Posted by Guy Downes on May 31, 2011 under Illustration | 
Back in March, I contributed three cartoons to a PR thought leadership report co-ordinated by Craig Pearce and titled: Public relations 2011: issues, insights and ideas. My cartoons supported three of the articles that discussed PR education, PR and CSR and Facebook/social media:
My cartoon for: PR education – getting the theory-practice balance right, by Professor Jim Macnamara, Professor of Public Communication at the University of Technology Sydney
My cartoon for: PR is second rate CSR, by Craig Pearce, an award winning strategic public relations professional (and noted PR blogger)
My cartoon for: Messiah or just socially inept, by Dwight Whitney, Founder, Trinity Communications
The report is a very good read for PR and communication professionals as it features articles by eleven industry leaders from all over the globe and is available free for email subscribers from Craig Pearce’s blog, Public relations and managing reputation. Content in the report will help enhance PR professionals’ practical ability and strategic knowledge, expand their knowledge of the discipline’s power and provide them with ideas and assertions. Thanks to Craig for getting me involved.
Posted by Guy Downes on May 30, 2011 under Illustration |
The water slide photo board at the media launch
If you want to send your pulse racing, Carnival Cruise Lines has the answer: the steepest water slide at sea. Commissioned by Pulse Communications, I was asked to draw an artist impression of the slide for the recent media launch of Carnival Spirit, Carnival Cruise Lines’ first ship to be based outside the US. Carnival Spirit will be based in Sydney from October 2012 and she will be “Aussified” to create a new and unique cruise product. One of the biggest additions will be two new water firsts for the Australian market, a thrill slide and a splash park.
My job was to draw the slide and splashpark with spaces where people could pop their heads through for a quick photo opportunity during the media launch event at Luna Park. My final illustration was blown up in size and mounted for the event by Signwave.
My final illustration of the steepest water slide at sea
Posted by Guy Downes on May 5, 2011 under Cartoons |
No matter where you are, making critical decisions for your business can be tough.
Posted by Guy Downes on May 4, 2011 under Illustration |
The Black Dog also works 9 to 5
Matthew Johnstone is a master storyteller. He speaks from the heart about what ’he’s experienced, learnt and what has worked for him in dealing with depression over the last 20 years’. I was lucky enough to hear him speak at a recent Tamworth Chamber of Commerce Business Breakfast about dealing with depression, forms and telltale signs of depression, the increase in pressure in today’s society and his current role with The Black Dog Institute. He is also the author of the wellknown book ‘I had a Black dog’ and ‘Living with a Black Dog’, which he beautifully illustrated.
During his talk, which used his great drawings to illustrate his points, one area he covered really made me stop, listen and think. Depression and mood disorders interfere not only with our ability to function at home, in social settings but also at work. It struck me that depression ‘can also work 9am – 5pm’ – it doesn’t go away when you ‘swipe’ into your building. Matthew shared his thoughts on the critical role HR (as ‘safe havens’), leaders and colleagues can play in helping people who may be experiencing depression.
My cartoon builds on this idea. From my experience of working in fast-paced, results-oriented environments, it could be all too easy not to see or realise that a colleague, a friend or the boss (or even myself) needs help. Regardless whether a company has a mantra to be ‘a fun, engaging and great place to work’, they can still be a very lonely place. If there isn’t the foundation or opportunity for people to seek help or the ethos that talking about issues is ‘OK’, my personal belief is that employees can feel isolated. In the daily hustle and bustle and ‘fog’ of doing business, a cry of “Help Me” could easily go unnoticed.
The Black Dog Institute is a not-for-profit, educational, research, clinical and community-oriented facility offering specialist expertise in depression and bipolar disorder. For more information and to check out their great resource, visit their website.
During Matthew’s talk, I furiously took visual notes, sketching out key words and themes he covered. Here’s a page that shows some of my sketches and scribbles.
A page from my visual notebook
Posted by Guy Downes on May 2, 2011 under Cartoons |
Running my own business has brought many new perspectives and things that I would never have ‘seen’ or appreciated working in a large corporate. One of the many things is how big businesses support employee wages month-in and month-out. I personally think it is an amazing feat of human innovation and discipline that ‘Big Corp’ (businesses with 100′s or 1000′s of staff) operate day-to-day, winning business, servicing clients, paying suppliers and employee wages – and keep people energised. And on top of all that the good ones make a profit and contribute to society. Many people who rock into work everyday may not give it a moment’s thought but I think it’s awe-inspiring.
