Reflections on New Blood Academy

Howdy friends,

I'm not gonna lie — I feel like the Academy flew by in the blink of an eye. 

Between all of the fantastic workshops and lectures and activities that were held everyday in Shoreditch in East London, we were given a headline brief by Transport for London to "unclog London's arteries". We managed to throw together a big idea and a pitch in under a week, and pitch it at Ogilvy and Mather's studio in Central London, in an amphitheatre overlooking the River Thames.

What a rush.

Here's our team pitching singing a song to get people's attention as part of our pitch. It worked.

Honestly, it was undoubtedly one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I can't thank the folks at D&AD New Blood enough for everything they did for the Class of 2016. I still can't find the words to really communicate how grateful and amazed I am and have been, but I'm going to try. 

I feel like for the past many years in my life, I have been making art without knowing what kind of outcome there would be for it. I liked being creative, thinking outside the box — being slightly different and odd. And for many years I thought that nothing was to come out of all of that. I thought that I was always an odd thinker and that nobody would ever understand.

New Blood Awards and the Academy changed all of that for me. 

I realized that I had a voice. I had something here that was able to get to people, and I had the power of using my art to make people feel — to hopefully bring to light specific ideas and issues, and change the world for the better. 

I met incredible human beings who inspired me like nothing has ever inspired me before. I left with so many new friends and people who I can truly say inspire me to be better and brighter and bolder every single day. These people are the future. We are the future — and in some years, many of us will change the game. 

I am so inspired. And more importantly, I am so grateful. 

With love,

Jason