Learning (College/Uni)
As a student, one of my main support networks is Plymouth College of Art. In terms of the illustration course, there is a specialised studio space and reference library available most of the time. There is also the advantage of having the illustration tutors there in person, or contactable by email, for support with work, advice and deadlines etc. Another good thing about the custom studio space is that all the students are gathered there together: peer support and critical feedback is really important.
As an institution, Plymouth College of Art provides support in many ways. It has many staff members who provide personal support (counsellors, finance officers) and a large number of tutors, lecturers and technicians with industry experience so they are able to provide technical information and guidance.
As students, we also have the benefit of visiting lecturers and artists who can provide excellent advice, insight and, in some cases, opportunities to work alongside them in a workshop (Suzie Templeton, Jack Teagle).
The facilities at college are brilliant and we are lucky to have them based so locally. However, if i were to move, or after graduating, this would become a broad support network. Although alumni still have links to the college, i feel that it is most useful because of it accessibility and so not the best broad support network really.
Broad Support Network:
Distance Learning
Learning in a broader sense is much different to the learning environment we have in college. Although you can still ask questions and get feedback, i don't think it would be quite as good as being able to talk to someone face to face for advice and ideas etc.
A big downside to distance learning, in my opinion, is the absence of the facilities. You have to find and fund all of the equipment and resources yourself which could make it quite expensive. Also, for art courses, i don't think it is as successful as a physical course because work has to be submitted digitally all of the time and it can lose it's haptic qualities, which is sometimes a big component of a piece of artwork.
There are, however, many good points about distance learning. There are endless lists of courses available online now with many resources to accompany them. There are opportunities to learn all sorts of new and applicable skills. For example, Skillshare.com is a great site full of creative courses and classes also with opportunities to post your work in their gallery.
Local Support Network:
Jobs/Careers
A job can serve as a very successful support network, whether it is due to who you work with or what you are doing. Some local creative jobs could include teaching or lecturing, art gallery curation, tattoo artist and art director. I would class them as local because they require your physical presence to achieve outcomes/work on a daily basis.
Working locally can yield possibilities to create a small community, making this support network even stronger. Living near your workplace also has many other benefits. Travel expenses are generally quite low and being so close to work means you can live somewhat stably, able to buy your home etc. Usually, having a local job means you are closer to your friends and family. These are two very important support networks, in my opinion, and (with Maslow's hierarchy of needs in mind) you need love, belongingness and relationships to be able to achieve more in work and in life.
Due to these points, I think that a local job is more likely to be my first career step after college because i will have other local support networks and it will enable me to gain experience before seeking broader work.
Broad Support Network:
Jobs/Careers
Creative work, in a broader sense, normally means freelance. Freelance artists usually get to choose what jobs they do when they want to do it. For example, comic book artists, book cover designers and other illustrators predominantly work by commission. Although these come with deadlines, there is still an element of freedom because you are working at your own pace, in your own way.
Being a freelancer usually means a lot more travel, taking you away from local support networks (eg. family and friends) but also creating new broad support networks with clients, other artists and companies within the creative industry.
Broad work could change and form a local support network if you moved to London/New York for example. Although these places are broad to me now, moving there would make them local physically and the larger illustration industry would be alot more accessible.
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