DAVID GALLETLY

Meet our Scene Stirling Digital Cohort, David Galletly.
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David Galletly is an artist, illustrator and graphic designer from Stirling. He has been commissioned to curate, create and design a podcast series featuring local creative professionals – promoting his home city as a great place to live and work.⠀
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David said: “Normally I draw pictures, design posters and paint murals, but recently I've taken my first few tentative steps in animation. Joining the Digital Commissions will give me the opportunity to expand as an artist and experiment with an entirely new medium, podcasts. I’m over the moon to be part of the programme and can’t wait to get started.”⠀
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David will be mentored by Marcroy Eccleston Smith, Founder and Editor of People of Print and Grafik Magazine.

MEET DAVID GALLETLY

Who are you? What do you do?

I’m David Galletly, an illustrator and graphic designer. I recently moved back to my hometown of Stirling after a decade of living and working in Glasgow. I've built my studio in Creative Stirling's hub at 44 King St.
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My clients include Innis & Gunn, WIRED, The Hollywood Reporter, NHS, Glasgow Film and Begg x Co. I also head up the art direction for Lost Map, a small independent record label based on the Isle of Eigg. ⠀
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I work in a variety of styles and use a combination of traditional and digital techniques. This flexibility helps me survive as a freelancer - I can turn my hand to almost anything that comes my way. I've recently been working on a few animation projects, which is fairly new territory. ⠀

What's your Scene Stirling project? Tell us about it.⁣

I’m working on a podcast project where I talk to creative people about how they approach their creative process. My goal is for it to be an entertaining (and instructive) rumination on the different ways people choose to work.⠀
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This week I am tackling the project visuals – picking a name, creating the podcast artwork, finalising the look and feel of the website etc. Beyond that, I’ll be figuring out the remote recording process, booking guests and editing the episodes.⠀
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My long-term plan is to let the project continue indefinitely. I expect it to change and adapt naturally over time. This is all very much outside my comfort zone, and that's a good thing.⠀

Where do you currently work from?

I work from my studio in Creative Stirling's hub at 44 King St. It’s formerly a manager’s office in an old department store. I head here every day, lock the door and split my time between working at the computer and my drawing board. ⠀
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I've always worked alone and take pride in being a bit of a one-man band. That said, after a year of social distancing, I'm keen to talk to other people again. That's a big part of why I'm starting a podcast.⠀

What challenges are you facing?⠀

My day-to-day work has continued relatively uninterrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic although at a significantly slower pace (my extremely curious 3 year-old daughter has been a fun studio mate). Balancing work and home life is tricky but it's a comparatively small problem to deal with. ⠀
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With my project, lockdown rules and social distancing make travelling and in-person interviews difficult. Ideally I'd be able to chat with people face-to-face. Hopefully that'll change someday soon but, for now, I’m figuring out the best way to capture high-quality audio remotely.⠀

What have you learnt in your commission so far?⠀

I've learned that talking into a microphone doesn't come naturally! I'm slowly getting used to the sound of my own voice, which is a useful skill in and of itself.⠀

Beyond the practical recording skills, I've participated in several Scene Stirling workshops and discussions that have been really interesting. In particular they have allowed me to reflect on my professional relationship with social media. I hope to make better use of it as a tool for learning and for sharing ideas of my own. ⠀