Mary Martin

Going into lockdown was such an unusual time. At the beginning I felt okay towards my college work as I still felt motivated and because my tutors were being extremely helpful it supported the motivation. However, as weeks went by, I began to feel demotivated due to the frustration of being at home as I much prefer working in a class environment.

The work I am exhibiting in my online exhibition are pieces from my end of year project but also past projects that I was very proud of. I wanted to keep a theme within my Instagram feed to showcase brand identity so I took time in choosing which pieces of work were right. I knew I wanted to involve my end of year marketing package because I put a lot of time and effort into the concept. I involved my fashion bible that I completed in a previous project as I really liked the layout and my styling. I thought that because it involved key areas in fashion, also showing the creativeness, I felt it was the best to show students who may be interested in the course. My mood-boards were also exhibited because at the start of the year I was doing many mood-boards so I thought it’d be great to present them through the Instagram feed.

For those who may feel discouraged and lack inspiration as a result of the pandemic/lockdown, my advice would be to try and stick to a routine even though it is very hard. A routine will help you feel as though everything is more normal by waking up at the time you would be for college and the same for going to sleep. I also think get ready for the day, so put an outfit on that makes you feel good, or put makeup on if you want as when I do this I have a positive mindset as I feel good within myself which makes me feel excited to do my work and keeps my motivation up.

I will be continuing my education in September onto the Extended Diploma and I am hoping that I will get a better idea of what I want to do or the area I want to continue maybe at University.

Kortnie-Ellis Turner

The pandemic really impacted my education as I find it harder to the work whilst at home on a daily basis.

Working at college and then continuing at home is fine, however I didn’t like just being in one setting and it was hard staying creative especially because normally we’re feeding off each other’s ideas.

The work I am exhibiting on my Instagram feed was created at college, however has been developed during lockdown. This work was not my favourite project, however it’s the project in which my Photoshop skills improved the most and where I feel I had my own sense of direction. For those who may feel discouraged and lack inspiration as a result of the pandemic/lockdown, I would advise them to try and stay focused and wake up early as though you are living your normal college routine.

Ashley Reeves-Gumm

The pandemic has impacted my work as I find it difficult to feel as motivated to work and have struggled to get a good internet connection from home. On my Instagram account I have chosen to exhibit my work which was on sustainability. The main pieces I wanted to show off were the collages I made for my zine and the photos I took of a repurposed outfit. I feel like these are some of my strongest work. As much as I don’t mind my work being showed online, I feel like it would look better in person and I would have liked to have seen it first-hand.

For those who may feel discouraged and lack inspiration as a result of lockdown I would say don’t be too hard on yourself, it’s a difficult and strange time for everyone. Take this time to look for inspiration outside of the fashion industry.

Rose Scott

The pandemic has been frustrating as I've been unable to create what I originally had planned and have had to readjust to other ideas. It was also harder to get other people’s opinions and get inspiration from other classmates. However I don't think it negatively affected my creativity, instead making me more creative because I had to rethink my original plan.

The work I have chosen to exhibit on my Instagram feed was created prior to lockdown because I wasn’t as happy with outcomes created at home due to having to adapt to the situation. I exhibited my visual merchandising work - I like these images because it reflects my personal style and how I like visuals to look, taking inspiration from adverts and brands. I think that physical exhibitions would be better than an online showcase and I don’t think that they should be online going forward. I don’t think photos give the full effect of the colours or how the work actually looks even though it has been nice to tie it all together in my portfolio.

For those who may feel discouraged and lack inspiration as a result of the pandemic/lockdown I would urge you to focus on the positives of the situation. Try and stay motivated by thinking that you would still be doing this if COVID-19 hadn’t happened, so you might as well make the work as well as you possibly can!

Leah Williamson

The pandemic threw me off track a bit, because I was so used to going into college and having a routine every day! However I have managed to get used to the online learning and have been staying creative whilst at home.

The work I exhibited on my Instagram feed was created during lockdown. It is a marketing pack and my favourite piece of work this year. I created it by getting a series of Urban Outfitters aesthetic pictures and manipulating these with some development ideas. I was inspired by the new styles and trends currently active. I feel that having the exhibition online is going to be better because people can always access the work and it’s easier for people to see instead of coming to a physical one.

To those who may feel discouraged and lack inspiration as a result of the pandemic I urge you to keep your mind focused on the future, do not give up or lose - this will all pay off next year.