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Tips on Self Promotion

Lesson 19 from: FAST CLASS: A Brand Called You

Debbie Millman

Tips on Self Promotion

Lesson 19 from: FAST CLASS: A Brand Called You

Debbie Millman

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Lesson Info

19. Tips on Self Promotion

Lesson Info

Tips on Self Promotion

Another thing that you really need to consider doing, is creating promotions. You need to be able to show work, that you love. That is for the sheer joy of making it. It is very unlikely, that you're gonna get your dream job by showing the work that you're making today, in your not dream job company. How is it possible... for you to entice somebody, to give you your dream job with the drab work that you're doing in your current job. So you need to make the work yourself. You need to create your own promotions. And now is the time to make the things that you've said you always want to make. That is the way to get something better than what you have. Without the shackles of your current employer telling you that you need to use this logo, this size, and this configuration. You need to make self generated work that can get you more awareness in the marketplace. And I'm gonna show you three examples of people that have done this really, really successfully. This is Jessica Hische. She was ...

working at a job, and she wanted her dream job. And so she started to do a project that was called "The Drop Cat" project. And she did a promotion that was to very specific number of people. I think she said it was 40 people that she sent it to. It's a very expensive promotion that she had made, handmade. And she sent it to 40 companies. She got one call back. One. Stats right, one callback. But the callback was from Louise Fili. And she got the job with Louise Fili. And then, most of the work that she's become known for, is her own self generated work. So she did this Drop Cat project. The drop cat project resulted in her being hired by a book publisher, to do a series of covers with the letters A through Z, for their entire back labels, their books that they had. And so she got this amazing job. Because of a self generated project that she initiated on her own, doing the work that she loves. Lisa Congdon is also a creative live teacher. She first became known for her collection, A Day. She created beautiful photographs of collections that she had had, and did this for a year. And it resulted in her book, and now an entire career as an illustrator. And then of course, no example like this is complete without Jessica Walsh and Tim Goodwin Goodman, who created "The 40 days of dating" website. Catapulted them both to enormous, enormous heights of recognition. And I believe that there's a movie that's being made now, as well, of "40 days of dating". Jessica works for Stefan Sagmeister... with Stefan Sagmeister now, as a partner at Sagmeister and Walsh. And Tim Goodman is traveling all over the country drawing beautiful murals and office lobbies, and creating amazing packaging and products, and they're doing amazing, amazing work. All based on, not the previous job that they had. But the self generated work that they made, and got into the marketplace. And it's never been easier than before, to get your work out in the marketplace. You can make it, you can put it up on Instagram, you could put it up on a blog, you can put it on Twitter, you can put it on Facebook, and all of a sudden it could be shared and shown, and before you know it, more than just the people you know and love, are looking at the work that you've made. That's the way you have to get your name out. And you wanna get your name out for doing this kind of work, but this isn't the work that you love. This is the work you want to be known for. You don't wanna be known for the employer's work that you're doing that you don't love. So you have to make work that you do love, and Stefan Sagmeister says it best, "You shouldn't be putting the work in your portfolio "that you don't love. "You should be making work that you love to put in your portfolio." Don't rely on your employer to inspire you to make work, that is gonna inspire other people. You have to make it for yourselves. And you have to attend the events. You must attend the events. You have to get your name out there. You have to show up. Go to the conferences. Go to the round tables. Go to the creative mornings talks. They're all free. All the creative mornings talks in every country of the world are free. And that's where you meet people. Take classes. Take continuing ed classes. There's always something that you can do to meet somebody that you admire. They might be teaching, they might have creative live classes, they might be talking at creative mornings. They might be at an AIGA conference. They might be at a type directors club conference. There's access to everybody now. Follow them on Instagram. There's always a way to reach people that you admire. We live in that kind of world now. Utilize that for your purposes, in a way that is honest and has integrity.

Ratings and Reviews

Hilary Larson
 

I was not expecting to get so much out of this accelerated class! Debbie is a captivating speaker who manages to get her points across directly while maintaining a strong sense of relatability with her audience. I really look forward to taking what I have learned here with me as I move forward in my career as a visual artist. Highly recommended.

Michelle
 

This class is for a specific audience - young or new-to-the-field designers. It is NOT a branding class for the regular person. The class description is misleading. However, there are bits and tips that anyone can benefit from, but you have to sit through the entire presentation to get those bits and tips. I am not a designer. Because I had the all-access pass, I dipped in and out of different classes, speeding up and skipping as needed. I found enough value in this Fast Class: A Brand Called You to watch it, rather than the long one. I can see how this would benefit new designers as they job hunt.

Matías Obando Ruiz
 

Debbie the OG

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