Personal & Professional Practice : Why am I here ? What do I want to learn ?

5 reasons I choose to study on this course.

I like to create. I have always been a creative person who likes to make things that will change a persons emotions, Graphic Design is the perfect course for communicating ideas.
At Alevel I took the course not really knowing a lot about what it was I just knew it looked interesting and could be fun. Not long into the course I realised it was perfect for me and I knew it was what I wanted to be doing for the rest of my life.
When looking for where to take this course I came across LCA and knew it was where I wanted to be. Being in an art college seemed the best option because I would be surrounded by many creative and artistic pupils and I would be in the perfect environment with many passionate people.
I also saw that LCA had great facilities and studio space that I could take advantage from to help me be the best I could be.
I also knew I wanted to be more independent and have new experiences so moving away was the best option and Leeds seemed like a perfect place because it is a big city with a lot of creative things going on as well as it is not to expensive for rent.

5 Things that I want to learn during my time on the course.

I would love to explore a range of techniques and traditional methords that I never would have thought of trying before to enhance my work.
I would like to be able to use software such as Adobe Illustrator to a professional standard.
I would like to gain knowledge on the history of graphic design and gain knowledge on some influential graphic designers.
I want to learn more about graphic design studios and companies and how they work and get a better understanding on where I want to go after the course.
Learn more about book making and design and gain knowledge in my favourite areas of design.

5 Things that I think are my strengths.

Photoshop has always been one of my strengths after using it for Alevel graphic design. I would always watch tutorials and ask questions about how to use it which led to me having a better knowledge.
I am good at coming up with unique ideas for tasks and creating mind maps of research and ideas which helps me have a good head start in projects.
Organisation has always been strong for me as I always like to have my work done on time and I always want to show work that I am 100% happy with and passionate about. This shows I am serious about my work and always work to the best of my ability.
Research is also one of my strengths because I like to be properly informed when working on something so that I have the facts right and so I know my ideas will work well.
Brand Identity is something that I enjoy to do as I do not just like to create a logo but have a meaning behind what I do. This was resonantly shown in my T.K.Maxx rebrand.

5 Things that I would like to improve.

I would like to improve my presentation skills as I have the ideas and explanations, however I sometimes find it hard to verbally communicate this unless I have a script to go by or know exactly what I am going to say. This is because I am sometimes am scared I will mess up my words in front of people or I won't communicate my ideas to there potential. Over the last couple of weeks I have been gaining confidence but it is something I still need to work on.
I also need to learn not to take critiques personally as I sometimes find it hard to stay positive when somebody does not like an idea that I like the most and have tried hard on. I need to remember that feedback is always good and helps you along the way to creating something that will be better.
I also find it hard to critique other peoples work because I know how it makes me feel and I don't want to hurt their feelings however I know that constructive criticism will help other peoples development.
Again I would like to improve my digital skills when it comes to Adobe Illustartor and premier pro as it will help me improve my work and learn new skills.
Typography is something that i could improve on as I sometimes use fonts that are to decretive rather that simplistic. Also when making my type face I need to think of it as a font and not lettering.

5 things that inspire me.

I have resonantly wrote a blog post on 10 things that inspires me so I will narrow it down.

Photography especially old photography because I like the idea that one photograph can be seen in many ways and have many stories behind it depending on the person who views it. Also a photograph can capture many emotions and important life events like freezing time it can be seen over and over again.
Bookshops and Books inspire me because a book shop has a warm atmosphere and is full of people who admire a book. Also I love to read books because you can gain knowledge and enjoyment as well as it can encourage you to change your life or have a big impact on your life.
Social Media inspires me because you can see other peoples day to day lives and exspierences and it can encourage you to do more things in your life that you never would have thought to have done before. Also you can record your life and look back on it in the future and look at all you have achieved.
Movies, especially horror because I look at the design choices and I like how a movie can effect peoples emotions so dramatically from making them cry, scream or laugh.
Being around creative people inspire me as you can learn from them and be in a creative atmosphere that helps you to develop and gain skills. I was inspired when I visited 72andSunny (Advertising Agency) in amsterdam just before I came to uni as I met many creative people and learned new things.

5 examples of design that demonstrate my fields of creative interest.