Excerpts from Starting Your Career 1 2 3 EX
Why Freelance?
Illustrator Randy Glasbergen says that freelancing is like Christmas. “Will Santa
bring me a shiny new assignment today? Will one of Santa’s helpers call me on the
phone with a special surprise? What will I find when I unwrap the goodies in the
mailbox today? Santa doesn’t come every day, but each day has the potential, and
that’s usually enough to keep me excited until the next visit!”
So what is a freelancer? Defined simply, freelancers are self-employed sub-
contractors who market their art by the job to several buyers. That’s very short
and sounds just as sweet. But in the real world beyond the dictionary, a freelancer
is also the office manager, secretarial pool, sales staff, marketing department,
maintenance, and mail room rolled into one. The ever-growing stack labeled
“Important Things That Must Be Done Right Now” lies immediately under the
bowling ball, cleaver, and cream pie you’ll swear you’re juggling as a one-person
shop.
Common to all freelancers (in fact, their primary motivation) is a dedicated
passion for their chosen vocation; it’s more than a mere job, it’s a calling.
Freelancers are entrepreneurs with an independent spirit, a sense of adventure,
and their own bold vision of success. Come April 15th, freelancers benefit from the
same tax breaks any small business enjoys. And, like small business owners,
freelancers don’t want to work for somebody else (indeed, there is a certain pride
one only gets from working for yourself). A freelance business is the vehicle to
exercise your particular talents as your own boss, in your environment of choice, at
the hours you choose.
What Are The Pluses And Minuses Of Freelancing? Freelancing is a demanding
vocation. You’re going to hustle. You’ll work extended hours, and the buzzword
here is “more.” More hours, yes, but you can do a wider variety of more creative
assignments, do more of the type of work you want to do, with the potential to
earn more money in the process.
Freedom at last. There’s no time clock to punch, and it’s your schedule.
Providing you meet your deadlines, you decide when you go to work, and for how
long. No toiling “nine-to- five,” unless you want it that way. The flip side to this is
that the steady paycheck is history. Your money will come in dribbles, drabs,
spurts, and bursts. You will finally understand the true meaning of the terms
“accounts receivable” and “accounts payable.” Boys and girls: can you say “cash
flow”? What you knew as professional security at your full-time position is not
applicable here, as freelancing can be a bit of an emotional and fiscal roller coaster
ride. Jobs may not be steady; you may miss a meal or two. You won’t land every
exciting assignment you pursue, and you’ll have to take some mundane jobs
simply to pay the bills.
A freelancer must have great reserves of self-discipline; if you don’t, you won’t
be working this time next year. Say a fond good-bye to that grumpy manager
staring over your shoulder. Look in the mirror and meet a tough new employer.
And that salesman’s gig your dad was always telling you about? Congratulations,
you got the job! Marketing and self-promotion will become very important to you.
Like it or not, we should emphasize right now that this is a business! However, the
worlds of art and commerce can be quite compatible—how else are there so many
successful illustrators out there?
Many people actually believe that, because you freelance from home, you’re not
really working. As your business takes off you’ll be working alone, without the
feedback and camaraderie of co-workers, weathering the peaks and valleys minus
the support system of an office or staff. Outside your door, the competition is
awesome—in numbers and ability. But you’re up to the challenge, right? Your new
boss thinks so.
Good organization skills will be crucial. While it is the art that’ll be your bread
and butter, realize early that an artist’s beret is only one hat you’ll be wearing.
Remember your co-workers at Chaingang, Slavemine, & Sweatshop? All those
people, doing all those things. Working all day. Getting it all done. Those are all
your responsibilities now.
Drawing must be your love—something enjoyed with all your heart,
something you need to do, something you would do purely for yourself without
pay. When you come right down to it, how many folks can say they truly love their
work? As a freelance illustrator, you can—and that’s the biggest plus of all.