ICYMI – finding your own path and creative career

Wondering about a creative career and finding your own path? The UBC Department of Educational Studies brought together alumni of the EDST program (which included me as a graphic facilitator!) to talk about how we’ve forged our own way. All co-panelists shared their personal journeys – and our ups and downs of self-employment – and how our graduate studies inform our approaches. If you’re wondering what you might do after graduation – there’s many creative options out there.

And – if you are interested in graphic facilitation and academic research, this beautiful article by graphic recorder and cartoonist Dr Penelope Mendonça in the UK is a real gift. Highlights include values-based cartooning / graphic recording perspective,
 a rich bibliography, 
personal reflection on her practice, 
and the big question, could “visual practice represent a particular form of leadership that warrants further inquiry?”

Article: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.550058/full

Here’s the UBC Alumni Career Panel:

And then, following up on more creative journeys, about a month later I moderated a business panel for the International Forum of Visual Practitioners. Panelists were Tanya Gadsby from Fuselight Creative, Ashanti Gardner from Visual Scribe, and Lisa Nelson from See in Colors. Each practitioner spoke about navigating being creatives with the realities of running their own businesses. The panel included people in different stages of their visual professional careers – so whether people in the audience were just starting out, or have a few years of experience already, everyone gained nuggets of wisdom. This panel was recorded, as part of the IFVP’s Online Learning Series (OLS).

The OLS series is free, but recordings afterwards are only available to paid members of the IFVP – another great membership benefit!