Meet the Membership Board:
Artists with Astronomical Audiences
WORKING NOT WORKING
Simply put, Working Not Working doesn’t work without our members. Every single creative that builds a profile on WNW is further bolstering the elite talent pool we’re known for with their unique skillset and perspective in tow. With our community growing exponentially to include more than 50,000 creatives all over the world, our very own Membership Board has become especially invaluable. Members of our Membership Board are not only some of the most talented and experienced creatives on the platform; they also take time out of their busy schedules to proactively vet creative talent on WNW and offer personalized feedback to help fellow members strengthen their profiles.
This recurring WNW Magazine feature will introduce you to creatives on our Membership Board. It will celebrate their work and give them the mic to offer advice on how to elevate your own WNW profile. This feature is NOT meant to introduce you to creatives you should beg, bribe, or badger to review your profile. Our Membership Board includes hundred of members and the profiles they review are randomized.
What was the first project where you felt like you found your voice?
That’s a good question! I think one of the first big projects I did where I felt it was a lot of ‘Jon’ was for the Science Museum in London in 2007. I was put in charge of creating the visuals for a huge video game exhibition: the displays, the graphics, information, and the merchandise! As there was a crazy amount of work to be done, there wasn’t time for the usual overthinking and worrying I’m often laden with. The museum was also extremely generous in encouraging me to come up with creative ways to display the information. For example, a central piece of this was a timeline of the history of video games that would stretch along the entire space, but they didn’t want a straight forward timeline. I suggested it be a snake and it would have different stomachs, each containing a pivotal moment in gaming history, which they said yes to.
I was surprised because I’m not a designer and I’d hardly done any illustration work at that point. I kind of think no one would give me a job like that today! I’ve no idea how I even got that job at the time. Anyway, I really felt I’d managed to put my own spin on it all and it felt significant.
Did your social following first come about from client work or a personal project? Why do you think your work first started resonating with a large audience?
Personal projects helped build up my follower count on Instagram. I did some projects, over a month or so, that really took off and brought in a lot of attention to my feed. It resonated, I think, because it was entertaining and it was about something. One of the projects was called Head Shots, where I get shot in the head by adverts on the subway, and another was Jon’s Famous Friends, where I appear in celebrities photos. Sadly for me and for my audience, I like to end these kind of projects at the height of their popularity, thus annoying all the new followers and damaging engagement. I have no idea why but once I’ve feel I’ve done something I like to move on.
“Sadly for me and for my audience, I like to end these kind of projects at the height of their popularity, thus annoying all the new followers and damaging engagement. I have no idea why but once I’ve feel I’ve done something I like to move on.”
How does having this instant audience affect your creative process and work?
I don’t have an instant audience. As I change what I post, I think audiences come and go. Some like it when I put eyes on food, some like the silly songs I make, some like the murals, some the paintings etc. I’m a selection box account, something for everyone but not everything for someone (does that even make sense?)
Recently I’ve been posting Gifs, knowing they are not that passionately loved by my audience but I wanted to share them anyway. Perversely, I kind of wanted to see what was the lowest amount of likes I could get. I make work for myself and then I hope people will respond to it. I don’t like making work that’s cloying to an audience, which is probably not very helpful for my popularity, but that’s just how I am. If you want to gain a lot of followers, just do one thing well, over and over again and stick with it!
“Stand out by being yourself, only show your best work, and offer me bribes! :)”
How do you use these social platforms as a promotional tool? Any lessons learned in the process?
I try and let people know when I have new books out and events they can attend. I’m always surprised when I meet a fan of my work and they say something like, “I didn’t know you made a book about pizza,” and I think “Strange, I posted on my stories like twice and in my feed.” So I’ve learned even if people love your work, they might need many opportunities to find out what you’re up to. Posts and stories are only seen by a tiny fraction of your audience; most of it gets lost in the digital noise.
What do you look for in a WNW profile when vetting talent?
Something I’ve not seen before! Something that doesn’t look like what’s cool right now.
What advice do you have for talent signing up on WNW?
Stand out by being yourself, only show your best work, and offer me bribes! :)
What was the first project where you felt like you found your voice?
I don’t think there has been one specific project where I truly felt like I had found my voice. Developing your style and visual language as an illustrator is an ongoing, and ever-changing, process, I find. Even though I’ve been working as a creative freelancer all my working life, I always feel like I’m trying to find my place in the world. For me, it’s a matter of trying to create work that feels authentic, in a way that feels familiar but not comfortable, and that’s not always a simple process.
Did your social following first come about from client work or a personal project? Why do you think your work first started resonating with a large audience?
I think its always been the personal projects than seem to resonate the most. Perhaps it’s easier for people to connect to work that doesn’t have an underlying commercial, or corporate, message.
I regard my portfolio and main website as the more curated shop window, and my social media as the messy back-room studio. I enjoy sharing sketches, doodles and work-in-progress rather than always posting just the finished artwork. Hopefully, this encourages a more personal social media relationship with my friends, peers, and followers.
“I regard my portfolio and main website as the more curated shop window, and my social media as the messy back-room studio...Hopefully, this encourages a more personal social media relationship with my friends, peers, and followers.”
How does having this instant audience affect your creative process and work? How do you use these social platforms as a promotional tool? Any lessons learned in the process?
The importance of social media in a creative freelancer’s marketing plan cannot be ignored. I try and understand the potential and limits of each platform, and keep up-to-date with new developments so that I can incorporate them into my working life. If you are trying to build a following from scratch, you need to post regularly, and connect directly with your audience. Social media is very much a two-way relationship - hopefully a mutually beneficial one - but that means a very real-time commitment, too.
For me, it’s all about getting the balance right. I understand that, as a freelancer, my social media is primarily a business tool, rather than a popularity contest where every ‘like’ and ‘follow’ matters. As a creative, you have to be open to both praise and criticism. That being said, I do value the instant feedback it allows. I do read every comment and DM, and respond when I can. Sometimes, people see things in my work that I don’t, and I appreciate that alternative insight on things.
I always try and post what I’m working on or excited by, rather than what I think people might like the most. Again, it’s about being authentic. I am a person, not a brand. It’s about showing a bit more of myself, my art, and my thoughts, while maintaining a healthy sense of personal boundaries.
I do try to offer mini-tutorials or Q&As on a regular basis, as I know that many of my Instagram followers are aspiring artists or new graduates. I was supported and mentored by many more-established illustrators when I was starting out, and it’s important for me to try and repay that generosity.
“[Hirers] don’t always make that mental leap to what you might be able to create, so keep that in mind when making portfolio selections.”
What do you look for in a WNW profile when vetting talent?
I like to see a cohesive and curated portfolio. I put myself in the shoes of a prospective client and ask myself: do I have a clear vision of what this member could offer me? I want to look at a profile and easily have a handle on that person’s strengths and unique voice.
What advice do you have for talent signing up on WNW?
Show a snapshot of not just your best work but also the kind of work that you want to get in the future. In my experience, clients hire and make decisions based on the work that you’ve already done in the past. They don’t always make that mental leap to what you might be able to create, so keep that in mind when making portfolio selections.
What was the first project where you felt like you found your voice?
This would have to be the Pantone Pairings project that I created about 6 years ago. As a designer you’re always having to compare Pantone chips together to see how they will look when you go to print. I had an ah-hah moment when I saw a couple of Pantone chips I taped next to each other and I instantly thought about how people pair different foods together in the same way. The project was a lot of fun and it wasn’t for a client. This was definitely a defining moment for myself as I realized the potential that passion projects could have within my work. Interestingly enough, a year or two after I created this project, an agency that has McDonald’s as a client commissioned me to create a Food Pantone Series for their most iconic sandwiches.
“This was definitely a defining moment for myself as I realized the potential that passion projects could have within my work. Interestingly enough, a year or two after I created this project, an agency that has McDonald’s as a client commissioned me to create a Food Pantone Series for their most iconic sandwiches.”
Did your social following first come about from client work or a personal project? Why do you think your work first started resonating with a large audience?
I had grown a lot of my audience from the passion projects I was posting on my Instagram channel. Creating these projects for myself became my outlook on getting new business. Instead of taking the traditional approach of cold calling and emailing, I just started creating things. They gained a lot of traffic online and I even started to get paying client work from people sharing them. It was a very freeing exercise and I grew as a designer through the process of experimenting with new ways of working.
How does having this instant audience affect your creative process and work?
It can definitely be daunting to know that within seconds of posting something I will receive feedback from my audience. I’ve found that the best way to deal with this is to have thick skin and to try not worry about how many comments or likes a post will get. The important part is that I’m putting my work out into the world and sharing my ideas. When social media evolves into something else, I will still adapt and use whatever the next medium is to share my work with people. The biggest thing to remember is to not worry about failing. It’s the only way you will grow as a creative.
“I would always err on the side of a smaller portfolio if that means you edit out the projects that you aren’t super crazy about.”
How do you use these social platforms as a promotional tool? Any lessons learned in the process?
The best way to promote yourself is by sharing the things you’re passionate about creating. For me promotion comes in the form of sharing the work I’m creating for clients and myself. I try to not make it feel too ‘ad-like’ since people are turned off by that. Instead, I remain true to who I am and the voice that my audience is used to hearing from.
What do you look for in a WNW profile when vetting talent?
I always look to see how invested someone is in their work. It’s great to see people that put the extra time and effort in how they organize their work and most importantly talk about the idea behind the project. Anyone can make something look pretty, but it takes it to another level if there’s a reason why you chose a particular typeface or color for a project.
What advice do you have for talent signing up on WNW?
Only post your best work. Quality is always better than quantity when it comes to a portfolio. I would always err on the side of a smaller portfolio if that means you edit out the projects that you aren’t super crazy about. You should also be looking at other people’s profile pages and see how they organize and talk about their work.