by Abby Parsons

 

On Saturday, we at Team DD took ourselves to an event we’d had marked in the diary for months: YOUNG GOLD TALKS, the first event of its kind hosted by Emily Beeson‘s YOUNG GOLD TEETH blog. As a beautiful platform celebrating creative lifestyles and featuring a whole host of creative people, products, photography and art (check out their monthly wish lists and find inspiration in their books and fashion sections), we expected great things – and we weren’t disappointed.

The event – free and open to all – took place at Google Campus in Shoreditch (exciting venue: check) and promised an impressive roster of talks from creative industry types sharing their experiences and offering advice, from illustrators to bloggers to art directors. Could a Saturday activity be more perfect for a duo trying to make their growing platform a thing?

As each speaker shared their story, it became clear how supportive a space it really was. Each talk or Q&A offered a unique perspective, meaning everyone could take something away – and though it might seem like there isn’t much an editorial assistant/occasional writer could utilise from a talk given by someone in a completely different field, this was certainly not the case. The uniting force was creativity – celebrating it, and turning it into brilliant projects.

In fact my favourite talk of the day was held by Jade Spranklen, an illustrator who told her story of working in recruitment for four years while illustrating on the side, before relaunching her profile as Sprankenstein. She has since experienced brilliant success, going on to work with the likes of ASOS, Sony and Virgin. It was the most modest talk of the day (she is obviously incredibly hardworking), as well as hugely inspiring.

And I don’t think I was the only who left feeling inspired: the levels of engagement and excitement circulating around the room were at a jubilant high and many creative projects will surely have benefitted and blossomed as a result. Looking back at the notes I took throughout the afternoon, I scribbled down not only practical tips about Kickstarter targets and business plans, but also life advice (IT’S OKAY TO SAY NO!!!); titles of magazines I immediately went home and ordered (Intern and Boat); and a style-note-to-self: must find mint-green pant suit (à la Sprankenstein). What more could you ask for from one event?


Abby Parsons | @abbyparsons30

Co-founder of Dear Damsels, reader of all things and occasional writer, working in publishing.

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