From existential crisis to existential realisations - the DPS year so far.

Hi, Im Gaby, I’m the girl that wears all black 365 a year and I’m one of the graphics branding & identity students.

If you haven’t heard the story yet, here’s a little brief to why and how I ended up on DPS. As we started the professional practices at the beginning of year 2 the ultimate question of ‘where do you see yourself after you graduate’ came up and the only thing I could think of, was absolutely nothing. I thought, for the longest time I thought I had it all figured out - I’m going to graduate, working in industry, in some nice studio, doing a 9-5 and its all going to be fine. But then, I actually went to uni, and started the course and I have quickly realised that theres so much more to everything. 

As a branding and identity student, a lot of the work that I do is centred around - you guessed it - branding and identity, which I love to do. However, when the question of the future come up, I didn’t know if that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, and it scared me that I haven’t tried other things yet. 
When the DPS course opened, I was so sure this is my chance to put everything I know on hold and do the things I always wanted to do. Try printmaking, learn how to animate or create motion art, go abroad and work with other creatives and find out what brings me joy and what work I want to make more of. 

So far, I have been on a weird rollercoaster ride, which has stoped mid-air and is waiting to carry on. It’s been a very long summer full of rejections, commissions gone wrong and self-doubt but to quote Bob Ross, its not mistakes its happy little accidents. Theres always light at the end of the tunnel even if its very dim. Near the end of the summer, I was debating whether I should even be taking on the DPS year. I was question if I’m good enough or my work is strong enough to be working in an agency, will anyone even bother reading my emails and all I wanted to do was go back to uni and have a 9-5 structure again. It’s sounds all very dramatic, negative and sad, but the truth is, thats exactly how it was. I did not see the DPS year going any worse even before it really began.  
But things slowly started to turn around, and I got myself back up again and the ride is slowly moving again. I have discovered a few opportunities and projects I can take part in, and even a long-term collaboration. The idea of freelance stoped being so scary and I have decided on take on the risk and do my own thing for a while. As uni is very much back in motion, you will see me in LCC very soon, printing and scanning and running around, working on a self initiated project which was born on accident, after a very good concert. 

This has been my DPS year so far, I hope its only up from here, but being the realistic and critical thinker that I am, there will definitely be more bumps in the road, but for now I’m a freelance creative, doing my thing.