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Reflections on my blog and my practice

This exercise has encouraged me to begin analyzing my practice and think about the direction that I would like it to take. I would not ordinarily classify myself as a feminist but during the initial stages of trying to pinpoint a research topic I began thinking about my identity and with whom I can align myself, especially within the context of the local creative industries. I began to take an interest in the types of creative communities that exist around me and how my contributions would fit as a creative practitioner. Perhaps the crux of the matter is not determining if I do fit in with the local creative community, but whether or not I belong there as a legitimate member. I have at times felt that my work was not on par with the rest of my ‘community’ of designers because I have worked as an in-house designer during the critical period of my development as a professional, and have not received an opportunity to experience the rigours of an advertising agency creative department. I felt as if there was a gap in my career experience. Consequently, after some initial research, I am beginning to accept that in-house design is as legitimate a profession as agency work, with its own unique challenges, that contribute to the development of the creative industries where I live.

The other side of the design experience reveals a number of social issues that mirror the society at large, not the least of which is the question of gender relations. I am interested in researching how this has affected the local industry and if there is a perhaps larger degree of success for women in the Caribbean since this industry is not as exposed to the global cultural tendencies of more developed countries, or if we are in fact a few steps behind because of our relative isolation. Nevertheless, in terms of my practice, I find that I am looking in this direction for inspiration for my project with the aim of giving it a perspective that would be noticed and respected by my contemporaries.

My work in my chosen research topic is underdeveloped at this point in time, however, my internal reflections have led to greater discovery of my motivations for practice since I began this period of study than ever before. I hope to become more purposeful with my design practice by establishing personal goals that will leave a strong legacy for other designers to emulate. The case studies and professional anecdotes that I have unearthed in my reading thus far has impressed me with the fact that most creative practitioners draw on their passion to create in order to surmount the obstacles that have been presented to them, sometimes by their own peers. Female practitioners have the added stress of navigating the intricacies of gender-based interactions in order to advance. Most creatively-minded women eventually leave the corporate environment to embark on their own pursuits in order to by-pass the obstructive attitudes that hinder them.

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A sampling of my inspiration for my personal practice

My personal practice happens when I am able to take on freelance projects where I have much more freedom to innovate and can draw from a wider range of creative skills in my private practice than in my professional one. I can also refer to a wide range of sources for my inspiration. It is during the research stage of these projects that I get the chance to interact with different people from a variety of professions and visit the things that inspire me to be creative.

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Georgia O’Keeffe – American painter born in the late 1800s and died 1986, known for large floral paintings and depictions of New Mexican landscapes

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It’s got worse because everyone thinks it’s got better

(Klein, 2000: 19)

This is what Debby Klein remarked when asked her opinion of the state of advertising in the UK in regards to the progress that women may or may not have achieved over the past ten years. The female consensus on the industry when surveyed felt that women needed better representation at management and executive level, while less than half of the men surveyed felt that something needed to change (ibid.).

Sources:

GREGORY, M.R. (2009) ‘Inside the locker room: male homosociability in the advertising industry.’ Gender, Work & Organization, 16 (3). p. 323-347.

KLEIN, D. (2000) Women in Advertising — Ten Years On. London: IPA.

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‘Womanish Behaviour’ is the working title of my research project, which will attempt to examine a woman’s inherent character traits and her contributions to society at large. I will be exploring the representation of women in historical and contemporary art. I will also be investigating how women are treated in the creative industries, with emphasis on women in the graphic design industry. For deeper insights, the list of practitioners whose work I would like to review will include:

Shalini Seereeram – a contemporary Trinidadian painter/designer/artist whose depictions of the female form is heavily influenced by the Indo-Caribbean tradition. https://www.instagram.com/shalini.seereeram/

Boscoe Holder (1921–2007) – noted Trinidadian artist who devoted much of his subject matter to women of colour.

Halcian Pierre – a contemporary illustrator whose favourite content is Afro-Caribbean women. https://www.instagram.com/halcie/

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Women artists (generally, but particularly in Jamaica, I’ve found), whether writers, fine artists, musicians, filmmakers, etc … often struggle absolutely alone. No one “rallies around” a female artist at the helm, especially if it’s her own independent project, no one, not like her male counterparts or colleagues ... even if she’s better than her male counterpart. That is one of the disappointing things I find here. It’s everywhere, but I refer to my very immediate environment.

Mary Wells, Jamaican screenwriter (Davies, 2015: 709)

I came across this quote from a source that I was researching for my master’s project. The source itself is very interesting to me because is it basically comprised of first-person accounts from four women who live in Jamaica, all with their personal challenges to overcome, but who are trying to succeed in their craft of screenwriting against the backdrop of the Jamaican film industry. These interviews, as recorded by author Tanya Gail Davies, are riveting to me because they help bring to life the real experiences that these artists go through to realize their ambitions.

In keeping with my research project, I am interested in how the Caribbean creative industries treat women, have they had or are they having good experiences in meeting their creative goals, and how these experiences are shaping them as creative practitioners.

Source:

DAVIES, T.G. (2015) Jamaica. In: NELMES, J. & SELBO, J. Women Screenwriters: An International Guide. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

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Womanish behaviour

The idea for my research topic came from several conversations I have had with one male acquaintance in particular, and with several men over the years who have expressed similar sentiments but in broader terms. The idea of strongly masculine men showing any sympathy for others or any type of emotion in general is deemed as weakness and therefore is relegated to the behaviour of women. I wanted to address the stigmatization of the perceived weak behaviour as a misconception, and show that being likened to a woman is not some sort of curse, as some men may think. I want to express the depth of a woman’s strength through graphic design; I am yet to decide exactly what to do, whether it would take the form of an online campaign, or a printed document. I tend to lean towards the printed piece as the vast majority of my work so far has been in print media.

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It’s all about context...

I am an in-house graphic designer for a professional services firm in Trinidad and Tobago.

The key contexts that I have identified for my practice are:

Contemporary – I am one of the few persons in my current organization who are concerned about keeping abreast with contemporary design trend, and as such I rely on local creative events and practitioners that I am acquainted with for news on innovations or recent developments in the field.

Historical – I live in a culture that is heavily influenced by the local annual Carnival festival. The creative industries are so intertwined with Carnival that it encourages much cross-utilization of skills and collaboration between different disciplines, and could be a major factor in the development of the creative industries locally and its recognition as a national revenue earning sector of the economy.

Professional – I have spent much of my career as an in-house designer, and have often wondered about the advantages of in-house design vs agency design.

Global – Still in the process of determining where I fit in the global context. I aim to examine the global practice of graphic design to expand my personal practice to help it appeal to a wider audience.

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Another website that I recently discovered while doing some research for this module. It introduces you to people you should watch in the local creative landscape - the doers, makers, painters, designers and musicians - with stories to tell. This website gives really great insights to the journeys that shape these artists’ varying careers.

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My desk at work.

Most of those postcards are invitation to gallery openings with the featured artist’s work printed on the front. I usually surround myself with art where I work, just for the visual stimulation.

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The National Museum and Art Gallery, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad is one of the first places where I encountered professional art pieces and important artefacts from our national and art history. Over the years, I got to be familiar with work from pivotal artists like Boscoe Holder, Leroy Clarke, Ken Crichlow, Jackie Hinkson, and Francisco Cabral.

The video attached is from a recent visit to the museum. This exhibit is actually hung in a refurbished space in the museum and features the work of various contemporary artists that depict spiritual and religious subject matter, titled ‘Spiritual Integration’.

The National Museum and Art Gallery is an important part of our architectural history, and it has been an important part of my development as a creative practitioner today.

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This lady is an inspiration to me. I think if I had a parallel career I would like it to take shape in similar fashion to Tanya’s. I have not met her in person but she is one the practitioners that captured my imagination when I began researching the local creative industries here. I think she is not afraid to show who she is through her design work, even in trying to please her clients.

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Reflection on critical thinking

Critical thinking, as defined by the Paul-Elder model, is the process of taking charge of one’s reasoning structures and imposing on them intellectual standards such as logic, relevance, clarity, depth and sufficiency. Subjecting one’s thought patterns to this regime will improve the way one thinks and/or the quality of their thoughts. According to philosopher John Dewey, critical thinking or ‘reflective thinking’ is defined also as an active process where a theory is carefully weighed in ‘the light of’ its supporting arguments and the inferences drawn (Dewey 1909: 9).

The key activity in research is critical thinking, and critical thinking can help provide focus for creative practice so that it is more systematic in approach. Creative practice that is systematic, rigourous and communicable is viable research.

Sources:

DEWEY, J. (1909, reprinted 1997) How We Think. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

FISHER, A. (2011) Critical thinking: An introduction. UK: Cambridge University Press.