Resources for Creatives

Starting or growing a creative business? Here you can find some of our favourite resources for creatives that we will be adding to over time.

Developing and Defining Your Creative Idea: Getting to Know Yourself Exercise

Better understanding yourself as a person, what drives and motivates you, your hopes and dreams, strengths and weaknesses, will help you define your creative idea. It will steer you to...

Developing and Defining Your Creative Idea: Getting to Know Your Creative Idea

Before launching your creative idea, project or business it’s important to have a clear understanding of your creative idea. What problem you are solving, what your solution to that problem...

Developing and Defining Your Creative Idea: Working Out Your Personal & Business Values

For this exercise we are looking first at your personal values which in turn will influence your business values. Both of which will help you define and develop your creative...

Understanding Your “Why”

Your core purpose or “Why” 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...

NESTA Creative Enterprise Toolkit

Starting a business can be daunting. That’s why Nesta created the Creative Enterprise Toolkit — a practical resource to help you plan, build, test, communicate and launch your new creative...

Another chance to see some of the pics from our @womenfolk.co JUNIOR.SENIOR event we hosted last month!

Jul 23

Another chance to see some of the pics from our @womenfolk.co JUNIOR.SENIOR event we hosted last month!

Here we meet and get some advice and insights one of our newist creative residents at Blick video editor Ben O’Neil

Jul 22

Here we meet and get some advice and insights one of our newist creative residents at Blick video editor Ben O’Neil

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

Happy holidays to anyone lucky enough to get a few days off work ✨️

Jul 11

Happy holidays to anyone lucky enough to get a few days off work ✨️

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

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

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

Some pics 📸 from our @womenfolk.co JUNIOR.SENIOR event on Saturday 15th June with @wee.nuls and @majukooo sharing their creative stories ✨️

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

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 🌞 ☀️ 🌤

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

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!

What a beautiful evening ✨️ to be working late in our Hill Street Studios 🌞 ☀️ 🌤

Jun 14

What a beautiful evening ✨️ to be working late in our Hill Street Studios 🌞 ☀️ 🌤

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

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!

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

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!

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

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!

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)

--

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

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 ✨️

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