Reflection

The following is a conclusion which we were required to write for our final major project at Southampton Solent university and upload to our blogs:

I must confess that I have enjoyed keeping my blog updated, It’s been fun to keep track of my progress and reflect upon my time spent at Solent University, I have decided that I will continue to use my blog as a fun personal project to keep track of my progress, even after the self-promotional project is completely finished.
Looking back at some of my earlier posts and seeing how the initial ideas have changed or gradually evolved over the course of the project. I’ve been quite eager to start it ever since our long Summer break and even began a few new empty sketchbooks to contribute towards it. Despite my eagerness to start, my project has always felt all over the place- even near its end. It has never really felt like I have ever had clear set idea of what I what I have wanted to make but perhaps that was the best approach to take towards this project, listening to our guest tutor Salvatore Rubbino’s advice, I decided to focus on the drawing aspect of the project, and not attempt to force something else into it, which for me made the project seem a lot more fun to make, I certainly didn’t want to be trapped in a rut of making drawings for several months which I wasn’t interested in making. Although, on the other hand it’s only now that I have begun to discover the connection and the possibilities I have in making my concertina books.
The only real disappointment and frustration I find in the blog process is that it won’t really see the 'real' final conclusion, Though my current printed books are satisfying enough and seem enough for my tutors I have shown, it also feels as though I can go just a little bit further with it, I’m currently hoping that I can at least get one more book ready in time for my hand in date.
In reflecting upon my time at the university, I felt that the course has had its ups and downs, I did sometimes find that I struggled to keep my own style and keep my own way of Drawing that I would feel comfortable with and also please my tutors. I do wish I had perhaps followed some of their  earlier advice, such as-experimenting a little more in some different medias and discovered a few more things that I may have enjoyed as much as drawing- It only feels like during my third year that I have made small experiments that I have enjoyed doing although perhaps I have been finding new ways to draw ever since the start of the course.
I never even knew that my bored doodles on napkins in the various cafes I’ve frequently visited in Southampton could even be considered as experimentation or if it was even worthy piece of illustration at all. A shame that so many of them have most likely been thrown away, all except the Art House CafĂ© which has apparently been keeping every doodle I’ve left there- I’ve no idea how big their collection must now be. 
It also feels as though Uni has made me feel a little more confident about myself and in my abilities, I do start to wonder that perhaps it is possible to ‘draw’ and make some sort of living from it after all which a few years ago felt seemingly impossible for me. I will use my experiences of my university life to my advantage from now on- I will certainly miss my studio space a lot and some of the unforgettable friends I’ve made here.