It might sound a bit obvious to say that all the best designs come from the mind, but you’d be surprised how many designers start creating something on screen without having a clue what they’re going to do first.

It truly is about vision.

A case in point is a poster I recently created for The Open Theatre Group’s upcoming production of Macbeth. Having seen the route that directors Caz Tricks and Sally Luff were going down with the witches, an image immediately sprung to mind that I felt perfectly melded the connotations of death and sex inherent in the production. In actual fact, the only sketch I did was on a post-it note, but it was enough to get the idea across to Caz and Sally.

One photo shoot later (in which the witches were fully clothed) and it was time to put the finished poster together in Photoshop. The witches were stripped digitally (thanks to assembled images from the internet) and the atmospheric mist and moon added.

In the end, it worked out exactly as I’d imagined. But in my opinion, the only reason it did was because I had the idea firmly implanted in my head from the beginning.

Not limited to just this medium, having vision is an intrinsic part of anything creative. If you don’t know what you’re going to create before you take the mouse in your palm, you’ve already lost the battle.

It's been a good first year as a full-time freelancer. For the most part I've managed to work out of my office here at home, meaning that I've been able to juggle work projects with personal ones (always the goal). With that in mind, I've begun work on my first kids chapter book, entitled Penn-Dragon. It's a great little concept that I came up with while scouring the beach at Tintagel, Cornwall for tiny pebbles of coloured glass with my boys a few years ago. I was finally given the opportunity to take a week off and head back down there to write a few weeks ago, and it was an amazing experience. At present the first draft of book stands half written.

I was also able to accomplish another dream this year when I got to appear on stage in a five-performance production of The Seagull. Although it was my first time doing anything like this, the professional ensemble were brilliant and really made me feel at home. Very much looking forward to taking part in more over the coming years.

While the business goes from strength to strength, other projects peak and drop (as they always do), most notably Super Space Dinos who are currently under consideration with a US company.

More news as and when it happens (and as and when I can find time to update!)

Grantkempster.com is up and running... and running

In July I finally managed to do something that I'd wanted to do for a very long time: start my own business. It wasn't an easy decision to make - especially given the current climate - but somehow all the pieces seemed to have fallen into place to make it viable. And so, I leaped (with fingers crossed)...

...and I'm pleased to say it's gone quite well so far!

In the two months since I began trading I've found myself working on a wide variety of projects, from comic strips and children's magazines to kitchenware concepts and high-profile marketing. And that's what I love about this! Truly, no two days are the same.

Highlights so far include a piece of artwork I was commissioned to produce (by the fabulous Minnow Creative) for BBC2's The Great British Bake Off, which is emblazoned across their website: www.thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk. I was also really pleased with a marketing job which came my way for a local PR company which involved developing a corporate identity for an event and then the marketing to surround it. I've had a few regular jobs appear as well, which is always good news and will help the business tick over as it continues to grow.

So with all of this going on, it's no surprise to learn that I haven't had an awful lot of time for personal projects. The acting continues (I've just joined a local theatre company and will be appearing on stage - for the first time since Middle School! - in December), but I've not had time for writing. Not that there isn't a project waiting in the wings... with any luck I will be writing my first kids book before the year is out. Super Space Dinos is having a breather while I allow the public consciousness to forget about their evil usurpers, the Kung Fu Dino Posse. Socialite is dead, end of story.

So that's the story so far... more to come!

It's funny how things switch rapidly from being full-on to so far off the radar they're barely there at all. It's frustrating, to say the least, but then that's the nature of the game... So, since it's been a while, I thought I'd better get down some updates on projects old and new:

The Romantic Comedy

This, it would seem, has fallen into the 'off the radar' category. I've not heard from my producer in almost a year now, so its safe to say that this is dead in the water. Of course, this could all change in a phone call (such seems to be the way), but as it stands, I don't see much of a future in it. It's a shame, the final draft was my best to date.

The Kids Brand

Super Space Dinos now exists... at least in the respect that it has its own website and a pending trademark with the IPO. Once that's through (hopefully with no objections from anyone) I'll be able to get a little bit more online. In terms of moving the brand forward, there have been some interesting developments which would circumnavigate my original game plan somewhat. It is, however, still a very exciting prospect if it works out.

The Kids TV Show

Okay, so this is a new one. A while ago I had an informal meeting with a mutual friend in London and, during our chat, I mentioned a kids TV show idea that I had. The upshot is that he is now pitching it to his contacts. At present we have two interested parties, so watch this space...

The Acting

Nothing has ebbed and flowed like my acting escapades. After a very harsh exchange with an agent friend some years ago (when I asked how to get auditions and was told that it was disgusting that I thought you could breeze in without training), the idea formed that I really should attend some classes. Then last year my local theatre advertised an adult acting class. We're now in our second term and learning plenty. And, needless to say, I'm loving every second. A few things on the horizon (promises from two directors to appear - in some way - in upcoming films) and a potential appearance in a music video are helping to keep the dream alive! In addition, the short feature I shot scenes for four years ago (along with an additional scene late last year) KillingTime is finally finished (trailer attached to my last post) and out on the festival circuit.

So that's about it at present. As soon as any of these cause a significant enough radar blip, I'll be sure to post it here.

Around four years after filming a small part on Christian Dine's short feature KillingTime, the film has finally been finished. I have yet to see it, but here is a trailer for it. Next stop for the film will be the festival circuit... I'll keep you posted on its progress.

So this is where all the blog entries will be. I say all, last year I managed to update a total of three times. Still, I tend to work on the principal that if there's nothing worth typing, I don't bother...

There is a backlog of entries currently up at Blogspot if you fancy having a look.