When graduating it can be easy to feel overwhelmed about your place in the working world. One piece of advice illustrator Millie Johnson has received is to not “compare yourself to the successes of others and be kind to yourself”. As a creative she says she is constantly admiring and learning from her peers but it can be hard to ignore the feelings of self-doubt and imposter syndrome. “You just need to trust in your abilities and your vision, however this is easier said than done.”

What helped her feel more secure in her practice were her tutors while studying illustration at Arts University Bournemouth. While there they emphasised the importance of understanding how the industry functions, they set up opportunities for real world briefs, and had established illustrators come and speak about their experiences. “It was such a supportive and inspiring environment to have been a part of, you could really sense that the tutors and technicians really care about you and reaching the potentiality of your work,” says Johnson.

In recent years, a BA in illustration has become broader in terms of the media and form the work can take. Johnson, alongside developing her 2D illustration work, has extended her practice to include ceramics. “I have always had a compulsion to create with my hands so when I finally had access to the kiln I jumped at the chance,” she says. “It was a big risk for me to make such a radical change for my final major project but as soon as I manipulated my first lump of clay in my hands I immediately knew that working in this way came naturally to me.”

The project in question is The Local, which centres around British pub culture, in particular the “specific type of hostility that the regulars extend to ‘non-locals’”. Johnson took the traditional Toby Jug (a pottery jug in the form of a seated person or head) and made her own versions called ‘Nigel’ and ‘Gordon’. “I attempted to satirise the entitlement of these men and immortalise them through the form of a Toby jug. Toby jugs and character jugs are representative of a bygone age of public houses, collecting dust as a permanent, ornamental fixture of the pub environment – not too dissimilar to the locals themselves,” explains Johnson.

“I was very much inspired by my own experiences being made to feel uncomfortable by the lingering stares and offensive ramblings of regulars in my local pub. While creating these pots I watched a lot of archive footage of 70s pubs and listened to a lot of Chas & Dave which helped me get into the head (quite literally) of the locals.”

Johnson’s final year was also spent refining her style and forging a connection between her digital and physical work, both in aesthetic and subject. “I feel that my work has a recognisable style that spans the two mediums. I would say that a lot of what I create stems from nostalgia, whether that be nostalgia for my own childhood or capturing the nostalgia of others. I love creating work that is familiar, darkly humorous and unsettling.”

Johnson aims to continue using ceramics as a focal point of her practice. “I am very excited for this next stage in my career. I hope to develop my small business selling my ceramic creations and work on bigger, more ambitious pieces that I wish to exhibit,” she says. The immediate challenge with this is adjusting to not having the university’s facilities at her disposal. “I currently don’t have a studio space which is the main concern as ceramics is a messy business. Most of my challenges at the moment are logistical and financial challenges rather than creative ones,” she says.

Elsewhere, she has been collaborating with bands on real-world projects, creating album art, merch designs and promo material for venues. “Music is a massive part of my life and since I have no musical talents of my own, working on projects like these let me be a part of it in my own way.”

milliejohnsonillustration.co.uk