[SUBS] Prepping For My First Ever Trade Show

This week I finished my Primary School’s tour and now I’m focusing on something else, and it’s a biggie. The biggest show I’ve ever done in my career as an illustrator… it’s Home&Gift, in Harrogate. It’s an industry only event where shops and businesses who want my products can come and see me… and hopefully place some orders. As I type, I have everything packed up downstairs, ready to get in the car, but I’m hoping future me will take some photos that I can add here for you (if there’s a photo, future me did well). I share more about my experience with Home&Gift and share some tips if you’re ever looking at doing a trade show in my Brain Dump which is available for paid subscribers below. It’s a goodie…

Before I started selling my own work, I was an animator for CBeebies. I worked on quite a few projects and TV shows. The one that people want to talk about is Numberblocks. This is not something I imagined when I was animating those little numerical cubes, that’s for sure! I was one of the first animators on the show, which looking back, was actually quite a privilege because I got to offer my input on some of the rules for the show (such as how the number magic is performed, if you know the show, that will make more sense, haha). If you go to iPlayer, season1, episode1, the first third of it, is pretty much all my work. Pretty cool.

THE GOOD ALLY, by Nova Reid (book). This audiobook one will be replayed again, for sure. Eye opening and challenging, this book is not an easy listen, but it’s vital. Nova takes us through examples, case studies about how we may harbour unexamined racism, that we’re not even aware of… this book helps illuminate it. I find her book/voice brave, bold and inspiring. If you’re curious about your own racism (and it’s totally ok to be), I’d 100% you give it a read/listen!

Let’s spend a minute to appreciate the creative wonderment of Eejits and their creator, George MacKay. Fellow Substacker, client and friend. I was honoured to print George’s characterful mugs, last year. They were a joy to make! If you like fantastic and funny characters, go and follow the Eejits!

Keep scrolling down to read this week’s Brain Dump, about how I prepped for my first ever trade show, buuuut let me use this interval to let you know where else you can find me:

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