Maya Garcia: Creative industries

  Creating a network within the animation industry is very crucial to finding work and connecting with other people, but what does networking mean within the context of the creative industry? Networking means  “interacting with others to exchange information that will be helpful for your career. This typically means talking to others about your work and swapping contact details to stay in touch for job opportunities or ways to collaborate.” As described by ' Creative Lives In Progress ', creating a network within the animation industry will not only help you find job opportunities, but you may also learn valuable information and skills from your peers and colleagues.   How do I create a network? Creating a network can be done many ways, one of the more common and beneficial ways to achieve this is to attend events related to your work. For example, within the animation industry there is a myriad of events animation and 3D enthusiasts can attend because of how wi...

  Freelancing, defined by Investopedia is  “an independent contractor who earns wages on a per-job or per-task basis, typically for short-term work.” Promoting yourself and acquiring jobs or short-term contracts can be very difficult within the creative industries and animation world, but it can also bring many benefits and experience. There are different pros and cons to working as a freelancer which will be discussed further on. Key skills required for freelancing: There are many key skills you will need when freelancing within the animation industry, these skills can be learned though personal projects, working in group projects or through college and university courses. Communication is a very important skill to have while freelancing as you will need to discuss back and forth with your client about the projects they give you, letting them know about any potential issues, questions about the brief, suggesting solutions to problems, as well as regularly updating th...

Within the creative industries and animation world being professional is as necessary as it is within many other workplaces, but what is considered professional within the creative industry? What does it mean to be professional within the animation industry? I believe professionalism refers to how knowledgeable one is within the field of work they are involved with, having gained experience and skills through many projects whether they be personal, university assessments, commissioned from an individual, for a company or work experience. With the vast knowledge and skills under their belt, professionals are often the ones with more resilience who can take on bigger projects or difficult tasks compared to individuals newer to the animation industry. However, I also believe that even with all the skills they’ve acquired it doesn't stop them from continuing to learn so that they improve and keep up with the growing industry just as everyone else working within the field does. ...

Within the creative industries establishing an online presence is essential for everyone regardless of what field of the creative industry they work in. There is a lot of competition for work and so how you present yourself online and showcase your work and portfolio publicly is very important to how potential employers find you, as well as the ability to network with other people and companies within the animation industry. Establishing an online presence can be done on various social media platforms such as twitter (now referred to as “X”), Instagram and Artstation , however, one of the more formal platforms to use is LinkedIn.   What is LinkedIn and why is it commonly used within the creative industries? As it describes on the LinkedIn website itself: “LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network on the internet. You can use LinkedIn to find the right job or internship, connect and strengthen professional relationships, and learn the skills you need to succe...