Being brave in 2016 – Notes from February's Creative Hub

Our Creative Hub event in February was all about being brave in 2016, with illustrator Phil Weyman and Adam Kemeny, Director of Photobot. Laura Darling provides an account of the event.  

So, you have a burning desire to be an artist, or a musician, or a writer. But it turns out you’re doing something else  – perfectly successfully maybe, but not quite the thing you wanted. Here’s the question; do you stick with what’s safe, but a little bit boring? Or find a way back to that original dream?

At February’s Hub we talked about the latter – finding a way to do what you’ve always wanted whilst carrying on the paid work. Phil Weyman, whose “silly” (his words, not mine) illustrations as Mr Phil have been snapped up by Tumblr and London Social Media Week, had always wanted to be an illustrator but ended up as a graphic designer. He attended the Reasons to be Creative course and, right at the end of the day, listened to the final session and was inspired. He steeled himself to draw a doodle a day for a year whilst still web designing and after that year; well, Mr Phil was born.

Adam Kemeny to fell into graphic design too. As a frustrated photographer he had no shortage of ideas, but was unable to make a go of any of them for want of a developer. But after making a basic photo booth (with himself as the hidden camera) for a friend’s birthday party, he realised he was on to something and made the first Photobot with help from his furniture maker neighbours. Now photobot-ing for Virgin, Body Shop and the Venice Biennale, he is no longer a web designer.

Adam’s advice? Talk about your ideas. Don’t be protective. Get as much feedback and insight as you can. And, as the Linked In quote says, “if you’re not embarrassed about the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.”

Thanks Laura Darling for writing blog about our Creative Hub event. Laura Darling is a freelance copywriter with many years' experience in b2b/b2c writing and marketing across a range of industries.

The photos were taken by Lauren Psyk, a Brighton based photographer working UK wide and specialising in events, PR and documentary.

The next Creative Hub event is on the 29th of April and it's theme is 'Collaboration'. Naomi Alexander is going to tell us how she launched the Brighton People’s Theatre with the help of a variety of collaborators. To find out more and book tickets click here.

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk