Edward Soul Sogunro

Multi-disciplinary creative Edward Sogunro is a firm believer that fulfilment trumps money. Even if it doesn’t always pay the bills, forging partnerships with creatives whose values are aligned with yours can put wind in your sails and keep your passion alive. And as it turned out, it was the personal projects that gained Edward the most traction. From taking risks to finding his voice as a multidisciplinary artist, Edward shares his tips below on how to get your foot in the door, even when it seems like there’s no way in.

What I do

How would you describe what you do?
In simple terms, I’m an artist, but my background is in graphic design, photography and art direction. I use these different creative processes to mix up and influence my work in interesting new ways.

What are the main influences and inspirations behind your work?
I’m inspired by film directors like Michel Gondry and David Lynch, the photographers Gordon Parks and Helen Levitt, people-watching and conversations. When it comes to London, I’m inspired by the forgotten and seemingly hidden parts of the city – the ones that remind me of where I grew up in North West London.

Would you say you need any specific training for what you do?
I'm essentially a collector of interests and obsessions; I use trial and error and experimentation to bring all these things together. To do what I do, you need patience and a willingness to experiment and try things differently. A curious mind and a desire to explore creative rabbit holes go a long way.

What’s been your favourite project to work on from the past year, and why?
This year has been a hard one as I solidify my freelance business, but my favourite creative project has to be my work with Dance Policy magazine on one of their covers. I shot Bradley Zero and recreated his venue, Jumbi, for the backdrop, using 3D scans and tiled A4 paper. I then recreated his iconic sound systems out of cardboard. It’s my first cover where I’ve been given creative freedom to play with an exciting idea. Big shout-out to Dance Policy magazine for sticking with me through the process!

What does a normal day-to-day usually look like for you?
It consists of coffee, taking photos of abandoned mattresses, looking at a lot of pictures I took the day before and deliberating with Snappy Snaps on how many I should print.

If there was a starter pack for your job, what would be on it?
A printer, a camera (literally any), a latte and cycling one-handed.

How I got here

What was your journey like when you were first starting out?
A risk. I had cold feet for a while and seemingly no access to the industry I wanted to be part of. There weren’t many people I saw with a multifaceted approach to making and I often questioned if there was space for someone who wasn’t necessarily ‘specialising’ – especially as that seemed to be important at the time.

How did you go about landing your first few jobs, clients and/or commissions?
I was lucky to land a graphic design gig for a short film director – she was searching for one, and I reached out quickly enough. We stayed in touch and later collaborated on my first independent publication, fresh out of uni.

Later on, I got a full-time job at a media company working as an editor and graphic designer. I would often stay behind to use my workplace's iMac to work on personal projects, like music videos I’d edit for friends. I found that with every creative project I did outside my 9-5, those were the most interesting and the ones people wanted to see. That was the work that eventually caught the eye of It’s Nice That’s creative team.

What has been your biggest challenge along the way?
Anxiety and finding confidence in my voice as a creative. I always preferred to just make the darn thing rather than yap about it or share it with others. That was all well and good, but as I took the craft more seriously, I realised that making was only half the battle of being a creative.

How important are social media and self-promotion to your work?
This is an area I’m working on heavily, but I can’t stress enough the importance of sharing your work - no one can see what you do otherwise. Along with this, I also recommend group crits and gaining access to portfolio reviews.

'Can You Taste Design' project for It's Nice That

What are three things that you’ve found useful to your work or career, and why?

Have there been any courses, programmes, initiatives, access schemes or job boards you’ve found helpful or would recommend to get into your sector?
Good Growth Hub is a great place to find free workshops in Hackney Wick. Screenskills have support grants that can fund new equipment and essential tools for your craft; I’m currently applying to get funding for driving lessons!

I’ve been keeping a close eye on workshops at The Photographers' Gallery and the Institute of Contemporary Arts, which both have great workshop programmes throughout the year, but bear in mind that The Photographers' Gallery workshops aren’t free. I’ve found that going to two to three workshops a year in different fields has really allowed me to grow and expand my creativity in different ways. I’ve also become a stronger director and collaborative player, which really helps when thinking on my feet.

What have been your greatest learnings with making money and supporting yourself as a creative?
There is no shame in having multiple revenue streams in order to make ends meet. There may be periods where things are especially difficult – despair and financial insecurity suck up mental capacity. I’ve found that knowing what my non-negotiable comforts are and letting go of things that no longer serve me has given me a lot of focus. Ultimately, I focus on being active and using my creative skills as much as possible wherever I can, whether that's with assisting, directing or even just crafting with my hands.

My advice

What’s the best career-related advice you’ve ever received?
Work for free – sometimes. It's controversial, but hear me out. Starting out, I tried being super strict about making sure I was paid for every single job, but I’ve earned more growth from offering up my skills to growing brands whose values align with me. I realise I learn a lot and make great work this way, and overall, we can then grow together as a unit. This really works best and aids networking in the long run.

It’s about working horizontally instead of vertically; the peers who come up with you will give you motivation and put air in your sails. Obviously, you need to know your worth and capacity before doing this, and we've all got to pay our bills at the end of the day, but reaching out to your favourite creative studio can be the foot in the door that kickstarts your career. Come to them with the self-knowledge of what you can bring to their work. It’s crazy because it feels counterintuitive to everything I learned before getting into freelancing. The bottom line, though, is that capital is important, but finding fulfilment means you won't hate the very thing that you thought you’d always love. Try it out, you might be surprised by the friends you make.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into a similar role?
Don’t put yourself in a box. The harder I tried to become a specific thing, the less inspired I became. Also, don’t stop making.