I had the news last week that my proposed designs for Portsmouths ‘Pride of Portsmouth’ trail had been turned down, before I’d definitely be feeling quite low about this but I’ve been trying to see such an occurrence in a different light (rejection is part and parcel of the job). One of my designs was based on Charles Dickens’ work, in the process it was really inspiring to revisit some of his wonderful stories and the amazing characters he created. I chose an image from ‘Great Expectations’ as the main illustration. The moment Pip meets Abel Magwitch, a terrifying incident for Pip but something that has such a profound and far reaching effect on his entire life (no spoilers here – you’ll have to read it yourself, Marcia Williams abridged versions are a great recap). In thanks to Dickens’ inspiration one of the things that I’m embracing this year is the idea of ‘Great Rejections’ (based on the @goodshipillustration #100rejections). Finding inspiration, enjoying the process and producing work I can be proud of is what really drives me (I need to make sure I remember this!)
