Interview with Young Artist Theo Kennedy-Cordner

Theo Kennedy-Cordner is a third-year Graphic Design student at Havering College, London and Illustrator who has worked in a variety of graphic arts, not to mention visual merchandising. At only twenty years old, he has been featured in a variety of physical and online zines for his passion and innovation in the world of design.

1. What motivates you to be creative?

Other bits of creation or general artistry I tend to see in and around my life inspires me greatly. I spend hours looking at artwork online from time to time, and when it's not specifically artwork, I'm always trying to find interesting pieces of imagery. As a main motivation, however, I keep in mind that I just want to be successful, and I've been working since I was around 15 experimenting with artwork. I just can't wait until I have that established style I can call my own.

2. How did you discover Graphic Design?

Through the popular publication Computer Arts. I've always wanted to be a 'professional creative'. However, I just never knew the correct term. When I started learning about further areas of design, such as illustration, editorial design, etc., I just knew that this was the career I wanted!

3. Why do you think it is important for young people to engage in creative activities?

It's just brilliant seeing us working with maintaining our creativity and imaginations. In my honest opinion, you should never lose that sense of curiosity and imagination with whatever you do.

4. What advice would you have for any young aspiring Graphic Designers/Illustrators?

If you think you're not good enough, yet everyone else tends to appreciate your work, that's only self-doubt working, but that's sometimes a positive thing. Always strive to work on what you want, when you want and how you want. Just keep at it too, but remember to take a break every hour from the computer screen! I may need glasses soon from how long I spend staring at my screen!

5. How has social media helped you to promote your work?

A friend of mine put me onto Twitter when I wasn't much of a fan of it. That social network has single-handedly allowed me to meet more creative individuals than I ever thought possible. If you can, maintain an active online presence and promote your work, compliment other people's work you admire and just network. To be honest in this industry, it's more who you know than purely how good you are. If you're both great at what you do, and great at showing people, you're set.

6. Which social media platform do you think is the best for promoting creative work?

Behance seems to be my favourite right about now. There's always a sense of professionalism on that creative network. Otherwise, like I said, Twitter is brilliant for one-to-one or group discussions etc. Tumblr is also brilliant, mainly because of its viral properties... if someone likes a piece you create and it spreads, it will spread soon after that like wildfire.

7. How successful do you feel creative education at schools is?

Very successful! It's more about your own individual drive in my opinion but there's only so much tutors can tell you, and then when you are working in the industry, all the rest will come with that first job or just learning from experience.

8. And do you think there needs to be more emphasis on digital art forms as opposed to traditional ones?

Not at all, I just believe artforms are artforms, whatever you're comfortable with, use! I tend to plan my work traditionally and then finish a piece digitally. But there is so much versatility out there as long as you find the ways or learn yourself through experimentation.

9. Who is your greatest artistic inspiration?

Kate Morross as a creative is possibly my greatest inspiration just for her work ethic... she came out of university with several big commissions under her belt and now she's the head of her own studio, has worked on creating a record label, worked with a brilliant set of clients and all by being herself and doing everything she could. From photography, to music videos and illustrated typography - I'd love to see the day I could be as versatile as her.

10. What has been your greatest setback creatively, and how did you overcome it?

Most likely this current illustration hiatus I'm on by my own accord. I'm still yet to overcome it, but the only way I can think of overcoming it is to work as hard as I can on planning a great selection of pieces, drawing MUCH more often and just getting stuck in. Even if something doesn't get finished straight away, you can work towards it! A single step beats standing at the bottom of the staircase...

Connect with Theo

Twitter: @mind5state

LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/theo-cordner/37/770/a

Tumblr: http://themindstate.tumblr.com/