09-24-2015, 04:36 AM
Long post, sorry. I hope it helps, though!
I do lots of freelance work (mostly writing, but some art too). I say you should look at your local CraigsList, and at Indeed. Another option is newspapers, and good old fashioned beating the pavement. Keep hustling, and build your reputation. And remember: they care a lot more about you getting the job done within time limits and budget constraints than about whether your work is the best of the best (but obviously you want to try to give them that too). Once you build up a reputation, people will start coming to you.
Two other things:
1) you put two different sites as your portfolio site (DA and ArtStation) in this thread alone. Get your own site. Wordpress, Weebly, whatever allows total customization of the URL so it looks like you believe in yourself enough to purchase an actual domain (I think WordPress is best for this. Note: do as I say here, not as I do. I'm working on getting a better site together. lol)
2) It could just be the way I'm reading it and not at all what others read/what you meant, but you sound really half-hearted and unsure about this (examples: "Here is my portfolio, for reference i guess.", and "But god, am i slow. There is no way i can finish something in 2 hours or less, and be happy with it, or anybody for that matter. Is there really only one way? grind trough the shit, until you good enough to get decent jobs from companies? D:"). Don't get me wrong, a lack of confidence is natural. But you have to project yourself as confident, professional, and like you know damn well you can get the job done within their constraints and fucking floor them with it. Just fake it till you make it, it works better than I ever expected (look at my sb and try telling me there's any reason to be confident at all. Just try. But I act it anyway, and people eat it up).
+1 to everything Amit said too. Cons are your friend. Get like 4 or 5 of your best pieces, and print them on the back of your business cards (bonus if they're fucking gorgeous cards you designed yourself back to front). Also, get a tablet if you don't have one already (literally every GoodWill I've ever been to has at least one, so money isn't too much of a problem here. Also, the CraigsList barter section might have a few surprisingly nice ones). This is so you can have your Portfolio of Badassery (remember the confidence thing) with you AT ALL TIMES. Remember, you're out hustling! Show anyone who is interested the goods, make connections to how they can benefit from your services, hand them a card and wish them a great day. If you hit it off, follow up with them later. Everything above also applies to dealing with local small businesses. Find the dude in charge, hustle, follow up, repeat at the next business.
Oh, and as to your question of slogging through the shit to get to the gold: yes, you do. Everyone deals with it at least a little bit. I do free projects all the time to bolster my portfolio/resume, get my name out there, and get the experience. But remember, it doesn't have to be shit. Do freebie projects that you like. Does your favorite local animal shelter need some advertising done? Get them some art! Is there an indie team on reddit that actually has their shit together? Toss some art at them! There can never be too much experience, too many people who know your name and what you do.
I do lots of freelance work (mostly writing, but some art too). I say you should look at your local CraigsList, and at Indeed. Another option is newspapers, and good old fashioned beating the pavement. Keep hustling, and build your reputation. And remember: they care a lot more about you getting the job done within time limits and budget constraints than about whether your work is the best of the best (but obviously you want to try to give them that too). Once you build up a reputation, people will start coming to you.
Two other things:
1) you put two different sites as your portfolio site (DA and ArtStation) in this thread alone. Get your own site. Wordpress, Weebly, whatever allows total customization of the URL so it looks like you believe in yourself enough to purchase an actual domain (I think WordPress is best for this. Note: do as I say here, not as I do. I'm working on getting a better site together. lol)
2) It could just be the way I'm reading it and not at all what others read/what you meant, but you sound really half-hearted and unsure about this (examples: "Here is my portfolio, for reference i guess.", and "But god, am i slow. There is no way i can finish something in 2 hours or less, and be happy with it, or anybody for that matter. Is there really only one way? grind trough the shit, until you good enough to get decent jobs from companies? D:"). Don't get me wrong, a lack of confidence is natural. But you have to project yourself as confident, professional, and like you know damn well you can get the job done within their constraints and fucking floor them with it. Just fake it till you make it, it works better than I ever expected (look at my sb and try telling me there's any reason to be confident at all. Just try. But I act it anyway, and people eat it up).
+1 to everything Amit said too. Cons are your friend. Get like 4 or 5 of your best pieces, and print them on the back of your business cards (bonus if they're fucking gorgeous cards you designed yourself back to front). Also, get a tablet if you don't have one already (literally every GoodWill I've ever been to has at least one, so money isn't too much of a problem here. Also, the CraigsList barter section might have a few surprisingly nice ones). This is so you can have your Portfolio of Badassery (remember the confidence thing) with you AT ALL TIMES. Remember, you're out hustling! Show anyone who is interested the goods, make connections to how they can benefit from your services, hand them a card and wish them a great day. If you hit it off, follow up with them later. Everything above also applies to dealing with local small businesses. Find the dude in charge, hustle, follow up, repeat at the next business.
Oh, and as to your question of slogging through the shit to get to the gold: yes, you do. Everyone deals with it at least a little bit. I do free projects all the time to bolster my portfolio/resume, get my name out there, and get the experience. But remember, it doesn't have to be shit. Do freebie projects that you like. Does your favorite local animal shelter need some advertising done? Get them some art! Is there an indie team on reddit that actually has their shit together? Toss some art at them! There can never be too much experience, too many people who know your name and what you do.