OUIL603 Extended Practice - Summative Statement

This year has been a massive discovery for me - completely going back to the drawing board and trying to really reflect on who I am as a creative, and where I want to go when I leave. I think this is reflected in the briefs that i've chosen to cover - lots of very varied, very different areas of illustration, and I feel this has allowed me to open up my practice a lot more. I've consistently tackled with a combination of both analogous and digital media, trying to develop a synthesis between the two of them to better my practice. I don't think i've fully achieved that yet - as i'm still continuing to break old habits and explore as much as possible.

Now i've had this year to explore, however, I feel much more prepared to reflect on the work that i've done, and focus in on the areas that are strongest. I don't feel i've had the time or the space on this course to properly do that, which is why I feel a lot of my projects have missed the mark at the last hurdle. I've worked at a ridiculous pace that has not been good for my health, so i'm now going to have the time to establish a professional routine for myself, that utilises all the best bits i've identified to create some really strong work.

My interest in product and branding endures, and has gotten a lot stronger over this past year. I want to see if I can continue to refine and tap into this when I leave. I've also had a resurgent interest in editorial and illustration for publishing/stories, in spite of canning editorial weekly and Yum! as briefs. These are the areas i'm going to look at expanding on in my practice when I leave, to give myself a focus to work towards so I don't end up exploring into the nether and getting lost.

Despite reoccurring issues with project management (which have definitely shown up in OUIL603) - I do feel the way i'm working now is a lot more professional than it has been in the past. The way i'm refining and presenting work is a lot better and a lot more focused, and I think this will serve me well when I leave to keep professionalising my practice when I leave. 

Overall - I want rediscover my love for fun, enjoyable illustrative practice, and to continue the investigations that I have started as part of my final year on this course.