal and business values .
14. It’s important to have an understanding of all the roles in your company even if you’re outsourcing them!
Understanding each of the different roles involved in your company helps you to manage your company more efficiently and have better relationships with your team. You will understand the time things take, the processes required and skills and resources needed.
15. Hiring staff changes everything.
Paul spoke of how hiring his first staff member brought about the realistion that he now had to prioritise their needs and think about the needs of the company as a whole, not just his own needs and ambitions.
16. There will always be hard times and work is just work!
Probably the most important lesson from Paul’s talk, but also in many ways the hardest! Paul spoke of the fear he felt during the covid pandemic when all of a sudden he lost all his work. He felt like he had only just got up and running and went from being the busiest he had ever been to feeling like overnight he lost everything. He spoke of the impact the stress had on him physically and how it also taught him an important lesson about how little control we have and to keep boundaries around work and remember we work to live, and it’s important to to keep it that way which can be hard when starting a creative business as it can be all consuming and does require a certain amount of dedication and commitment if you want it to be successful.
Many thanks to Paul for sharing his real-life experiences and wisdom gained during his creative journey!
Our next Blick Academy event is on Wednesday 5th June at 7pm, with Yeo Magazine founder, designer and all round creative Saul Duffin sharing his creative story!
You can book your tickets here: https://blickstudios.org/events/blick-academy-creative-talk-june/
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Another chance to see some of the pics from our @womenfolk.co JUNIOR.SENIOR event we hosted last month!
Jul 23
Here we meet and get some advice and insights one of our newist creative residents at Blick video editor Ben O’Neil
Jul 22
Due to an insanely busy period of work and travel, this is a very belated post on some of the key lessons from our last Blick Academy Creative Talk on 5th June with Saul Duffin founder of @yeomagazine
We have a full event writeup on our blog with lots more tips and insights from Saul and lessons he has learned throughout his creative journey! (Link to blog in profile) ✨️
Jul 16
Here we meet and get some advice and insights one of our newist creative residents at Blick video editor Ben O’Neil.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your creative work?
I’m a video editor who predominantly works in non-scripted television. Currently working on a two part documentary series for Amazon Prime
What was the biggest hurdle for you starting out and how did you overcome it?
Getting in the door. I didn’t know anyone in tv so the biggest hurdle was getting my name about and then getting hired to work on something. I made lots of tea for years then convinced someone to let me edit a small thing.
How do you stay inspired and motivated?
Watching good stuff
What do you wish you had known before starting out?
Everyone is faking it a little bit.
What’s your top tip/piece of advice for anyone wanting to follow a creative path?
Be prepared to fail and then get back up and try again. Also practice your craft as much as humanly possible.
Do you have any regrets or anything you wish you had done differently on your creative journey?
Too many to list probably. Still working on that part.
Where can people find you online?
I’m thoroughly offline but my email is mebenoneil@gmail.com
Jul 8
NI CREATIVE HUBS MEETUP #3 BANGOR
This is the third meetup for creative hubs in Northern Ireland to come together, connect, share ideas, and support each other. This time in sunny Bangor, where we will be visiting:
Boom Studios @boom.studios
Seacourt Print Workshop @seacourtprints
The Courthouse @courthousebangor
If you are involved with running or working in a creative hub in Northern Ireland, we would love for you to join us at this our third meetup.
This series of events is a collaborative project between Blick Shared Studios and Boom Studios
�Book your ticket on our website (link in profile) ✨️
Jul 2
Some pics 📸 from our @womenfolk.co JUNIOR.SENIOR event on Saturday 15th June with @wee.nuls and @majukooo sharing their creative stories ✨️
Jul 1
Happy Friday! It`s almost the weekend... some lovely light in our Cotton Court Studios earlier this week! Let`s hope we see more of it over the weekend 🌞 ☀️ 🌤
Jun 28
Last week I was very lucky to get to attend this year’s Hubs Meet Up Bautopia 4 Metamorphosis organised by the European Creative Hubs Network with the support of STPLN , the hosting hub in Malmö, Sweden.
This year’s Hubs Meetup was exclusively for European Creative Hubs Network members and was a three day event focusing on creative hubs and their current topics of interest and challenges. This year, it was all about delving into the transformations of our communities, the built environment around us and the impact of creators on designing how we live where we live. As well as the amazing opportunities for peer learning from and connecting with other creative hubs here are a few of the things I found interesting from the meetup talks:
Collaboration - is key, but people need to learn how to collaborate as it`s not a skill that’s traditionally taught in schools, colleges or universities.
Unlearning - we need to unlearn old ways of working to relearn new ways of working.
Cross-sector collaboration - will have a role to play in green and social transformation and future innovation, bringing together artists, creatives and industry. Creatives have different ways of thinking, methods and processes and are capable of shaping something new in lots of different ways.
CITY ECOLOGY WALK
We also got to take part in a city walk organised by Feral a creative studio and research platform for ecology in urban spaces which was a lovely way to get some fresh air, find out a bit more about the city, it’s heritage and ecology.
Some of the places we visited on the walk:
1. Traditional Herring Shacks
2. Traditional Herring Fishing Boats
3. Turning Torso
4. Redeveloped Industrial Seafront Area
SOCIAL IMPACT WORKSHOP
I also took part in an amazing social impact workshop, which I will share more on in coming days. Giving me lots of new tools and methods for measuring our impact here at Blick. I especially loved the advice that it`s ok to include anecdotal evidence including stories and observations, to build a broader picture of the real human experience and impact of your organisation. I`m looking forward to going through the process properly for Blick in coming months!
Jun 27
Thanks again to everyone who came to our last Blick Academy talk last Wednesday evening. We have our Womenfolk JUNIOR.SENIOR event this Saturday then will be taking a little break from events over the summer while we get ourselves organised for Autumn/ Winter when we are hoping to also introduce some more practical workshops. Let us know if there is anything you would like us to cover!
Jun 14
Some pics from our latest Blick Academy creative talk with Saul Duffin founder of @yeomagazine Thanks so much to Saul for a brilliant talk and to everyone who came along. Full event write up to come shortly!
Jun 10
Just over a week to go until our Womenfolk JUNIOR.SENIOR event on Saturday 15th June with two amazing creative women sharing their stories!
SENIOR SPEAKER: ESTABLISHED CREATIVE - NUALA CONVERY - @wee.nuls
Wee Nuls (Nuala) is a multi-disciplinary artist and creative director based in Belfast. She works in a number of mediums including spray paint, hand drawn and digital illustration, and printmaking. Wee Nuls street art murals can be seen across Belfast and have become a part of the visual identity of the city over the past few years. She is inspired by challenging gender inequalities, beauty ideals, sexism, and raising awareness for feminist issues in a playful way.
JUNIOR SPEAKER: EMERGING CREATIVE - MAJA SZOTKIEWICZ - OWNER OF MAJUKOOO - @majukooo
Maja Szotkiewicz is the founder of Majukooo (selling her illustrated stationery, prints and jewellery online) , and is currently in her final year of her Graphic Design and Illustration undergraduate degree at Ulster University. Maja`s work is inspired by everyday, imperfect moments, as she believes finding beauty in the mundane is the key to true happiness. Maja has been featured in Belfast Telegraph`s 30 under 30 list in 2024, was a finalist at the NI Social Media Awards in the `Entrepreneurial Student of the Year` category in 2023 and has her products stocked in 49 stockists in the UK, Ireland, US and Canada.
EVENT DETAILS
Event Date(s): June 15, 2024
Event Time: 11.30am
Location: Blick Shared Studios, Hill Street, Belfast BT1 2LB
Book through website (link in profile) 🌼 🌸 ♥️ ✨️
Jun 7
"I made a magazine directed at my 16-year-old self, who felt like there wasn’t anything cool happening in the city."
"Like most creative people, my work is a reflection of who I am and what my interests are. I love music, comedy, art and design so I have always loved to fuse those things together."
��"I don’t think I’d change much as the failures and mistakes were probably the most valuable part of the experience."
Looking forward to hearing Saul`s story at tonight`s sold out Blick Academy Creative Talk!
If you can`t make tonight`s event and want to find our more about Saul, we did an interview with him that you can read on our website ✨️(link in profile)
Jun 5
A quick summary of the month of May at Blick! you can find details on everything on our website! Link in profile 🌟 🌟 🌟
Jun 4
Happy Monday! Start the week by checking out our latest roundup of funding, support, opportunities, events, exhibitions and festivals for NI creatives.
Read the full listings including links on our blog on our website (link in profile)
Jun 3
Another chance to find out a bit more about Saul Duffin founder of YEO magazine who is speaking at our next Blick Academy event next Wednesday evening at 7pm in our Hill St studios!
You can read the full interview on our blog or get your free tickets on our website!
May 31
Less that a week to go until our next Blick Academy Creative Talk with Saul Duffin, founder of YEO Magazine, sharing his creative story and only a couple of tickets left!
EVENT DETAILS:
Event Date(s): June 5, 2024
Event Time: 7pm
Location: Blick Shared Studios, 46 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LB
Cost: Free
Book on our website ✨️ (link in profile)
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May 30
Our latest roundup of funding, support, opportunities, events, exhibitions and festivals for NI creatives.
FUNDING AND SUPPORT
- Design Academy Adapt Fashion Industry Program Collaboration Between VORN - The Berlin Fashion Hub and Zalando
- Invest NI Ambition to Grow Programme - Up to £45000 Funding
- Design Competition Ukraine
- Student Invent - £2500 Prize Pot
- Artist Residency Frac Grand Large/ Hauts-de-France Dunkirk
- Northern Ireland Screen New Writer Focus
- Northern Ireland Screen Short Film Call - £6000 - £22000 Funding for Individuals and Companies
- Applications Open: August Craft Month 2024
- Craft NI Gallery Maker Call Out 2024
- Áras Éanna Residency
- 143rd RUA Annual Exhibition
- Sailortown Festival Smartphone Photography Exhibition
- Digital Arts Studios STARTS4WATERII Residencies – Open call for artists
- Belfast Potters market Applications Open
- The National Lottery Support for Individual Artists Programme – Travel Awards
EVENTS
Northern Ireland Screen Writing for Readers - Screenwriting with Steve Brooks via Zoom
Wed 29 May
12 - 2pm
Goal Planning with Groove: Get The Damn Thing Done!
Thu 30 May
11:00 AM – 12:15 PM EDT
Online
Social Media Safety for Creatives and Professionals
Mon 3 Jun
3:30 – 4:30 PM EDT
Online
Blick Academy Creative Talk: Saul Duffin Founder of YEO Magazine
Wed 5 Jun
7pm
Blick Studios, Hill St
Digital Horizon Masterclass: “Integrating Captioning into Creative Work”
6 June 2024
10.30am – 4.30pm
Ledger Studio, University of Atypical
The Circle: Let`s Talk About Imposter Syndrome
Wed 12th June
6 - 8pm
Oh Yeah Centre
The Power of Podcasting
Thu 13 Jun
9:30 - 11:30 am
Innovation Factory
Digital Horizon Masterclass: “Build your own Online Platform”
Thu 13 Jun
10.30am – 4.30pm
Ledger Studio, University of Atypical
Womenfolk JUNIOR.SENIOR
Sat 15 June
11.30am
Blick Studios, 46 Hill Street
An evening with Brendan Mooney MBE
Wed 19 June
Ulster University, York Street
5:30pm - 7:00pm
EXHIBITIONS
Usfolk 6
23rd May to 2nd June
The Naughton Gallery
Belfast School of Art 175 Degree Shows
Dates: 7th June Opening Night
8th - 22nd June
Read the full listings including links on our website ✨️
May 28
Off for the bank holiday and wanting to work on your creative business idea? The next exercise on our resources for creatives section on our website is now available to view and download
Exercise 4 - Understanding Your "Why" or Your purpose
Your “Why” or purpose is the reason you have formed your creative practice boiled down to a single sentence (or two). This exercise will help you to understand your purpose and communicate it to the world.
Downloadable PDF and Word Versions available on our website ✨️ (link in profile)
May 27