Presenting My Work at Rapid Sessions Unplugged

Last week, I had the opportunity to share some of my final year work at Rapid Sessions Unplugged. A more chilled event, held in the Harp Bar, that brings together creatives from across Belfast.

I talked through both of my major projects: Wildify Rathlin Island, and Extra: What’s Chewin’ You Up, which was created in response to a D&AD New Blood brief. These are two projects that I worked incredibly hard on and am very proud of.

At the start of my final year, I would’ve said that I’d like to develop my communication skills, as I’d get a little nervous presenting and struggle to get my ideas across with the level of confidence I wanted. So, getting up to speak in front of a room full of brilliant creatives, including Brian Collins and Eron Lutterman from COLLINS, Mary Doherty, and the Red Dog team, was a huge step in the right direction!

I started my talk with a phrase I use to describe myself, “a creative at heart”, which to me, sums up where it all started. As a young girl, I was making ‘homemade Christmas presents’ out of old socks, reading endless books and writing my own stories, teaching myself Windows Movie Maker and making short films which I’d then force my family to watch. As silly as it sounds, those early moments show how much I’ve always loved creating, and seeing an emotional response to something I’d made, which I believe has followed me through to now.

The day also included talks from some incredibly inspiring people. Eron Lutterman spoke about AI and how it’s programmed to optimise for average. If we truly want to come up with brilliant creative ideas, we aren’t going to get them from Chatgpt. Brian Collins talked about space and how the future was entirely based around this concept of time travelling, the planets, spaceships, which was reflected then in the creative industries. Showcasing how we have the ability to shape what we think the future will look like and thus shape the future of design. He also talked through some of Collins latest projects with BOSE, and the creative thinking behind the outcomes.

It was also amazing to hear from my classmates Jack and Niamh, whose work was brilliant. Seeing their passion and creativity reminded me how lucky I am to be surrounded by such a talented group.

Overall, I just had the best time. I left feeling proud, not just for stepping up and sharing my work, but for doing something that used to scare me! My biggest takeaway from the event would be to always say yes to new opportunities, even if they seem scary! As that’s usually where you grow the most.