People Of The Now 9: Gemma

A shop space in Kingly Court. Beer and ink flow freely, intermingling with synthpop as the evening glides along.

Me: So, this is pretty awesome.
Gemma: It is? Oh, thank you! I'm so glad everyone likes it!
Me: Well, I think you've tapped into a zeitgeist here. I mean, everyone wants to draw, right? But something stops them...
Gemma: Yeah! I designed the new t-shirts and I can't draw, really...
Me: This a one-off thing?
Gemma: Not at all! We try and do something with every new line release at Lazy Oaf; this time we just wanted a bit of a drawing party. Only had two weeks to organise it, but its worked!
Me: Well, you've hit on the kind of thing where the people make the event. It's changing the way people act, you can see it.

Vlad: And maybe they'll come up with some new designs for you!
Gemma: Oh no, its nothing as serious as that! We just want people to come and well, draw! How are you guys getting on? Drawn yet?
Vlad: Yeah!
Me: ...I had my drawing inhibitions for a while. I've been trying to shake them for a year, and then something like this comes along and smashes it...
Gemma: Have a beer!
Me: We certainly shall. Oh and, isn't this basically the best job ever?
Gemma: It's got its good points!

The Lazy Oaf drawing club stays open all weekend in Kingly Court, Carnaby. It's awesome as all hell and deserves YOUR support.

What if: Celebrities actually tried the things they endorsed?

MMMMUHHAAAAAAHtheFRENCH champagne.

I'm thirsty.

What if: Planners had Books?

Okay, they have plenty of books. "The Branding Gene," "50 Twitters that Changed the World," "Strategists are from Mars, Tacticians are from Venus," or whatever*. But I mean, y'know, books! Le portfolio, darling.

Why not? It's a fantastic system for creatives. They get to take their ideas and make physical product that serves their purposes even better than a CV - it not only says something about them, but provides a real demonstration; "if you hire me, I will basically give you stuff like this for money".

Just how did such a system come about? Necessity, I'm guessing. They can't go to an agency they want to work for and say "I have a level 3 in creativity, for here is my certificate". The portfolio is the solution to the problem of selling ideas.

But what does a planner sell? Well, ideas. So why not a portfolio for them?


These are the thoughts I had when I started to make my own book. Or perhaps that stuff above is what planning does best, some juicy post-rationalisation. All I know is that creatives got to carry cool books around with them that meant a lot to them - said who they were, what they did. And picked up chicks. I wanted one.

Thankfully, an art director with a vision and some serious Quark skills (mad props, Shwan) agreed it might work, and helped me out - and so , when it came to interview time, I had evidence of my thoughts to show. And something enticing to leave behind, after I'd left.

Did they read it that much? I don't know... but it was a good conversation piece - and more than that, it helped me realise that yes, I can think of interesting things and talk about them. And yes, I might be right for this business.

It's all in the book.

*fictional. But I wouldn't be surprised!