Aaron Millard

Why did you choose to attend OCAD U?

I picked OCAD U because it’s the best Illustration school around. Pure and simple. I saw the work and the awards that were coming out of the Illustration Program and I knew if I wanted to be competitive with such hard working, accomplished contemporaries, I needed to follow in their footsteps.

Please briefly describe your current job / practice.

I’m currently a freelance illustrator with his hands in a couple side-hustle-pies including such flavours as; graphic design, web design, animation, my own line of illustrated greeting cards on Etsy, social media managing, and marketing & branding consultations. I’ve found diversity is the key to keeping a steady supply of work, and constantly trying new things not only keeps monotony at bay, but also gives me a better appreciation and working relationship with those who overlap all the facets of my practice.

How did you get started in your career?

As with most alumni, I tried to stir up as much business as possible as soon as I started at OCAD, but I would say that my first “big break” in illustration, and what I still herald as the true “start” of my illustration career, was an opportunity I would not have known about or received were it not for the Centre for Emerging Artists and Designers (back then the Career Centre). There was a posting on the Talent Network from SickKids to illustrate a biennial report, and with the help of Zev Farber at the CEAD, we put together a magnificent portfolio application package that landed me the gig.

Not only was the project a huge boost to my confidence as a young, 2nd year illustrator, but it showed me that creative solutions (in this case illustration) were valued at an institution even as monumental and accomplished as SickKids. It taught me that my work has real value to others, that it can be used to communicate their words and ideas in a way that is compelling, effective, and beautiful; in ways that neither they nor I could accomplish alone. I discovered that what I love to do most in this world could be used to help others share what they love most in this world. And there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing than that.

What were your policies regarding internships, volunteering, and paid work?

Paid internships and properly paid work were the only opportunities I allowed myself to take when I was just starting out, and still more or less maintain those rules unless there’s an cause that I truly feel aligned with or passionate about. The creative industry is rife with folks that don’t properly understand the value that art and design - in essence, fundamental person to person communication - has to them and their businesses. Our role as artists and designers is to not only educate our clients about that value, but to blow their minds with the far-reaching benefits our craft brings to the table; and we certainly won’t reinforce that value and confront the long-standing views of the industry by working “for exposure”, “experience” or pittances of pay.

What do you enjoy most about your work? What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

Having the privilege to do the thing I love most every day is I’m sure most of why most of us chose to follow what is not exactly the simplest or easiest career path. The tranquility of the act of creation, the pride in a finished work, the craving for the next even greater project - there’s nothing that makes me feel more alive or more complete.

With ups that big, there are of course checks and balances that come with the territory. Financial instability, work uncertainty, the lack of health benefits name some of the most common among us freelance creative folks. I think one of the least talked about yet perhaps debilitating drawbacks is the isolation that comes with many of our practices. Most of us are sole proprietors, freelancers, or solo creators. Even the most independent of us can be impacted from social and creative isolation, and their difficult to feel, far-reaching effects. For any upstarting artists and designers, or even veterans, I would suggest a healthy wariness of working by oneself all the time, and underscore the perhaps unseen importance of collectives, shared studios, work meetups with other freelancers, coffee shops, or any other

What skills or relationships developed at OCAD U helped you participate in your field? Is there anything you would have done differently?

OCAD does an amazing job of teaching the arts and design side of our practice. I couldn’t find a better institution, with better faculty, or better peers to learn from. However what OCAD unfortunately falls short on is business and career education. As an illustrator I received only a single, one term business course in my 4 years, and some programs don’t even receive that much. In my current practice the majority of my time, effort, and improvement is spent on business, client relations, and networking. At the very least it’s a split of 70/30 business/design! To neglect teaching our future artists and designers such an essential part of all of their careers is causing countless incredibly talented creatives to give up because they quite simply don’t know how to “make it work” and don’t know where or how to figure that out.

This is why institutions like the CEAD are so incredibly essential to the students of OCAD. Filling that gap in business acumen and knowledge is imperative to creating alumni who are actually able to contribute, thrive, and share their immense talent and voice once they graduate. I can quantifiably connect my continued success in my field to the skills and knowledge I learned from my peers and the resources at the CEAD. Having a space for questions, concerns, and education about how “it all really works” out there in “the real world” was and still is the most practical and impactful part of my time at OCAD. I cannot stress enough how essential business expertise is to artists and designers who want to continue their practice for years to come, not despite the fact that we’re creatives, but precisely because of it.

What are the key responsibilities you maintain for your practice?

First and foremost is client relations, networking, continual outreach and promotion, and tracking down leads on new projects and opportunities. Without a steady stream of new work, I can’t grow as a business, as an illustrator, or as a creative. New opportunities are the lifeblood of learning; they challenge me out of my comfort zone, push me to try new things, inspire me through exposure to new people and ways of working, and that’s how I can become the best illustrator I possible can be.

What are your personal and professional goals for the coming years?

A diversified practice is a healthy practice, in my opinion. I have a couple different avenues on the go, and goals to suit each.

For my illustration practice I’m working towards a more robust editorial portfolio and client base for the coming year. Textbooks, magazines, and other editorial work is difficult to come by, but I find it the most rewarding and challenging of the aspects of my practice.

For my Etsy line of greeting cards, I want to continually be growing every month in revenue, and now that I’ve finished my first year of sales, I’d like to meet and exceed where I was each month of last year. Figuring out how to draw more customers, create designs that resonate more with my following, and how to reach new crowds of pun-loving card enthusiasts are chief among my goals.

For my graphic design and animation practice, I’d like to cut back a little on the projects that I’m not as passionate about, and focus more on growing my illustration practice to newer, greater heights. I do enjoy graphic work, but illustration is where my heart truly lives!