Trends or the unknown?

My work creating illustrations for E4's 'Skins' TV show animated trailer was my first step into the world of motion, my first outside of editorial illustration, in fact.

My hand was very much held by the patient and brilliant Mike Moloney, for which I remain grateful.

And a story I often tell students and coaching clients about the need for humour, play, and unconditional experimentation is that the ridiculous 'Tyson v Thatcher' poster won me that job.

Tyson v Thatcher was a ludicrous climax to a personal project making a series of old fashioned boxing posters promoting various speculative and, frankly ridiculous pay-per-view scraps. It was edgy, silly, and comical.

The director came to a group show for which I'd made some art, and in conversation, he broke down laughing, asking me what it was all about. It had tickled him and his partner, who then invited me to dinner, where they couldn't let it go.

In the end, the essence of the line work, and the smash-mouth approach landed with the edgy tone of Skins.

This is exactly why we should all be making bold, brazen work in a way that reflects who we are, and what we've seen and felt in this world.

There's no making that poster with that opportunity in mind. Engineering of that kind doesn't happen that way when it comes to joining dots.

So, which way do you go? Run for the trends, or do it with full-blast glee and share it to see what the universe has for you?