Few points of getting started in a new country / City as a creative artist.

#1 Network network network

Nothing is more important to your work than people you know. New people you meet will open up a gate to new people and experiences. You just never know you will find behind the next corner. Be open to meet and talk with new people, be yourself and trust what you do. There is no reason to sit alone home and just wait someone to call you and offer a job.

#2 Portfolio and handouts

Im a digitalist, but I love analog. Nothing is better than really fine quality portrait book with leather covers and lots of full size images. People pay attention to print images so much more than images for example in your phone. I carry always one portfolio with me where ever I go. One smaller one from Blurb is always with me and a bigger one with leather covers and laser etching to meetings.

I think it is also important to leave something to the people you meet, so I have bit special business cards from Moo, the Luxe series, that I hand out to the people I meet. Leave your contact information and people might call you eventually!

#3 SharingIsCaring

Share the things you do with other people. There are not secrets in this industry, everything is available anyways. Be open of what you do, help others, make content and blogs about what you do, share share share.

#4 Own projects

I think that one of the most important things for your own mind and for getting new clients in the end are your own projects. Atleast they are for me. When Im doing something on my own perspective, my own project, the way I want it, I will create my best work. I have always some cases in production or at least in the planning stage, images and photoshoots that I as a artist want to create. Next week this ideology will take me to this awesome mansion to shoot Steampunk themed images. Cant wait!

#5 Lose the shame

It is important that you trust yourself, know that you are good, and also are confident to say it out loud. For some it might sound cocky but you just have to know yourself that your are good in what you do. I have been lucky to have a mentor like Ville Tolvanen, to teach me the importance of being confident and trusting yourself. Today it is so easy to be photographer, if you have a camera you can call yourself a photographer. That is why I consider myself more like a digital artist, cause that what I feel I am.

#6 Niche

Find your own Niche, and try to be best in that. I decided before I moved to Cardiff that Im not going to shoot everything. I will try to pursue my dream to create memorable story telling images, and with my own style. I hope people will find it bit different and I will find a channel to get also paid work by doing these images.

#7 Be a brand

Even people can be brands .. SO I try to be one. I will sign all my emails with _Antti The Finn, cause there are not that many Finnish digital artist here in Cardiff. So I will take that advantage of being different to be my strength and be open with everything I do.

Im really looking forward what opportunitis creating great images the next months will bring!

_Antti The Finn