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The image above has been designed to explain how best to use this blog to view the work produced in a more efficient and easier way. Dates have been changes to make sure all work throughout (including the tags) are shown in a chronological order. 

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Ten Things Presentation

Colour - I enjoy the power of colour, the ability it has to communicate a variety of things throughout nature. How they have meanings and the power to change ones emotions, perception and trigger neurological responses.

Sharks - I have fond childhood memories of exploring my special interest with sharks. I love that sharks have electroreceptors which they developed just to discover fish hiding in sand. It is fascinating that they are repelled by magnets and are unable to stay still or they’d drown. They are rich with history, are unique and are a source of comfort for me.  

Woodland - I find woodlands soothing and a valuable source of life lessons. Watching how nature changes, adapts and acts throughout the season mimics life. They hold alot of knowledge within them. Woodlands are also predictable, a place of discovery and always growing.

Potato - Are the best food source ever. They are versatile with ways you can consume and create out of them, the make a fantastic food base and are 80% water.

Ice Skating - A place of comfort, freedom, skill and expression.

Photography - Is an easy way for me to feel other’s moods, have a sense of communication, it is simple with lots of meaning and is controllable.

Lights - Again, controllable, soothing, creative, mood inducing, versatile and accessible.

Kraken Headphones - Are comfortable and have helped to make my ability to access music much easier than previous headphones. They are big enough to fit my hearing aids in, with cooler inserts and a soft cushion so my glasses don’t dig into me.

Psychology - A never ending mission of understanding, the difference created, ability to manipulate our minds, meanings, the fact that we are all the same but very different within our psyche.

Waterfall - Powerful and soothing to watch. Simply being under one has been one of the best memories I have, they provide a real sense of thrill and freedom when kayaking.

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Ten Things Links

Reoccurring themes links:

Control

Freedom

History

Durability

Versatile

Life

Comfort

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Self-Evaluation/Project Reflection

Task Completed: Due to not being aware of timetable changes I had missed this particular class task. When I found out about it, classes had been made online due to government guidelines. The task should have been performing a presentation of my 10 things that I enjoy/feel passionate about and so on.  The task I completed instead was created a investigation board of my interest. I decided on this as this whole task seemed to be much like an investigation on yourself. I used resources I already had to hand. When it came to looking for common themes, I added post-it notes under each one stating five common themes I picked-up on. I have been told there will be a thread created for those who are yet to present their 10 things presentation and I will be uploading this photo there when that thread is created. 

Expectations:

I expected this task to be fun, quick and easy due to the nature of the task and me already having a pretty good clue on my personal interest. That is pretty much the way the task went.

Enjoyed: I enjoyed reflecting and selecting my top ten things, coming up with ideas to display them was fun too, as I think these also get to reveal more about ourselves. Didn’t Enjoy: I didn’t enjoy discovering that half the module had already taken place a semester prior. Meaning my peers had already done this and I had missed their presentations and knowledge of their 10 things.   Overall Attitude: My overall attitude towards the project was pretty upbeat, especially considering all the changes that had taken place prior (government guidelines).  

Project Performance: I thought my overall performance was upbeat and consistent. I found it easy to complete the task and discuss my interests. Future: I would have loved to have produced a short video clip (much like the one we produced in our first year). I had the skills, software, knowledge and ideas to produce this however I lacked the equipment to film a quality enough video.  

The video would have flipped between objects I owned of my favorite 10 things. Each object would transition between clicking of the fingers, turning pages, flipping items, zooming in and opening lids. The whole video would have lasted no more than 30 seconds, along with the introduction of “The Who - Who Are You” playing for an additional corny effect. 

In the future I would borrow equipment from the appropriate places, however I do recognize that this was (hopefully) a one off. And in the future I will have access to university resources. I could have also checked for any online apps, it may not have been ideal quality wise but my idea would have still been communicated.

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Tax and Self Employment Report

My career after qualifying is to be an art therapist. Typical working hours are 37 to 39, thought they are variable and will include a lot of paperwork/reports and evening work. The average starting salary is £30,401. The jobs are freelance of self-employed. Settings include hospitals, education settings and personal buildings.

Before starting anything, I will need to set up my branding, identity and business plan. This will help me decide if I need to take out a loan beforehand to set-up or if it will be enough to start from a small self-investment. It will also make sure I have thought all things through and can survive the first two years (when the average new business fails). It should be expected that I will not make profit in the first year as the average earns profit during the 18-24 month. This means I need to make sure I am able to pay the house bills and other personal payments.  

Going down the self-employed art therapist, gives me 2 main options. I work from my own home or I rent/buy out a space to work there. Alternatively, I could take a contracted route (freelance) and travel to where I am required. Because the subjects of the job, I will be opting to work from a rented office space. Usually there are counselling offices available throughout the UK. I will need to provide my own equipment. This includes a laptop or PC to type up my notes and a safe and secure back-up set-up.

Before I go about finding a suitable location for my business or even register myself as a business owner, I am required to have a few things in order. First, I will need to sign up for a DBS check. There are two options, an annual membership which will allow me to start work right away at any placements/business I go too. Or a one-off DBS which is only covered at the location I am working at. Whichever option I choose it is required I have it done every 3 years.  

I will need to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Failing this I could face a fine of £5,000. I will then need to make sure I have registered for my The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT). Although this isn’t essential it does improve trust and quality. I also get access to a range of perks such as cash back rewards, discount on books, access to the research library and can further my training at a discounted rate.

Additional requirements I will need is a bare minimal of level 3 in British sign language. This is a minimum requirement by the professional industry to be able to work with D/deaf clients. Ideally, I’d be much higher but as I am deaf myself, I am unable to get higher levels as they are aimed at interpreters. I can however submerge myself within the Deaf community. A bonus to this will be networking.

It is expected of me to keep a record of my business’s sales and expenses, send self-assessment tax returns each year and pay income tax on profits and class 2/4 national insurance. If my turnover is £85,000 or more I will be required to register for VAT. Having an accounting method will support this and is something I will be required to do solo or hire external for. If my income is £150,000 or less I can use cash basis reporting. I only record income or expenses when the money is received or a bill is paid. By doing this I won’t need to pay income tax on anything I have not yet been paid. The standard tax-free personal allowance is £12,500. This means I won’t need to pay any income tax until I am earning more. This changes if I am married and claim marriage allowance. I must also continue to pay my National Insurance contribution (NICs) if my business begins to make more than £6,365 a year. The flat rate is currently £3 a week. This is along side my income tax. If I earn £8,631 or more I will then have to pay the class 4 NICs which is 9% on the profit and 2% after. This can be paid at the same time as my income tax and class 2 NICs. Using the calculator online and creating a made-up annual income using the bare minimal of the average art therapist income, which is (37 hours @ £40 per hour (1,480) x 4 weeks = (5,920) x a year12 = 71,040. I would take home 50,824 a year after tax and NIC. Within a year I would have paid 15,916 for income tax and 156 in class 2 NIC and 4,143 in class 4 NIC.  

I will need insurance to protect myself and others in the event of incidents, accidents and emergencies. My trade description falls under “holistic therapist”. Salon Gold offer a package designed just for art therapist. It includes public liability, product liability, malpractice cover and financial loss. Additional add on include legal expense, stock/equipment, money cover, personal accident and employer’s liability.

Finding a building comes with its own separate task and legal requirements, depending on if I rent or buy my building. I have been saving up with the intention to buy a property to turn into a joint art recovery centre and art community. A friend wants to do a similar thing so there is talk of potentially working together (which brings in more legal requirements and partnership agreements). When it comes to renting, I will need to find a suitable place. This requires me to think like my audience and use my personas. Considering accessibility, travel, parking and lighting. I will need to carry out a health and safety risk assessment. This is to remove any hazards I may encounter. In terms of the building itself these are things like fire safety, electrical equipment, gas safety (if there is any) and deal with any asbestos. For inside the building and a working environment I will need to con sider temperature, space/ventilation/lighting, toilet and washing, safe equipment and drinking water. There is a downloadable file on gov.uk called “Workplace health, safety and welfare: a short guide” which has been written by the health and safety executives (HSE). Not mentioned here is reasonable adjustments being made. This can be done through “access to work”. It is crucial that I follow these health and safety rules as I leave myself open to be prosecuted under the “Health and Safety at Work etc. Act1974”. I also want to be a decent human being and I believe the above requirements are a bare minimum, if that. The HSE and my local council will be responsible for making sure I am following the law. Other requirements are much the same as renting a home property. I am to pay my monthly rent, instead of council tax I am to pay something called “business rates”. Rate relief are available for business rates. I am to pay for utility bills. If I wish to have the TV or/and a radio in my waiting room or at my office I will require a TV license or/and a license to play music (two type are required PPL and PRS). This is because the UK law recognises that any music playing in public falls under “public performance”. I will also need to set up a Wi-Fi and phone line. Usually any responsibility not brought up on the lease will be my responsibility. Some offices provide all of the above within an all inclusive monthly fee.

Finally I’ll want to be opening a business account. With my current bank, they would offer me pre-customer benefits such as access to 18 months’ free day-to-day. Non-members get 6 months. I would also be given access to the financial and digital tools for my business. Having a business account means I can keep my personal and business money separate. I will be able to pay myself a wage (when I start to earn enough) and leave the money for the business in the business account. I am also entitled to better protection that you wouldn’t get with a personal account.

The British Association of Art Therapist (BAAT) offer free business advise to those wishing to start self-employment as an art therapist. The recommendations for payment rate from 2014 are:

· Individual art therapy at £40-£60 per hour

· Administration (note writing, meetings, etc.) at £30 per hour

· Group art therapy (1.5 hours face-to-face contact and 30 minutes setting up, clearing up and writing reports or notes): £90 - £110 (per group)

The BAAT expect all members to obey the code of conduct and must:

·maintain their registration by the HCPC;

·adhere to this Code of Ethics and the Principles of Professional Practice and Guidelines for Members;

·undertake supervision in accordance with supervision guidelines;

·hold personal professional indemnity insurance (PII) as stated in the EU directive

·2011/24/EU if this is not provided by an employer’s vicarious responsibility insurance.

·undertake continuing professional development (‘CPD’) as required by both the BAAT and

·the HCPC.  

(Taken directly from the British Association of Art Therapist “Code of Ethics and Principles of Professional Practise for Art Therapist” document.)

After all of this is in place I can now register with HMRC and being my self-employment adventure.

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Self-Evaluation/Project Reflection

Task Completed: For this task we were to produce a 1,000 word report on our process to self-employment if we choose to do that. Because I am not completing this degree to become a designer, my task will be a little different to my peers. I had checked prior if I was able to do this with my tutor and got the approval. I discussed tax, insurance and routes for employment overall in my career area.  

Expectations: I thought this task would be super dry and boring but it ended up being painless and I was able to move through it quickly. It was interesting to discover how much insurance and protection I would need for my own business and to see the figures of how much tax would be taken from my business was fairly shocking. I defiantly don’t think I will be taking the self-employment route anytime soon.

Enjoyed: Doing the research overall was enjoyable as it triggered some happy, excited hormones over the prospect of my future. It was nice to indulge in where I am heading, as lately I have been focusing a lot on getting things in the here and now done - which has been unpleasant and stressful. It was nice to get a break and a bit more educated on any self-employment route I may take. Didn’t Enjoy: To my surprise there wasn’t anything I didn’t enjoy for this task. I honestly thought I would find researching tax and insurance boring and dry but I found myself in a rabbit hole of information, wanting to seek out more. I supposed I didn’t enjoy the 1,000 words limitation as I had a lot more to speak about on the topic. Overall Attitude: Positive and determined. Researching the future helped to make the path I am currently on seem more real and remind me of where I am heading, even though things are a little sucky right now.  

Project Performance: Unexpectedly my performance was bouncy and efficient. I really did think it was going to be a drag that would take ages to do as I became distracted. Instead I was able to remain very focused and upbeat throughout this task. Future: My writing structure will more than likely be requiring an improvement and I could have put more effort into making sure I hit the correct word count and not gone over. However at this point in time I cannot think of anything I could do to improve how this project went. Maybe I could use it to remind myself that I will have pleasant moments again for modules and task, much like this one.  

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I have been following AmyTV for a number of years. Her channel offers advice predominantly around productivity, self-employment and living the life you want. When it comes to hiring Amy recommends creating three different things to help when applying for your dream job. 7 years ago Amy did a similar video which was using vine to get hired. The video above is a more up to date version of that video. Bellow are the 3 main tips Amy gives that can get you hired. Too Long Didn’t Read (TLDR) link This is a short video that fills the employer with the facts so the person doing the hire doesn’t need to read through the CV. I don’t feel confident over using a video at all, however I can see the value of this technique. For my field of work it might not be entirely possible to do this as primary CV’s are not a part of the hiring process. If there was a section to add additional information or if I was able to get the e-mail of the person doing the hire, then I could leave the link here. I know for a fact it would be incredibly appreciated as it will most likely be the NHS that I apply for due to the nature of the job. From personal experience I am aware that typically the person doing the hiring is the manager of the department and have a whole team to manage and their own service users. There is a lot on their plate, reading through CVs is typically done during their free time at home (unless they are able to find some time in their working day). Using this knowledge I plan to talk to the person doing the hiring at a personal level. In the video Amy suggested “I know you’re busy”. I plan to take it further by stating “I know from experience that…”, this will instantly let them know I’ve been there and I appreciate their time. After all, the person hiring could be my next manager and first impressions can make a difference.

Thank you & business cards Amy discussed the use of “thank you notes” and adding in a business card. The idea behind this was to add the same photo as your CV to help create a pattern of recognition. Keeping it within a brand will help. Blog Post The final idea Amy shared was to create 3 blog post that discuss the ideal industry. This would work well for me as I could make it a part of my master’s degree. This is a chance for me to share my thoughts and opinions on the matter. I can showcase my extensive knowledge in the field despite not under going training yet.

I am unsure if any of the above would help when it comes to being accepted at another university. I don’t have much knowledge in that “hiring” process. It would be a bonus for me if all of the above helped with that. I could simply update it all throughout my professional career. It would also be a unique way for me to be getting placements and voluntary work and later my job.  

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CHOOSING MY WORK IDENTITY

[IMAGE 1] Because the brief have stated our work needed to be designer based I tried to consider being a designer and working self-employed. To do this I started to look into areas of interest. My niche is around online designs, games and branding (for independent companies or charities). I started to wonder if illustration was better for me, as it used more artist’s qualities than designer’s.

[IMAGE 2] I began looking into the differences and similarities of artist and designers to see if there was any underlining theme that I have missed but could use in graphic design. With the recent changes in society this will be impacting my ability to become an art therapist. Being a designer will allow a more realist income, however will become more competitive as many lose their jobs. I thought about how I could work with the two while I am in training and what this may look like. Such as possiably working within the mental health field to produce websites for therapist to help them find clients or create content for them. By designing websites for small business which are within my interest. I separated the two by risk but my passion and safe but my interest.

[IMAGE 3] I started to look into the type of graphic design I have enjoyed on the course in hope that this would open more doors for me. I paid attention to my skill areas as well as the types I would like to improve. I thought about possible problems and specializing. I watched a video be The Futur and above are my notes and thoughts on the matter. By thinking about what problems I want to solve I can target it this in both areas, as an art therapist or designer. I wanted to find a happy middle which would allow me to do both.

[IMAGE 4] I started to think of associated words which resolve around my values and underlining need to do something. I noticed the word “connect” cropped up a lot. I decided to speak to my tutor about the possibility of making my business around my master’s application and placements jobs. They were okay with this and so I went ahead with it instead. The work I have done above is still useful, especially with the way things are turning in society at the moment.

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Logo Development and Design Aesthetic

Above are exercises to kickstart logo shape, styles and ideas.

In social psychology there is something call “The Halo Effect”. The basic principle is that humans believe those who have good looks, also have other qualities which are viewed as positive. It is the same with objects/designs. This means a user interface or product which looks good will be perceived as being of a higher quality and value compared to others. 

That’s why getting the branding right is essential for any business. Not only will it communicate

Bellow are a series of circle designs which I am drawn too and could use as a possible:

It would be nice to include elements of plants to symbolize growth and holistic (the type of therapist I will be approaching).

I also wouldn’t mind mix media to represent the viarty of art techniques available to use. It will also help to stop me from being mistaken for a designer role. However this might be better as an overall brand instead of a logo. Thinks I am considering that I want: 

- I want to avoid being mistaken for a designer. - I want to look professional but not corporate. - I want to appeal to all genders. - I want to have two separate brands. One for children and one for adults.

Visual Hand Inspiration (for logo design)

Some visual inspiration of hand designs I am most drawn too. It seems A bit of colour would be nice, minimal and fine lines are the types I am most drawn too. I like the hand having a two-tone to it, I think the messages it will send fit in line with the values and type of business I would be producing. I much prefer the slimmer lines, it gives off a more professional look over a playful. 

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FINAL THREE LOGO DESIGNS 

Above are some logo designs, I have selected 3 designs which I think are most suitable and made them digital. It was really important for me to have a hand in the logo however, I recognize just a hand could create many confusions, especially around massage therapies. This is why ideally I wanted something to represent a brain. As psychology is working from the mind within and this is commonly associated with the brain.

(click to enlarge)

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ONLINE PRESENCE LINKS

WEB SITE  pickmelissa.wordpress.com

INSTAGRAM  www.instagram.com/pick.melissa

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Business cards to use with current website set-up to apply for Master’s and placements. This will later be upgraded to say “art therapist” and have the official (non-wordpress) website on the side.

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Self-Evaluation/Project Reflection

Task Completed: We were required to create an identity which is different to the original identity we created for a in a previous module. Expectations: I thought I would find this task enjoyable, as it is something to build towards my future. However, when it finally came to tackle the task I was met with dread and frustration. I just didn’t have the energy in me anymore. Enjoyed: I enjoyed playing around with colour to create the right feel. I didn’t enjoy anything else of this task. It was difficult to come up with a completely different identity to the one we already created in a previous module (which I also found difficult). Didn’t Enjoy: I did not enjoy the additional stress which was created by not having a portfolio, waiting around to found out what we were to do in class due to not having proper lessons or scheduled activities for the allocated class time. I also didn’t enjoy repeating a task which was identical to a previous module. Had I known this I would not have chosen the previous module. 

Overall Attitude: Incredibly negative and frustrated. I had no desire to complete the course anymore, let alone the task. There was a lot of dragging through projects for this task.

Project Performance: The overall performance was barely reaching my usual ability. I had gone into autistic burnout from fatigue, servery overtaxed by inappropriate teaching methods, negative attitude from tutors/peers and routine changes from government requirement. I have no longer been able to function after the tax task, which was week two.

Future: I think creating a copy of my creative process and keeping it on the wall might be a good way to help stay focused on what area I am working on. Spending more time planning how I will tackle the whole project too, as then I have something to pick up from without having to think. This will prevent me needing to use additional brain power in order to complete tasks. It also means I can follow a plan during burn outs or extreme stressful times. Using less energy and creating no additional stress (from trying to figure out what I should be doing).  To aid in preventing the impact of things that happen out of my control, I could report cases sooner and then have someone step in for me to follow up those reports and speak on my behalf. This will allow me to continue with my work task to help reduce the over taxing or worrying about replies, spending hours having someone translate my emails for me and helping me to write responses, which would in turn reduce migraines and prevent me needing to take days off to recover when I do not have time to do that. Asking for the additional time on deadlines I am entitled for as part of my study plan may also help. Remembering that prevention is better than cure and work with my GP and therapists to work out better ways to reduce burn outs and migraine attacks. 

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CV

My past experience with non-traditional CVs have been successful. One of my favorite was my comic design. Which I made for a comic shop job role. The owner said as soon as he saw it, without reading, he knew he needed to hire me. That is kind of impact I want to be having with my CV’s.

For art therapy because of under funding I thought creating something that would be useful. This could be a pot holder, brush cleaning jar, paint brushes or paint bottles, fancy paper, magazines, something that can be used even if they don’t hire me. Just a resourceful piece that is also reusable. This could even be a fancy CV printed on some nice paper so it can be flipped over and used to make someone’s work. 

While thinking about things I could do, what would help and myself, I was drinking a cup of tea. I drink a lot of tea and have a mug for each mood I am in, including personality of the visitors I have over. That’s when it hit me, that I should create my CV on a mug. Here’s why using a mug would make sense for me, my personality and my career:

- I love a good brew. - I enjoy communicating via mugs. I have mugs for each mood. - I am that person you see checking mugs in shops to see if it feels “good”. - My friends have special mugs for me at their houses. - I will go down the mug aisle in any shop, just to look at them. - artist use mugs for their water/holding resources/drinking their own brews. - in the NHS mugs are always going missing (a great way to have myself circulated throughout a shared office).

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Unbinable CV

My unbinable CV is an illustration of me, drinking from a mug with my logo on it. The background states all the tools I have experience with using. On the back will be my name, web site link and a “hire me”. This is in very early stage of development as I do not require a CV just yet for my job. For my future copy I hope to have improved my illustration skills. I also want to be able to have the mug printed off (current government regulations have prevented this). With the live copy I would have taken many photoshoots of it showing the different use of it. This will be a project to complete later on.

Reasons I believe it is unbinable is because it is useful, even if you don’t care. There are so many random, promotional mugs within staff rooms. Within the art therapy field these mugs can be reused for many things such as water to clean brushes, hold pencils/pens, used to have your own brew in or used to serve to a client. It could even end up being used as a plant pot. It will easily be circulated and seen by many different people.

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Self-Evaluation/Project Reflection

Expectations: I thought I would find this task enjoyable, as I have in the past when I did this. However, when it finally came to tackle the task I was met with dread and frustration. I just didn’t have the energy in me anymore. Trying to come up with yet another identity felt like a massive chore and a waste of time.

Enjoyed: I enjoyed seeing my potential product. Didn’t Enjoy: I didn’t enjoy coming up the ideas, creating the finished product and all in-between. It was far too taxing on me in my state at the time and the outcome of the completing the task.   Overall Attitude: Incredibly negative and frustrated. I had no desire to complete the course anymore, let alone the task. All the thought process was done mostly in my head. I couldn’t be bothered sketching ideas out and went with my first one which I know isn’t professional or to a high quality standards. 

Project Performance: The overall performance was barely reaching my usual ability. I had gone into autistic burnout from fatigue, servery overtaxed by inappropriate teaching methods, negative attitude from tutors/peers, lack of support and routine changes from a lock down. I have no longer been able to function.

Future: I would have liked to have created my own font for this, had a better illustration piece done and icons. It would also have been great to have had this printed off, sadly during the time it was created barely any company was still working after a government ordered lock down. In the future I would have had my mug printed and done a professional photoshoot set-up. This is something I will be doing at a later date and I look forward to that.  In the future I will be sure to spend more time in the designing stage, instead of going with my first idea.