Today see's the launch of our N I C E campaign. It's been months in the making, so I am beyond excited to finally be able to share it with the world.
From 2014 - 2018 I ran a lovely little niche creative artist agency called Novel Beings, with my partner in novel approaches, Alice Wilby. However, after four incredible years, Novel Beings became unsustainable for us, both personally and professionally. We decided to restructure our business to ensure our own wellbeing, and focus on the things that were driving us to do better at the things we cared passionately about.
There were learnings there that I simply couldn't let go of though. So, as one proverbial door closed, another one opened. Novel Creatives was borne out a belief that ethically-minded creative freelancers and ethical brands needed a more practical place to find each other - on a global scale.
Novel Creatives is a testimony to what Alice and I, along with all the incredible artists we represented (yes, you can find them on the marketplace) and clients we worked with under the Novel Beings moniker. The principals that governed us then are the same ones that govern us in this updated incarnation.
On that note, I am pleased to present our N I C E campaign.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY NICE?
Well, very simply N. I. C. E is a combination of letters that stem from Novel Creatives, Industry Experts...ethically-minded ones of course. The talent and the brands who use our platform are also NICE. They are nice to the planet, nice to people and nice to animals. This is represented through either how they work or what they produce.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THESE PEOPLE DO AS THEY SAY?
While it is free to join Novel Creatives, and we open our arms to ethically-minded talent of all races, genders and ages, we are still an exclusive marketplace. We manually vett each of the members that sign up to use our platform. We ask them to complete a verification form, and until such time as we have received this, they are unable to post any listings or apply for jobs. We check their social media channels (you can find out a lot about a person's true values through a quick Facebook or Instagram stalk, let me tell you!) and personal USP. Granted, there may be times we get it wrong, because, after all, there is a certain amount of trust you have to put in people. Once they have been approved, we look to the community to help hold each other accountable by leaving comments and testimonials on each others profiles. If someone shows up and doesn't practice what they preach (ie: what they have claimed their ethics are in their profiles) we revoke their right to post listings or apply to jobs.
WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN VETTING APPLICANTS?
First and foremost, we look for transparency. We know that as a freelancer, it's not always easy to be as mindful and environmentally sound as we might like to be. So, we take into consideration an ethically-minded freelancers personal journey. Rather than excluding them from our community, we invite them in and support them on their journey to making even more sound sustainable and ethical choices in their working practices. This is where the community is key, because when you can see others doing what you want to be doing, it motivates you to do better yourself. But back to the question... we look for artists that are using products that are kinder to the environment and kinder to the people that have to wear/use them. We look for stylists that use what is already available to dress people or tell a story, or use ethically-made fashion instead of high-street brands. We look for image-makers who tell stories about stuff that matters...and have a low carbon-footprint in their production. We look for brands that pay their workers a fair-wage. That includes the freelancers they are hiring to create their content, lookbook or campaign. We look for brands that have figured out how to maximise on minimising waste. These are novel creatives (and this list isn't nearly exhausted).
Stay tuned to our social media channels over the coming weeks, as we will be introducing you to our "tribe."
I'M NICE, SIGN ME UP!
The power's in your hands now! But here's a little link to help you on your way!
www.novelcreatives.com
Did you know that our bespoke illustrations we commissioned from an illustrator who features on the platform? Check out Ameera Mian's work.
Welcome to the tribe!
K x
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