Celebrating 12 months of Creative Boom
It's been 12 months since we exploded onto your computer screens - exactly one year ago this Saturday - and offered our support to the creative industries throughout the UK.
So much has changed since we started out on 24th July 2009 and promised to bring you news, information and inspiration on all things creative. That's whether you're into photography, film, art, fashion, marketing, PR, digital or crafts.
The magazine was started by myself Katy Cowan and husband Tom. We also run our own small and friendly digital PR company called Boomerang in Cheshire. Like many small businesses, we were keen to raise our profiles, network and take advantage of the web, social media and everything the Internet has to offer.
What we never anticipated was how big Creative Boom would get. And we've loved every minute of it. It's been a sheer rollercoaster!
Over the past 12 months, we've changed and improved the magazine dozens of times. We've launched regional Hubs, a free jobs board... We even had an episode of running a t-shirt design contest and shop called Boomtique - something that didn't quite work out but was fun nevertheless.
We got published in regional newspapers, interviewed by online resources like the Freelance Alliance. We even got onto Radio 4's Money Box Live and threw in a cheeky plug about Creative Boom.
The Guardian newspaper has just started supporting us by hooking up to three of our regional Hubs, including Cardiff, Leeds and Edinburgh. Apparently, the Press Association think we're great.
More recently we've had Vimeo supporting the site and even CarbonMade, which is just fantastic! We're getting out there and getting noticed!
And, best of all - we've made so many new friends and contacts over the past year. Contacts we just wouldn't have made had it not been for Creative Boom. There are too many people to mention but I'm going to throw a few names together.
When we first started out animator Krista Harrison; designer Mike Messina (who has a brand new website he forgot to tell us about! Love it Mike!); Charlee Sully of The Usual Studio; Sheffield-based cartoonist James Whitworth along with Tigz Rice - a photographer in London - all helped me out enormously. They gave me some fantastic ideas and really account for the way the magazine took shape. Mike Messina is of course the person who designed the original logo for Creative Boom and has been hugely generous in his support over the past 12 months.
There were young graduates Phil Keil and Ash Garrod who both looked after Creative Boom Liverpool - they were great supporters of the site. Since Phil and Ash got full time jobs, we now have the wonderful Ste Johnson and web designer Nick Toye looking after the Hub and doing a fantastic job.
Then there's a special mention to David and Sarah Cousens of CoolSurface, who've been lovely and supportive since they discovered us last year.
There's Will Hives of Alt-Design in Derby, one of the first people to design one of our web banners. There's Amy from PikaLand and Erin from Design For Mankind. Marc Aspinall from the Tree House Press; Mike Harman, an illustrator from Yorkshire; Andy and Lucy at Jamm Media in Reading; Somhairle MacDonald a.k.a schm0 from Glasgow; Manchester web designer and friend Marc Remblance; illustrator Carys Tait and her husband Christian; the wonderful Stina Jones of Creative Elements in Stafford; Manchester illustrator Dean Zappy; Stoke-on-Trent designer Grace Han... Each and every one of them have been fantastic.
Others that have to be mentioned are David Burgess of the No Such Disco and Waldo the Worm fame; London illustrator Saroj Patel; Adam Kirkman from Nottingham who now looks after CB Notts along with illustrator Matthew Savage. There's also the very talented Carlton Hibbert of Patterns for Colouring. Thanks Carlton for all your support over the year.
All our contributors including Alan Anderson from Blue Tube Design in Belfast - he's been a rock since he joined our community - even if I can't understand what he's saying half the time! Thank you Alan for all your hard work and making everything so fun!
Mark Thomas, a graphic designer from Stoke-on-Trent, has been hugely supportive and passionate about the site, recently becoming a contributor. Thanks Mark! And he's getting married tomorrow, so congratulations to Mr & Mrs Thomas! You'll no doubt remember Creative Boom's birthday every year now!
And fashion photographer Matthew Stansfield who's been an amazing support. He shot the pics for Boomtique when it first launched and later the group shots for my business Boomerang. Thanks Matt for helping out and buying us pork pies and fruity beer on Fridays.
Alex Wood and Stephen Greene at STAN in Manchester - both really helped out when Creative Boom launched its Hubs. Their ideas and input were invaluable! Thanks guys!
Then there's Joanna Kinch of Kinch Print in Wrexham. She's been great fun to work with and very supportive. Jo now runs Creative Boom Wrexham, championing the creative industries across North Wales.
Kirsty Burgoine has been a life saver since we met her in January. She looks after Creative Boom Shrewsbury and is a web designer and developer based in Shropshire. She supported us during the last major design upgrade on the site. And offers ongoing support whenever we're in a pickle. Thanks Kirsty as always. She's also roped me into doing a talk at her latest event - ShropGeek Revolution. Should be fun!
Not forgetting Russell Thomas - an intern at THECUBE in London and the editor of Creative Boom London. Despite breaking a hand earlier this year, Russell continued to successfully run the Capital's own hub and is hugely passionate about Creative Boom. He really has worked incredibly hard on the site and we can't thank him enough. We hope CB has been hugely beneficial to his own career. Thanks Russ and of course everyone at THECUBE.
Then there's all our other Hub owners and contributors, including recent newcomer Carlos Garde-Martin who has been posting some fantastic stuff. Thanks Carlos!
Thanks to Ben Grubb - a music photographer and designer from London. Ben has enjoyed attending several gigs and events on Creative Boom's behalf and has done some excellent photography and reviews. Thanks Ben! He's even designed a web banner for our site!
There's Henry Erickson Davis, aka von Wolffe from Texas. Another CB newbie who has been keen and passionate to help out wherever he can. Thanks Henry! We can't wait to come to Texas and do some bike riding.
And everyone else, including Nick Vellacott from Highlight PR in Bath; Mandy Chana who runs Creative Boom Birmingham; Amy Wass from PWS Design in Brighton; designer Tom Stutt who looks after Creative Boom Bristol; Karen Jinks who looks after CB Cambridge and is part of UK Handmade; designer Natalie Rose Smith who runs CB Cardiff and does a sterling job; Holly Knowlman, a copywriter from Cheltenham and runs the Hub there; the enthusiastic and lovely Holly Booth, a photographer from Derby; Gill McColl, a designer from Edinburgh who runs the Hub there; creative Natasha Sexton who runs CB Gillingham and does a fab job and the kind and wonderful Dean Wales of CB Ipswich and White Space PR.
There's Sally Paddock of CB Leeds who has been a fantastic asset to the CB team; Mhari McMullan of the Welcome Home Store in Glasgow and the gorgeous and talented Rebekah Harriman of R&R VA Services.
Last but not least there's my husband Tom - the website developer from Cheshire - who has kept me sane and ensured everything behind the scenes is ticking over nicely. And my brother Alex Millward who has been hugely supportive and wonderful over the past 12 months. And of course my biggest fans - Mum and Dad.. This is getting emotional now! Haha! But really, my parents have been wonderful as always and very encouraging and supportive. Thanks ma and pa.
Then there's everyone else - too many people to mention! If I've not mentioned you then please forgive me! It's been difficult keeping updated on what all of you have been up to. But I'll try my best over the next 12 months to continue to support you wherever I can. Happy Birthday Creative Boomers! It's been a fantastic year! Here's to another 12 months!
