Sam Ellis, Designer and Illustrator
It’s definitely a two-way street. The more creative you can be with a brief, the more interesting and exciting you can make the work for yourself.
I think it’s hugely important to carve out time in which you’re able to explore work that isn’t for specific clients. Hopefully that way the work you do receive from clients will fit more closely to what inspires you.
It can sometimes feel fruitless, but every pen stroke is a development. Hard work always pays off.
Expressing creativity in tighter, more prescriptive briefs can be tricky. It’s a balance between meeting the demands of the project and still maintaining your own flair. As long as you’re doing what you love the passion will filter through into your work.
Demanding clients can sometimes make you feel unable to express yourself within a project, but with persistence and dedication there’s room to weave your own character and creativity into everything.