06-23-2013, 05:32 AM
I know a lot of you wonder how to become a freelance artist and I am not sure how YOU can do it but I know how I did it. I imagine if you did the same, with the same intentions, then you would also find yourself where you want to be.
When I first started as a freelancer I didn't know the direction I should go in to make money but I discovered a terribly easy formula: I realized the work was already there... I knew a lot of people and surely some of them could use logo designs, ads, labels, illustrations and instead of trying to convince them to give me their money for the service, I would do it for free. Who could say no to free work? Through this work I would eventually make my living, build a sweet portfolio, and put my 3d, design, and illustration skills to great use.
I had recently been laid off from a concept/illustration position at a company due to lack of work during the recession in 2009. I had been given the last 2 weeks pay with no requirement to work in order to find a new job. This was very kind of my previous employer. I sat at home, struggling to find myself again and feeling terribly alone. All I had known were 3 jobs, 2 as an artist and 1 at a furniture company. What was I to do? Get another job? I couldn't bare it... I decided I would try to freelance and this is where I found the simple truth that giving is the way to real success, not in taking. I read a book called the go-giver which promotes good giving principles and I realized this is the core to great human relationships anyway! Of course it should be the cornerstone of my design-business.
I set out talking to previous people I had worked with and offered my services for free. I printed business-cards and handed them out like candy. I did a load of work for free (which surprisingly is a lot more fulfilling than paid work) the whole time as I struggled with the part of me that knew I needed money coming in soon. I had about 1200 when I was layed off and spent 900 to fix my computer which had been sitting broken at home for a few months. I had 300 in cash and a line of credit I could live on for at least a few months if I needed to.
At this same time the book suggested that you must give what you want to receive. This being a law of the universe. So I decided I should try to find my friends work, I didnt know how this would give me work but I thought its worth the experiment. I started telling everyone I could about my friend who was a programmer and web designer, about my friend who make great 3d models, I was avidly trying to find these guys work without their knowing. Surprisingly I got a call out of nowhere from a someone needing a web-design, they had heard about me through one of my friends (the ones I was promoting) and liked my work. My friend had gotten word somehow that I was doing this for him and then decided to find me work because I was looking out for him. The man asked me what I charged so I gave him a price that I felt good about and we went from there. I found my first client. This one job paid for 2 months of living expenses.
After a short while I began getting requests from people I had done free work for, and loads of new ones came in. I decided that I would charge people who requested my help. These are the people who knew my value and wanted more of it. I also decided I would stick to hourly rates because thats what I know.
My hourly rate was based on two things;
1. Charging what I thought would be best for the customer. This is crucial because you want your service to make your client money. If you work long hours, charge a lot, and dont provide great work, then you are taking away from your clients. You should focus on helping them actually make money! It is good for you and your clients to understand this is your intention. You need to be important in their lives and the work you do needs to be important to you.
2. Charge enough to pay your bills. I figured I had to make a certain amount every-day. lets say I needed to make 100 a day to pay all my bills and eat, then I could break down how much work I needed to do every-day. If I charge $15/hr to start then I need to work about 6.7 hours a day, if I charge 25 then I only need to find 4 hours, 50 then 2 hours.. This also led me to realized that if I work an 8 hour day at 25/hr I have just worked enough for 2 days, so when I have no work one day, I dont have to worry.
Once my work improved and the demand became more proficient I would slowly charge more. Now the work that would have taken me weeks I can do in a day. So it is justifiable.
I have been working independant since 2009 and have a handful of great clients that give me most of my work, many that give me some work, and lots that come for one project.
So with this being said I've never been a starving artist. I think there is no need to be. The trouble comes when the work you want to be doing isn't the work that is in demand and when good working relationships is not yet understood. I like making concept-art and illustrations but that isn't what sells the most. I have learned how to integrate those into my work. Now I find myself making quite a few for my projects.
There are 5 universal laws to success in total from the go-giver book that I ran with and still do my best to. I actually am not a reader so I got the audiobook.
The laws are:
1. The Law of Value - Your true worth is how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
2. The Law of Compensation - Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
3. The Law of Influence - Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other peoples interests first.
4. The Law of Authenticity - The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
5. The Law of receptivity - The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.
The book tells these principles in a short story and shows how they work and why. I am not here really to support the book but to explain how I made it on my own!
I think we tend to look too much at the money, at the work, and not enough at the human interaction. What are we doing with our lives?
When I first started as a freelancer I didn't know the direction I should go in to make money but I discovered a terribly easy formula: I realized the work was already there... I knew a lot of people and surely some of them could use logo designs, ads, labels, illustrations and instead of trying to convince them to give me their money for the service, I would do it for free. Who could say no to free work? Through this work I would eventually make my living, build a sweet portfolio, and put my 3d, design, and illustration skills to great use.
I had recently been laid off from a concept/illustration position at a company due to lack of work during the recession in 2009. I had been given the last 2 weeks pay with no requirement to work in order to find a new job. This was very kind of my previous employer. I sat at home, struggling to find myself again and feeling terribly alone. All I had known were 3 jobs, 2 as an artist and 1 at a furniture company. What was I to do? Get another job? I couldn't bare it... I decided I would try to freelance and this is where I found the simple truth that giving is the way to real success, not in taking. I read a book called the go-giver which promotes good giving principles and I realized this is the core to great human relationships anyway! Of course it should be the cornerstone of my design-business.
I set out talking to previous people I had worked with and offered my services for free. I printed business-cards and handed them out like candy. I did a load of work for free (which surprisingly is a lot more fulfilling than paid work) the whole time as I struggled with the part of me that knew I needed money coming in soon. I had about 1200 when I was layed off and spent 900 to fix my computer which had been sitting broken at home for a few months. I had 300 in cash and a line of credit I could live on for at least a few months if I needed to.
At this same time the book suggested that you must give what you want to receive. This being a law of the universe. So I decided I should try to find my friends work, I didnt know how this would give me work but I thought its worth the experiment. I started telling everyone I could about my friend who was a programmer and web designer, about my friend who make great 3d models, I was avidly trying to find these guys work without their knowing. Surprisingly I got a call out of nowhere from a someone needing a web-design, they had heard about me through one of my friends (the ones I was promoting) and liked my work. My friend had gotten word somehow that I was doing this for him and then decided to find me work because I was looking out for him. The man asked me what I charged so I gave him a price that I felt good about and we went from there. I found my first client. This one job paid for 2 months of living expenses.
After a short while I began getting requests from people I had done free work for, and loads of new ones came in. I decided that I would charge people who requested my help. These are the people who knew my value and wanted more of it. I also decided I would stick to hourly rates because thats what I know.
My hourly rate was based on two things;
1. Charging what I thought would be best for the customer. This is crucial because you want your service to make your client money. If you work long hours, charge a lot, and dont provide great work, then you are taking away from your clients. You should focus on helping them actually make money! It is good for you and your clients to understand this is your intention. You need to be important in their lives and the work you do needs to be important to you.
2. Charge enough to pay your bills. I figured I had to make a certain amount every-day. lets say I needed to make 100 a day to pay all my bills and eat, then I could break down how much work I needed to do every-day. If I charge $15/hr to start then I need to work about 6.7 hours a day, if I charge 25 then I only need to find 4 hours, 50 then 2 hours.. This also led me to realized that if I work an 8 hour day at 25/hr I have just worked enough for 2 days, so when I have no work one day, I dont have to worry.
Once my work improved and the demand became more proficient I would slowly charge more. Now the work that would have taken me weeks I can do in a day. So it is justifiable.
I have been working independant since 2009 and have a handful of great clients that give me most of my work, many that give me some work, and lots that come for one project.
So with this being said I've never been a starving artist. I think there is no need to be. The trouble comes when the work you want to be doing isn't the work that is in demand and when good working relationships is not yet understood. I like making concept-art and illustrations but that isn't what sells the most. I have learned how to integrate those into my work. Now I find myself making quite a few for my projects.
There are 5 universal laws to success in total from the go-giver book that I ran with and still do my best to. I actually am not a reader so I got the audiobook.
The laws are:
1. The Law of Value - Your true worth is how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
2. The Law of Compensation - Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
3. The Law of Influence - Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other peoples interests first.
4. The Law of Authenticity - The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
5. The Law of receptivity - The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.
The book tells these principles in a short story and shows how they work and why. I am not here really to support the book but to explain how I made it on my own!
I think we tend to look too much at the money, at the work, and not enough at the human interaction. What are we doing with our lives?
David Shearer - www.theartofoneness.com - www.rek0.deviantart.com
