…for the fantastic and humbling experience it has provided me with this weekend.

Arriving on Saturday morning with a sense of a doubt in my own abilities and suitability to the course seems like aeons ago. The warmth of the co-ordinators, guest-speakers and my Future Producer peers has relaxed me into my role within a strong and diverse team.

I’ve felt a welcome surge of energy that has been lacking in my recent creative endeavours – illustrating and design often calls for periods of isolation to get work done, only to share and discuss towards a finishing point. However, being able to input into group discussion and make decisions has been a liberating experience, knowing that your opinion has value and to reflect on the thoughts of others.

We put this into effect during our Fresh Flix Shortlisting Workshop, where we whittled three hours worth of short films down to an hour-long selection. I’m proud of the way we negotiated and reasoned beyond what we initially thought was expected of us. For instance, I was upset we couldn’t fit an animation in for variety – but seeing it stick out like a sore thumb in the final running was definitely unanimous and I think everyone was confident with it’s removal.

The presentation workshop was ultimately helpful – I just wish it had come earlier in the day as a hot Sunday afternoon definitely evoked the sloth in me. However, Flora was extremely helpful during a brain meltdown, and I think with her and my peers help I managed to relieve some of the pressures I put on myself before and after I make a presentation. This is an invaluable development for me as someone who is currently looking for work and attending interviews!

In regard to how I’d like to see myself progress into a role – well – I’d certainly need to fully understand the roles in question. I would love to use my illustration background to work with aesthetic and branding or marketing perhaps – however I also really enjoyed being part of a wider discussion and curating/establishing themes. This is certainly something to think about over the next few sessions as I explore my creative potential.

And I’m supposing that will also guide me towards a particular project. Although all appealed to me in unique ways, I am currently looking at the Family Arts Festival – both because I can really release my inner child and because of the opportunities that would come from liaising within a cross-venue event.

I’d like to end my post by commenting on what I think is a shared view: it’s so wonderful and refreshing to be part of such an interesting group of people! I know my experience of this weekend would be completely different hadn’t my peers offered me support and encouragement – and I hope the same can be said of me. It’s exciting to think I’ll leave this programme with some new friends and creative allies.