WHO IS EEBS? (and where are we going?)

Time for a follow-up, I believe! Things have been flying by so quickly that I have barely had anytime to keep up!! A wonderful, wonderful thing, that's for sure.

WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON

Jan - Major reality check from Mentor concerning a lack of vision and focus. I quickly realigned my goals and actively pushed towards them through research, reading, lots of drawing and digital creation.

Mid-Feb - Spent a weekend with En Masse and left totally inspired and certain that I needed a big change. I completely threw myself into my drawing and this is when I had a flash of insight. Must create as Eebs Berenstein* and must work freelance!

* I've been using the sudonym Eebs Berenstein since 2009 when I felt the need to forge my place and identity within the John Molson School of Business. I wanted to openly associate with my creative side and differentiate myself from the 'typical' business student. I started using it as an online persona but it quickly became about my exploration of creative and career opportunities.  


I realized this March (with the help of a close friend) that having a sudonym builds allure, allows for anonymity and represents a specific time in your life as a creator. I will not be Eebs forever. But she is a big part of me now.


If I were to design strictly as Erin Willett for the rest of my life, when delving into different creative fields, people may become confused about what I actually do... Is Erin Willett a designer? A director? A marketer? A spiritual being? Creating under 'Eebs' gives me a creative 'umbrella' under which I fall in all my rolls. Eebs represents possibilities and opportunities for creation! Eebs represents who I can become.


I've discovered also that representing Eebs through my work, instead of myself, allows me to be less inhibited. It's about creative freedom.*

Early March - Quit my job with only a couple small contracts lined up but with a ton of inspiration and drive for the next stimulating and creative work that would come my way. In the mean time, I started focusing my efforts on my personal development, visual identity and online persona! I felt light and unstoppable after having trusted my instincts.

Mid-March - Jobs started coming in! Many jobs in fact! Positive word of mouth is spreading :). I also focused my attention on spreading the online word about Eebs Berenstein and got my facebook artist page up.

End of March - My website came together (Thanks for my friend, Nick Perusse, who did the coding). With that done, I was able to market myself as Eebs. I applied for the Sid Lee Bootcamp. I applied for a Moment Factory open interview session called Expose Your Talents, which I was invited to attend!

Last weekend I took part in the Moment Factory interview. ... ... ... Just amazing. Incredible space, such warm and receptive employees, creative atmosphere, supportive execs, smiling interviewer. This is the place for me. I was informed that they are not necessarily looking to fill positions with these interviews but more so to prepare themselves for the expanding they'll be doing in the near future. Every extremity is crossed for an opportunity to work with MF.

Right around the time of the interview, I was given the opportunity to freelance at Sid Lee for a week! Of course, I jumped on it! And so, here I am. Writing this from my Sid Lee freelancer desk, waiting for the next job to come to me :).

SO WHAT'S NEXT

Well - in a perfect world:
I get a freelancing or permanent job with Moment Factory and I get chosen as the graphic designer for the Sid Lee Bootcamp!!! I'm sending all my positive energy into the universe for these two things!

What's next for Eebs?
I've been doing alot of graphic novel reading and feeling really inspired by the style, colours, drama, story-telling. The thoughts aren't concrete just yet but I'm thinking I want to explore the comic side of myself and Eebs Berenstein. I'm developing a character that represents who Eebs was before she got so bad-ass. Perhaps an awkward, lanky, teen-version of Eebs - Ms. Eebie... Stay tuned.

I will also continue to depict Eebs as the confident, strong, independant woman you've seen in my recent pieces. My vision for the next piece: Eebs is going COMMANDO! Get ready, people! She's going to beat you down and you're going to love it!

I also want to explore my infatuation with typography. I'm planning the release of an Eebs font in the coming weeks. Followed shortly after by a Berenstein font...

Stayed tuned also for a feature on EEBS BERENSTEIN on MTL BLOG's FEATURE FRIDAY in the next few weeks!

Maybe you've seen this one already but I'm really loving, loving, loving this piece! So much attitude in Eebs' face. She's fearless and that really comes across.

This piece also sprung much inspiration for my coming pieces. Think: army, 60's, 70's, women in power.

This also got me thinking of visuals that would have been considered common place in 60's and 70's advertising. All around sexist visuals with men depicted in power rolls. I want to play with those notions of power, femininity, control and SELLING.


SPREAD THE WORD AND JOIN THE FORCES! EEBS WANTS YOU!

www.facebook.com/EebsB
www.eebsberenstein.com
@eebsberenstein on twitter

Love always,

Eebs Berenstein