To a Successful Year

​Trish Phng Keng Boon
Illustration and Visual Media
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When thinking of design, the first thing that comes to my mind is communication. This is because in my travels to different places around the world, I have been to countries where I did not know the language or the customs, and on many occasions, visual design has helped me grasp a better understanding of it. Design, if done right, can be very impactful; its language universal for all people from different places to understand. This is why I believe to have the capability to communicate via your drawings/ designs, it is a gift to share it.

I have an ambition to host a small printmaking workshop in my home country of Malaysia to enrich young Malaysians by the end of my DPS year. This is because before coming to the UK, my idea of ‘Print’ was very limited, only thinking about inkjet printers. I never thought that the word ‘Print’ could evoke such abstract and creativity, this is why I want to share my knowledge with my young countrymen, to be able to broaden their mind on what ‘Print’ is capable of. By the end of my DPS year, I want to be able to have enough knowledge and confidence to lead a small printmaking workshop.​

With this goal in mind, I aim to find placements that has an educational role in the industry such as Print Club London as I have seen their studio and they have mentioned that do teach people who join their institute the fundamentals of screen printing. But last I heard from them, they are accepting interns during the summer, but I was encouraged to still send them my CV in case anything comes up and they would be able to contact me. I should contact them again to see if anything comes up. 

Another goal of mine is to be on the printmaking apprenticeship program in LCC. I want to take this on because the experience I will learn from it, especially in how to plan for and conduct a workshop will benefit me on my own print workshop, and it will refresh my skills and give me more knowledge on what printmaking skill I can teach realistically for my workshop. 

An opportunity came up from my previous A-level school, the International School of Creative Arts (ISCA) being an intern in design a catalogue on a new business that the company is branching into. The title of this catalogue id called ‘Think Drawing’ and I was told that my skills in printmaking would be helpful as it was discussed that I will be assisting in teaching the students there some printmaking for content for the catalogue. I will be arranging another meeting with ISCA to talk further in this internship this coming Monday, the 16th of September. I do find this offer attractive because like the LCC apprenticeship, the experience will benefit to my long-term goals.

For my other ambitions for the year, I want to grow personally by starting as much Self-Initiated Projects as I can whenever I have the time. One idea in particular which I am very excited about is contacting an individual from Ohio by the name of Chris Stuckmann. He is a YouTuber who reviews movies on his channel with quite a huge following, with me being one if his subscribers. Following him for some time now, I am aware he has a huge respect for film and ground breaking directors like none other than Mr. Stanley Kubrick himself, and he has been inspired to study film and gone on to make two short films. With all this information, I came up with a speculated idea of potentially creating a business with him, I want to invite him to London so I can show him archived works from Kubrick and to talk business with him on me potentially creating work for his two films. 

I am aware that there is a lot of risk that he might say no, as I am merely inviting him, and he will have to come to London in his own expense, but I can’t allow myself to not do it, I don’t see why I can’t and I have nothing to lose at this time and place, so why not take the leap. It will be a big responsibility if he does agree to wok with me, as we are in different continents of the globe, much discussion of how we sell and where will be a big topic I think. 

I am really aiming for this Chris Stuckmann and Summer Printmaking workshop to be successful in my DPS year because I see these two ideas as a means to start a business and create networks that came from my own speculation. Here is to a successful year.