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EFII’s own
Marc Scheff just launched a new collaborative project today called 52 Shades of Greed. 52SOG is a fully illustrated deck of finance and OWS-themed playing cards with drawings from 28 top illustrators, art directed by
Marc Scheff and
Daniel Nyari.
Marc and Daniel had a project to make a set of playing cards. It was pro bono, and limited in scope. Daniel suggested adding just a few more artists to add some more oomph to the deck. The project quickly ballooned to 28 illustrators from around the world, 56 cards, a huge fundraiser, and an incredible amount of buzz. The deck is beautifully illustrated and currently available exclusively through Rocket Hub for a limited time. When the fundraiser is complete, there will be a limited set sold at the Society of Illustrators’ Museum of American illustration.
This project is a testament to what we can create together, when we get off the island.
Want to be better at marketing your creative business?
What follows is an interview with Alex Mathers, Illustrator and author of two wonderful Illustration blogs, Ape on the Moon and Red Lemon Club. RLC is a site dedicated to helping freelancers and independent people learn to promote themselves.
Today, Alex is releasing a very intriguing new eBook called 10 Steps to Powerful Online Self-Promotion for Creatives, and I invited him to talk about this exciting new resource, and about why he is so passionate about the subject of promotion.
1. Thanks for taking the time to talk to the EFII Community. Would you like to start by telling us about yourself and about Red Lemon Club?
I am an illustrator and designer living in London, UK at the moment. I studied geography at university, although I decided to return to my interest in art and design a while after completing the course and working in the property industry. I’m a fan of war films, obscure electronic music, writing, and contemporary design. I am currently running two sites. One is Red Lemon Club, a site for creative professionals aimed at sharing various methods and discussions on online self promotion. My other site, Ape on the Moon, is a blog showcasing the best in contemporary illustration styles and techniques, featuring a host of excellent illustrators. I also contribute to Design Taxi and am about to join the contributing team at productivity for creatives site: the 99%.
2. What can creative professionals expect to find on Red Lemon Club?
Red Lemon Club was set up to focus my own efforts as an illustrator for researching the best online methods and theories behind effective and up to date self promotion, aimed specifically at creatives. I hadn’t seen anything like that when I was going about promoting my own work, so Red Lemon Club was the result of me scratching my own itch. The site was built to share what I found with the creative community, and I get a nice buzz doing so. Creative professionals will find a range of articles dealing with establishing an online brand, building an effective portfolio, the key ingredients to effective online promotion, driving traffic to sites, social media marketing, personal development and much more.
3. On the RLC website, you describe yourself as a “marketing enthusiast”. What is it about marketing and promotion that inspires you?
My interest in marketing has grown since I began getting the word out about my own designs and illustrations. It was through seeing decent results from certain marketing activities which proved that by applying the right methods of promotion, especially using the power of the internet, we can experience the satisfaction that comes with success. Marketing is essentially a tool for not only getting clients and making sales, but in achieving success and the recognition we deserve. As such, I’m enthusiastic to learn about and share these tools.
4. What are some of the easiest ways that creative professionals can improve their online marketing right now?
At the moment, one of the exciting things about the internet, is its ab
Do you work from home?
Most Illustrators and other creative professionals work from a home office or studio space, because it offers all the comforts of home and the freedom that a freelance business allows. In addition, you can save money and even claim a portion of your rent/mortgage and utilities on your taxes.
The Tradeoff
Unfortunately, working from home also has its own set of challenges, such as regular distractions and your many obligations to your house and your family.
To help you to confront these challenges, and hopefully increase your efficiency and focus, I’ll be exploring this topic in a series of posts here at Escape From Illustration Island. If you struggle with working from home, then stay tuned to receive more tips like the one below. I’d also love to hear how you cope with your own home business, so please share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.
Part 1 – Dress for Success
One of the best parts of working from home is that you can hang out in your pajamas all day and nobody will know. If you have children, this idea is even more tempting, because your time is more restricted, and you may not want to waste it getting “dressed up” to go to work.
I must admit that I spend a lot of time working in either casual clothes or pj’s. It’s hard to resist when my 9-month old girls are hanging out in their onesies.
Every Monday, however, I try to be as well-dressed as if I were going to work in an office environment. This helps me to “get in the mood” and set a productive tone for the day, and even the entire week ahead.
I have a little fun with it, and my fiance has a good laugh, but it really does make a difference in my ability to take my business seriously. Getting dressed for work can have a psychological effect on your mindset, and can help to break you out of your usual home routines.
Today I suggest that you consider trying this for a few weeks. Dress as if you are going to work in an office just one day a week, preferably at the beginning. You might find that it increases your efficiency and keeps you on task.
You still have the rest of the week to dress casual, but hopefully this one small step will help you to be more productive even when you’re in your pajamas.
How do you cope with the challenges of working from home? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
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10 Comments on How to Work From Home Part 1 – Dress for Success, last added: 3/8/2010
(Illustration by David Price)
Do you have multiple social networking profiles?
More and more people every day are building a collection of online profiles through sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and many others. While this can be a great way to establish an online presence, it can also be a potential time-waster. For this reason, it is generally recommended to set up profiles on multiple sites while regularly participating in only a few of the more effective social networks. This approach helps you to make the most of your time and energy without sacrificing your other responsibilities.
Managing 70 Profiles
A few months ago, I invited all artists to share their social networking profiles with the Illustration community here at EFII. In one response, artist David Price shared a list of over 70 links to various websites and networks, which is more than I knew existed.
I asked David to tell me how he manages to keep up with that many social profiles, and he has generously agreed to share his approach here at EFII.
Here’s David’s story:
Some sites receive more attention than others due to traffic volume and user interactions. Some of the sites I’ve only recently joined others I’ve been utilizing for awhile. The biggest amount of time goes to facebook.com where more one on one interaction occurs. The next would be twitter.com and then the other social sites, blogs and portfolio sites get their attention paid to them less frequently. But I try to visit each at least once a week.
My visibility is much better with all of these sites compared to when I just had my own web site. And it gets your name and info in the search engines more frequently as well. RedGage has seen a large rise in friend request for me this past week or two. I think this is just the site growing in traffic as I’ve done nothing special there.
I have several blogs but primarily promote only one (http://anartistat.com) and I have several domains I own also that are not in that list as I’m still developing them.
One suggestion I have for everyone is if you set up a new account at one of the portfolio sites or art posting sites like DeviantArt is that when you open your account there be prepared to post some art files as you set up the account rather than setting up several accounts at different sites and then coming back a few days later to post the art. The reason is that when you are new, a lot of these sites promote or feature new members on their homepages and you want to have something to show when you get that initial burst of traffic to your profile.
It is also good to have a consistent profile picture across the various communities to help people remember who you are. And in most cases you want to use your own face not a logo as it personalizes you in these social settings. Though you can of course be creative in your portrait and should do so if you are a creative person as this shows a glimpse of yourself and your work everywhere you post.
I also visit several art message board forums and post to those when I find something interesting. Some of those I’ve been a member of for years before I started thinking about social networking. So my user name is not consis
This morning, over a cup of coffee, I discovered that Chris Oatley had sent me a link to the most amazing TV Commercial for Flea Market Montgomery.
It just so happens that today is my Birthday, and Chris unknowingly gave me one of the greatest gifts a person can give.
What makes this video so special is that within just a few seconds you find yourself shaking your butt to someone telling you to come on down and buy a couch for your living room. Flea market owner Sammy Stephens lets loose the funky beats and slides into a 2-minute rap with repetitive and simplistic lyrics, accompanied only by a “dad” dance and pure charm.
So far, I haven’t been able to resist replaying the commercial, and I think the song is going to end up on my iPod.
What does this have to do with Illustration?
Aside from the pure entertainment and joy that I receive from this guilty pleasure, I want to share with you the deeper reason that I feel inspired by this video.
It’s rare to witness somebody letting it all hang out like Sammy Stephens does, and such a sight can be a reminder of how much fun you could be having with your artwork and your business. If you want to evolve, you have to be willing to make a fool of yourself, be bold, and take risks from time to time.
I’m not recommending that you record your own rap video, but I am suggesting that you consider ways that you can open up and let your personality shine through. Not only will this result in greater happiness, but it will also make you a more original, intriguing, and memorable artist.
For me, this video inspires several important questions:
Are there ways that I can improve my art or my business by having more fun?
How can I make my business more personal?
Can I get away with playing this song at my wedding?
I hope you find something inspiring, or at least enjoyable, in this video. I know I did. In fact, I’m going to watch it again right now.
How do you instill your business with your own personality and style? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
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(The following is an excerpt from an upcoming eBook that will be available at Escape From Illustration Island in March.)
(Illustration by Melanie Matthews)
Do you have a Promotional Strategy?
Promotion plays a major role in the success of your freelance business. In fact, you may find yourself spending more time on this task than any other, even creating art. After all, if you don’t continually find new clients, you won’t have anything to Illustrate aside from your own personal projects, which means you won’t be able to pay your bills.
In order to get the most out of your marketing efforts, it’s important to create a strategy that you’ll follow in the days ahead. That way you can simply execute your plan rather than reinvent your approach again and again.
Here are some common steps involved in a basic promotional strategy that you can consider applying to your own business:
Build a mailing list.
If you’re aiming for a specific market, make sure you’re promoting yourself to the people who work in that field and only show the type of work that fits their needs. To do this, you’ll need to build a targeted mailing list of relevant contacts.
Create and send your marketing materials.
Design promotional items such as business cards, postcards, e-mail newsletter templates, etc. It’s a good idea to try a combination of direct mailings and email marketing to see which methods work best for you. You will find links to many printing and marketing services in EFII’s Resource Library.
Announce your arrival.
Immediately send out your promotional materials to establish contact and introduce yourself to your target audience.
Promote on a schedule.
Don’t make the common mistake of sending out one promotional mailer or email and then sit back and wait until somebody contacts you. Keep your marketing efforts on a regular schedule while being careful to not send updates too frequently. Somewhere between every 60 to 90 days is a commonly accepted frequency.
Manage your mailing list.
Add to your list of contacts as you find new potential clients and check the information regularly to be sure that it’s up to date.
Use social networking.
Seek out and introduce yourself to the artists and Art Directors in your target market. Build real relationships with people and become a part of the larger Illustration community.
Making it Work for You
How you apply these concepts to your own business will depend on your budget, your personality, and your available time. If you follow these guidelines when promoting your business, you will have a much better chance of being noticed and remembered amongst a growing sea of Illustrators who are trying to make their mark in the industry.
Special thanks to Melanie Matthews for providing the artwork for this post.
About Melanie Matthews: I am
(Illustration by Glenn Hustler)
Hello fellow artists!
This week’s Weekend Forum topic is inspired by two recent posts here at EFII called 15 Places to Sell Your Work Online and 4 More Places to Sell Your Work Online.
The subject of alternate income streams is of great interest to a lot of Illustrators and Designers, so I thought I’d ask:
“How do you make money as an artist?”
Do you sell prints of your work online?
Do you teach or consult?
Do you double as a web designer?
Do you supplement your income with a day job?
I’d love to hear from you, and I know your fellow artists would too! Please share your thoughts in the comments section of this post. While you’re here, find out what your fellow artists had to say about other Weekend Forum topics!
Special thanks to Glenn Hustler for providing the artwork for this post.
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(Illustration by Caleb Morris)
Yesterday, I posted an article here at EFII called 15 Places to Sell Your Work Online, and there was a lot of interest from the Illustration Community. I had a feeling that this topic would resonate with a lot of creative professionals, because many of us are looking for ways to make money as artists, both online and off.
I’ll be exploring the subject of alternative income streams in greater detail in the very near future, so stay tuned!
In the meantime, I’d like to highlight 4 more sites where you can sell your artwork online that were contributed by your fellow artists and members of the EFII Community in response to yesterday’s post.
If you have more to add to the list, please don’t hesitate to share them in the comments section of this post. While you’re here, participate in this week’s Weekend Forum, “How Do You Make Money as an Artist?”
InPrint!
OrangePiel
Society 6
Storenvy
Special thanks to Caleb Morris for providing the artwork for this article.
About Caleb Morris: A 29 year old Gulf Coast native, Caleb “Sheesh” Morris has been exhibiting his work in the streets and galleries of North America and Europe for the past 3 years. In addition to showing in galleries around the United States, Canada, and Europe, he has had the opportunity to work for clients such as: MTV Networks, SJC Drums, Swatch, and many clothing companies, international magazines, and record labels. When not fighting insomnia or deadlines, Sheesh can be found planning his next scheme to travel across the country and record it in his sketchbook.
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(The following is an excerpt from an upcoming eBook that will be available here at EFII in March.)
One of your most valuable resources is time.
Unfortunately, time is also one of the first things to run out on you, which can affect your quality of work, your ability to meet deadlines, and your peace of mind. Time management can be one of the most difficult parts of freelance business to master, so it’s important to set up a time management strategy as early as possible. That way, you’ll have a better chance of staying on top of the demands of running a business, as well as a schedule to return to when things inevitably get out of control.
Here are some tips on setting up a time management strategy that works for you:
1. Know your personal clock.
Figure out what times of the day you are best able to perform specific tasks. For example, you may be more creative in the early morning hours and better at taking care of mundane business tasks later in the day. If you pay attention to the way you work, you can plan accordingly and make the most of the time you have.
2. Make lists.
Document your goals for the day, the week, the month, and so on. While this may not sound like the most exciting activity, it can help to clear your mind and keep you on task. In addition, the feeling of accomplishment each time you cross off an item on your list can be a great reward. Consider keeping your daily list short (3 or 4 tasks) so that you don’t feel overwhelmed. Often, this is more than enough to keep you busy for one day.
3. Assign daily duties.
Consider allocating specific tasks to each day of the week, so that you don’t feel the need to address everything at once. Here’s an example of how you might organize your time:
Monday – Marketing
Tuesday – Business Duties
Wednesday – Website and Blog
Thursday – Networking
Friday – Research
4. Promise low, deliver high.
Often, Illustrators are tempted to promise the world in order to secure a client, but it’s important to give yourself more than enough time to complete a project. You never know what distractions might arise. Another benefit of this approach is that if you complete a project ahead of schedule, it always impresses your client more than if you were to merely meet the deadline.
5. Set up an efficient workspace.
Try to keep your office free from distraction and clutter, so that you can get more accomplished in less time. In addition, using the right tools for the job and to fine tuning your workflow can also help you to increase your efficiency.
6. Break down your projects.
One trick to help you work your way through a project without feeling overwhelmed is to break things down into smaller pieces. In other words, focus on just the first stage of a project, rather than trying to wrap your brain around the entire concept. Just like making lists, this can also help to motivate you by showing you a pattern of forward momentum.
7. Try the Pomodoro Technique
Another effective approach to breaking down your time into manageable bits is called the Pomodoro Technique, which was developed by Francesco Cirillo. Here’s the basic idea:
- Choose a task to be completed.
- Set a timer to 25 minutes.
- Work on the task until the timer stops, then take a 5 minute break.
- Start again from Step 1.
This technique is great for helping you to stay on task and rewarding you for your accomplishments. Find out more h
(A guest post and Illustration by Marcela Vargas)
Sitting alone at a cafe on a cold winter evening, hot coffee in hand… it doesn’t really sound like the beginning of a quest, does it? But, it’s the beginning of my quest!
Let me tell you my story.
My name is Marcela Vargas, better known in the Internet world (or at least that’s what I like to think) as LittleMissMachete.
I am an illustrator working a day job not related to illustration. In fact, my job is not related to the industry, it’s not even close. Well, I’m in the entertainment industry, but definitely not in the creative side of it. So I am an illustrator but I do not work full time in the field. And that’s were my story begins, because the point of my quest is to find an Art Rep and work towards becoming a full time illustrator.
Seeing myself as an illustrator took a few years. I’ve always felt like one, always been drawing, experimenting, playing with the idea but titles and labels are not exactly my cup of tea. Naive, I can tell you that. Because what happens in this world of labels, where even a coffee bean grown in a traditional way needs to be certified, is that if you don’t say it, don’t label it, no one will notice. No acknowledgement whatsoever. So here is one thing I can pass on no matter what industry you are in: label yourself. Say who you are, what you do, name it, title it and people will notice. And to avoid getting into the ethical dilemma that making the decision of labelling myself caused me, I better stop and get back to my story.
So I made the conscious decision of calling myself an illustrator and once I did it, I started working hard on becoming an independent one. And well, it has not been easy. But it surely has been rewarding. Being honest with yourself is, in itself, an accomplishment.
I worked on developing my portfolio, drew, learned enough html to create my website, drew some more, joined illustration communities, kept drawing, updated my website, found tons of useful – and not so useful – information online, got discouraged, drew some more, met extraordinary illustrators, got encouraged and read about the business side of freelance illustration. I was ready. Bring it on!
Following what I though was a natural process, I jumped into the next step: Going after the work. How difficult could it be? Really… Really? I was ready to chase the opportunity and the opportunity was ready to make me pay with time and sweat. And as much as I wanted to do it myself, at some point one has to stop, step back, enjoy a good cup of coffee and evaluate the situation. It was simple: time spent versus results. My scale was heavily inclined to time spent. My creation time had decreased dramatically. And I wasn’t interested in continuing to sweat, so the idea of an art rep took over.
As I was deciding on finding an art rep, the always-wise Escapee brought up the subject. I started seeing references to art reps everywhere. Was I hallucinating? No, but I let my good old hippie side read the signs our beautiful Universe was showing me. I needed an art rep and a quest was in the making.
I finally realized I’m the kind of illustrator that needs an art rep. And, what kind is that? That is too personal for anyone to answer. I only know I am one. Yes, I’ve learned my lesson, keep the labels coming! I am extremely excited for the opportunity Thomas James has giving me. Once a month, rain or shine, I will be sharing my ventures with the EFII Community. And that is how, from a little cafe on a winter evening w
(Illustration by Frank Hansen)
Do you sometimes feel like you’re creating beautiful artwork that nobody is seeing?
One important thing to remember is that there are a lot of Illustrators out there competing for the attention of Art Directors and other potential clients. This is compounded by the fact that there may be a good number of artists who work in a style and market that is similar to yours. For this reason, it’s especially important to be “unique”.
No matter how impressive your work is, it won’t do you any good if no one is paying attention. That’s why it’s so important to think beyond your art when promoting yourself.
So, how do you stand out from the crowd?
There are many ways to be remarkable. Some approaches are commonly used, and some are less so. For the sake of encouraging you to think outside your portfolio, here’s a list of ideas that might help you to figure out how to distinguish yourself from the rest:
Develop a unique style.
Be innovative.
Be bold.
Be consistent.
Make a splash.
Make connections.
Comment on blogs.
Be a resource.
Be a character.
Make news.
Enter competitions.
Start a community.
Start a podcast.
Publish your own book or comic.
Create art in public.
Be controversial.
Make people laugh.
Help people learn.
You get the idea. Some of these approaches can be directly tied in with your art, and some simply involve reaching out and making waves in the larger Illustration community. Are there some things in this list that might work for you? I encourage you to visualize what you’d like to achieve and try to come up with some creative ways to meet these goals.
What’s your experience? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
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10 Comments on How to Stand Out and Be Noticed, last added: 2/4/2010
(Illustration by Frank Hansen)
Is your business smart enough?
As artists, we tend to be motivated by creativity and inspiration. That’s great, but it’s important to remember the value in taking a strategic, analytical approach to business, so that you can maximize your potential to get clients, save time and money, and find success in your chosen market.
Right now, there might be artists less talented than you getting the projects you want simply because they’re running a smarter business. The nice thing is, it’s never too late to start doing this yourself.
Here are 9 ways to start running a smarter business right now:
1. Know the Industry
One of the reasons artist representatives are so valuable is their knowledge and understanding of their target market. They live and breathe the business of Illustration every day, making connections, doing research, reading blogs, and staying up-to-date with current trends and and events. If you don’t have an art rep, you’ll need to do this for yourself in order to become a player in your corner of the industry.
2. Create a Promotion Strategy
Rather than spam everyone you meet, take the time to build an effective mailing list, as well as a plan to create a personal brand and market it to the right people on a regular basis. You will benefit much more from a concrete strategy than a haphazard approach to promotion.
3. Know Your Budget
Too many famous artists died dirt-broke to deny the importance of managing your money well. Make your budget a priority to protect your business from being crippled by financial surprises.
4. Manage Your Time
Create an effective schedule that works for you. Stay aware of how much time you have to work with and organize this valuable resource to be sure that your priorities are being met.
5. Create a Social Networking Strategy
As with your other promotional efforts, it’s a good idea to have a general plan and schedule for social networking. Otherwise, you might end up wasting countless hours getting lost in friend requests and retweets.
6. Stay Organized
Keep your mind clear and your thoughts direct by making lists, creating a system for cataloging paperwork, and maintaining a clean and orderly workspace. Nothing will hinder your creativity more than a life in disarray.
7. Stay Current
The elements that affect your business are constantly changing. Try to stay on top of developments in the areas that are relevant to you, such as social networking, technology, and the inner-workings of your particular niche. This will help you to adapt and keep up with the pack.
8. Look to Your Peers
Keep an eye on your fellow artists and freelancers to see how they’re running their business and try to determine what they’re doing right. You can learn a lot by looking outside your own situation for ideas and inspiration.
9. See the World Through Your Clients’ Eyes
A big part of your job is satisfying the needs of your clients, and the best way to do
(What follows is a guest post by Illustrator and EFII community member Mark Fullerton of PixelBoy Studio. Artwork © Mark Fullerton)
Paperwork is that dreadful component within the illustration process.
Estimates, invoices and then there’s taxes. All my moaning, groaning and procrastinating has never made it go away!
One possibility that may make it more palatable is incorporating. At one time, I believed that being one person didn’t constitute becoming a business. But illustrators are professionals providing a service! It is a business. If your income is just enough to survive on, then you should consider staying as an independent contractor. The overall yearly costs would not be financially worthwhile. If your income has increased substantially, it may mean you’re able to make more tax savings than you would if you were self-employed.
Sole Proprietorships
Most artists operate as independent contractors (self-employed/sole proprietorship). It’s much simpler to manage and less expensive than incorporating. As a contractor, you’re responsible for paying income and Social Security taxes and you need to file your quarterly estimated returns. But consider the grim self-employment tax…uggh! In the United States you must pay self-employment tax if your net earnings were $500 or more. It’s around 15.3% of your net earnings (12.4% for Social Security & 2.9% for Medicare). BUT you can deduct 50% of your self-employment tax before applying it. Self-employment tax is a big chunk of your earnings. This tax alone can put an unprepared, beginning artist in debt! Obviously, saving and preparing for this tax is essential. But if you incorporate, this tax is no longer a part of your life.
Only once, throughout my fifteen years of freelancing in multiple ad agencies, did I run into a freelancer who was incorporated. I was more than curious and asked him, ”Why? What good will it do me to go Inc?” We jumped into deep discussion on the subject and my “freelancer” friend pleaded with me to look into incorporating. So, I researched my options. Now, I could only wish that someone had given me this information earlier! Not only do you have to be a great artist and fight all the competition to be noticed, but an artist needs to be financially savvy to survive in this world’s economy.
Corporations
Becoming incorporated is not tremendously time consuming. You hire a lawyer to draw-up the forms and keep your records updated. There’s a small yearly fee to do business within the state. Our studio cost for ALL the yearly fees averages to about $500-$600. There are several tax advantages when it comes to incorporating and several options to consider as to which structure to use for your company. Our accountant advised us to incorporate as an S-Corporation. An S Corporation is not taxed on its earnings as a corporation, but instead its earnings are passed to its shareholders (owner/you) for tax purposes. An S Corporation has a limited number of shareholders and certain taxation that can often be avoided. Also, there is limited liability protection–protecting your hard earned assets from any lawsuits.
Tax Deductions
Whether you’re self-employed or incorporated, if you are serious about saving money, then you’ll always be looking for deductions. But who wants to think about taxes all year round!? Believe it or not, organizing deductions can become an effortless habit
The categories to deduct are:
- Home office sq. footage
- Meals while doing business
- B
Are you working on any of your own personal art projects, or just giving all your energy away to your clients?
If you’re like many Illustrators, chances are you’re not making personal work a priority, and your creative self-expression and freedom is being sacrificed for the sake of running your business.
This is understandable, because the demands of a career in freelance Illustration or Design require a seemingly endless supply of time and effort, leaving you with little to keep for yourself. The thing is, neglecting to work on your own projects can have a negative impact on your creativity, your inspiration, and even the quality of your work.
The good news is that it’s never too late to start, or restart, your own personal projects and tap into the following benefits of creating art for art’s sake.
Freedom of Expression
Pursuit of Creative Vision
Personal and Artistic Growth
Inspired Work for Your Portfolio
Alternative Source of Income
Development of Skills and Techniques
Exploration of New Ideas
Remember the days before you were a “professional artist”?
You probably enjoyed all of the benefits listed above, and more. Isn’t that what made you want to create art for a living. The challenge now is to hold on to all of these rewards while working to please your clients and executing the daily tasks of running a freelance career. If you can manage to set aside the time to focus on your own personal Illustration projects, you will be a more inspired, productive, and satisfied artist.
Are you working on any personal projects? Please share your thoughts in the comments section of this post.
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12 Comments on The Importance of Personal Projects, last added: 1/26/2010
You love your art.
Chances are, you’ve been doing it since you could hold a crayon, and there’s nothing that fulfills you like hiding away in a corner and creating your next masterpiece. There’s no doubt that you love being an artist, whether you draw, paint, collage, sculpt, or cut paper.
But how do you take that thing that you love to do so much and make a living doing it?
The answer is simple: You have to start treating it like a business.
I apologize if this answer doesn’t turn out to be the golden ticket you hoped it might be, but the fact of the matter is that you have the power to turn your hobby into a career. All you have to do is take it seriously and start acting like a creative professional.
What does this mean?
It means that no one is going to do it for you. It means that you have to decide once and for all that being an Illustrator or Graphic Designer is what you were meant to do. It means that you have to make it your full time job even before you get your first client.
You probably already think about art a good portion of your day, so now you’ve got to turn that passion into action by researching the industry, building your portfolio, launching your website, getting serious about self-promotion, and calling yourself a professional Illustrator before anyone else does. Start a blog, participate in an online community, join or start a local critique group.
Even if you still have a “day job”, pretend that Illustration is your main gig, and pursue it as if your life depends on it, because in a way, it does.
If you’re reading this, then you might be standing on the threshold, peeking over the edge, wondering how to begin.
It’s time to take your first step towards being a creative professional.
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3 Comments on How to Turn Your Hobby Into Your Business, last added: 1/22/2010
Are you looking to promote your Illustration and find new clients?
Then look no further, because the 2010 Artist’s & Graphic Designer’s Market is the essential resource for building your effective, targeted mailing list.
This useful reference guide offers up-to-date contact information for more than 1,500 art markets, so most of the daunting work of finding relevant contacts is done for you. Now all you have to do is select the ones that are right for you and send out your promo mailers and emails.
As if that wasn’t enough, this great book also includes interviews with successful artists and art buyers, tips and techniques for succeeding with your freelance business, and information on grants, marketing, and promotion.
If you’re looking to build or update your mailing list, then I highly recommend picking up a copy of 2010 Artist’s and Graphic Designer’s Market. If you just can’t wait, you can read more reviews and buy it now in the EFII Bookstore.
Good luck with your new mailing list!
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(Illustration by Frank Hansen)
In response to requests from the EFII Community, I’ve been discussing the topic of artist representatives all week. So far I’ve talked about things to consider when thinking about working with an art rep, how to find one, and how to be attractive to him or her.
To follow up on previous case studies of Penny Dullaghan’s and Holli Conger’s successful relationships with their art reps, I want to share another story submitted by Illustrator Jessica Hische:
Having a rep is absolutely essential to my sanity. When I first started out in the business, my rep, Frank Sturges, really helped me to get client work, but as I started to have more of a presence on the web and in the field and I was pulling in a lot of work from my own self-promotion, what I’ve really appreciated is never having to deal with the paperwork end of freelance work. It is wonderful to have someone to talk you through pricing and to handle contracts. So many times Frank has gotten higher prices for things when I probably would have caved at a much lower price. That alone makes having a rep worth it to me.
Frank makes sure that all of my contracts are perfect and fair to me and that I don’t accidentally give up usage rights in a way that I’m not being compensated for. He invoices all of the clients and tracks down payments so I don’t have to worry about hounding people for money and at the end of the year when I’m doing my taxes, I only have to worry about one 1099, the one between Frank and I, instead of waiting to receive tax information from fifty different clients. Having a rep is like having a book-keeper, a lawyer, and a project manager in one package. He’s always available to talk to about work, to help me stand up to clients when I feel like I’m being taken advantage of, and I feel like he definitely has my best interest in mind. He doesn’t push me to do jobs I’m uncomfortable with or push me to say yes to projects when my schedule is so tight I feel like I can’t breathe.
Thanks to
Jessica Hische for sharing the story of her successful art rep relationship. I’ll be posting more case studies like this one in the future, and applying this format to other topics as well.
Do you have a story about a positive art rep relationship? Please share it in the comments section of this post.
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(Illustration by Frank Hansen)
One of your most important tasks as a Freelance Illustrator is to put your work in front of the right people, make them remember you, and make them feel compelled to hire you for their next project. As many of you know from experience, this is a full-time job in itself, and many artists are uncomfortable with the very idea of self-promotion or simply don’t know where to begin. Others would rather spend their time doing nothing but creating art. The fact is, without promotion, there’s no work to keep your business afloat.
While there are as many ways to approach the art of promotion as there are artists, there are definitely some key elements behind an effective marketing strategy.
Here are some basic rules to follow to get the most out of your promotional efforts:
Be Unique
In order to get Art Directors, Art Reps, and anybody else to notice and remember you, there has to be something about your work, your brand, or your marketing strategy that they haven’t seen before. The most common way to achieve this is with your portfolio, your website, or your promo mailers. Try and think outside the box to find other ways to stand out.
Be Relevant
If you’re aiming for a specific market, make sure you’re promoting yourself to the people who work in that field and only show work that they can relate to or see themselves needing in the future.
Be Consistent
Try to give Art Directors a good idea of what they can expect to get if they hire you for their next book, t-shirt, or album cover project by showing a consistent style or method of working.
Stay Fresh
Being consistent doesn’t mean you have to bore your potential clients, or yourself, with the same type of work day in and day out. Show your target audience that your Illustrations can be dynamic and exciting. Try to be inspired and to inspire others. That is, after all, one of the things that makes you an artist.
Use Social Proof
Testimonials and a solid client history can help to convince Art Directors and Agents that your work is desirable by others and can help to sell their product or service. The power of “social proof” should not be underestimated.
Make Connections
Seek out and introduce yourself to the artists and Art Directors in your target market. Build real relationships with people and become a part of the community.
Stay on the Radar
Don’t make the common mistake of sending out one promotional mailer or email and then sit back and wait until somebody contacts you. Keep your marketing efforts on a regular schedule in order to stay on people’s
In response to requests from the EFII Community, I’ve been discussing the topic of artist representatives all week. So far I’ve talked about things to consider when thinking about working with an art rep, how to find one, and how to be attractive to him or her.
To follow up on yesterday’s case study of Penny Dullaghan’s relationship with her art rep, I want to share another story submitted by Illustrator Holli Conger, who previously appeared on EFII Podcast Episode 14:
Here’s Holli’s story:
I signed up with my art rep in April of 2005. I do have to say that it was the best decision for my business. I was not established, did not have a lot of clients and wasn’t 100% confident in my style, but she saw potential in me and gave me tips and pointer on how I could develop my style to better fit the children’s market. I contribute the success with my rep over the last five years by both of us having a “permission to speak freely” attitude with each other, love for illustrtion and most importantly trust. I trust her to find me work (obviously), negotiate for the best prices, stick up for realistic project timeframes, make sure the client pays on time and to keep me aware of all possible projects and negotiations. In turn I do a lot of heavy promotion on my end to keep us both busy, let clients know I appreciate them and keep them happy (if I didn’t how would that reflect on her?) and funnel jobs through her when a client emails me directly for a job.
My rep recently added portfolio critiques to her business and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to illustrate in the children’s publishing market. Her fee if very fair and a small price to pay to get first hand knowledge and advice on what publishers are looking for. With over 15 years as a rep she really know her stuff! link: http://www.maggiebyersprinzeles.com/critique/index.shtml.
Thanks to Holli Conger for sharing her story of a fruitful art rep relationship. I’ll be posting more case studies like this one in the future, and applying this format to other topics as well.
Do you have a story about a positive art rep relationship? Please share it in the comments section of this post.
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Do you have what Art Reps are looking for?
In your search for an Art Rep, it is important to remember that Art Reps are searching for the same things that Art Directors seek out when hiring an Illustrator for their next project. This is because agents are in the business of connecting connect their artists with the right clients, which requires a solid understanding of the industry and a history of building lasting relationships with Art Directors and Editors in their area of focus.
The good news is that this means that you are able to apply the same marketing techniques with art reps as you would with potential clients, because you can understand their needs.
Marketability
Ultimately, representatives need to collaborate with artists whose work is marketable to the pool of contacts within their area of specialty. Whether or not they appreciate your art on a personal level, they need to be able to secure projects for their Illustrators in order to make a living, and one way that they accomplish this task is to be selective about the artists they work with.
In order to be marketable, you need to not only have a healthy dose of talent and skill, but also a style and approach that is relevant to your target market. If you possess these qualities, then you’re off to a good start, both with Art Reps and Art Directors. Ideally, you’ve already been heading in this type of direction in your efforts to seek out and acquire more work on your own.
Consistency
It always makes you more attractive as an artist if you can show a consistent, clearly-defined voice. Just like clients, art reps need to know what to expect from you if you are assigned to a project. Otherwise, they’ll have nothing to promote. Consistency also means making your overall style compatible to your target market. You won’t want to include an image of a ghoulish zombie in a portfolio geared towards Children’s Education Illustration, for example.
History
In addition to marketability and consistency, art reps want to see that you know how to work with clients, how to meet deadlines, how to deliver finished artwork, and all other tasks that are involved with a typical Illustration project.
You can show your experience through your About page, client history, testimonials, tearsheets, and other forms of proof. Again, these should all be elements of your portfolio anyway.
Compatibility
Even if all the above requirements are met, it is still vitally important that you and your art rep are a good fit for each other, both personally and professionally. You don’t have to be best friends forever, but you need to be able to share trust, respect, and a certain level of camaraderie in order to work together effectively. After all, you are both seeking a mutually beneficial relationship, and the ability to understand each other and work together well will help to make that happen.
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What’s your experience? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Illustration by Frank Hansen. Find out more about Frank here
Escapee Speaks:
As I mentioned in a recent article, Is Your Client Clean or Dirty?, I believe that some clients who are perceived to be difficult do in fact have innocent intentions. Unfortunately, bad experiences sometimes make some Illustrators unnecessarily fearful or defensive when they encounter new clients who send up possible red flags.
One example of this is a client who has a ridiculously tight budget when compared to the grand expectations they may have.
Indeed, some of these types of clients are interested in taking advantage of inexperienced or desperate Illustrators. However, sometimes the client is simply unaware of how much time, work, and skill is required to execute their projects, and especially of how much it will cost.
It can be tempting to turn down a project at the first sign of an unrealistic budget, but in doing so, you may be walking away from an opportunity for new business or even a lasting relationship. There are ways to work within a client’s tight budget without compromising your value as an Illustrator.
Here are some simple steps to try and make the most of a client’s tight budget:
Educate
It can be helpful to educate your client about industry standards and about the amount of time and effort it will take to complete the work that they’re asking for. This won’t always persuade them to pay what you’re quoting for the artwork, but it has the potential to start a productive dialogue with the client about coming to an agreement that is fair to both parties.
Offer Alternative Solutions
An under-appreciated form of education is the art of offering alternative ways to meet their communication needs. Believe it or not, many clients have not considered other, less expensive ways to get their message across in a visual way. For example, try suggesting ideas such as a Black and White or 4 color version of their original full color concept. If you begin this conversation, you just might find an idea that works just as well as, or even better than, the more expensive approach they were proposing at the start.
Segment the Project
Sometimes the client is simply not confident enough in your skill or in the creative process to agree to the fair price that you’re quoting. This is understandable given the fact that they are paying for something that doesn’t yet exist, and they may have been burned by a less capable artist in the past.
One possible solution is to offer to complete smaller portions of the larger project for a smaller fee. For instance, you may offer to create comps or initial sketches for a fraction of the total cost. This allows the client to get a feel for what you might bring to the project without asking for free work, and it allows you to receive payment for the amount of work that you complete. The added bonus is that if you impress the client, they just might agree to work with you on a larger scale.
Discuss Usage Rights
Many people who are seeking out Illustrators for the first time assume that they will acquire
I’ve written a handful of articles lately discussing ways to identify “problem clients” and what to do about it. The thing is, clients can be difficult for different reasons, and trying to determine their motives can help you decide how you should handle the situation.
Should you run away or proceed with caution?
To help answer this question, I thought I’d take a moment to talk about how a client’s intentions can define them as a member of one of two groups that I’m calling “clean” or “dirty”.
The terms “clean” and “dirty” may not resonate with you. Perhaps you’re more inclined to call them “good” and “evil”, or something more graphic. However you define it, there are people out there with either innocent or malicious intentions, or maybe somewhere in between. The most common way that artists learn this lesson is the hard way, but if you stay aware and try to figure out a potential client’s motivations from the start, you can decide how to move forward, if at all.
Clean Clients
I put a client in this category if their intentions are pure.
In other words, they have no desire to take advantage of you, and the problems that arise generally stem from their lack of familiarity with the Illustration industry. Perhaps they have never worked with an Illustrator, or they are entering a field of Illustration that they are not as comfortable with.
Because of this lack of experience, they may not know that spec work is evil, or even what spec work is. They may not understand that they will only have a limited number of revisions available to them. They may not even know what Illustrators do.
Therefore, problem clients who are categorized as “clean” usually require more time, education, and hand-holding, but don’t necessarily make you want to run the other way and never look back. The nice thing about this situation is that you can try to gauge the amount of extra work and time that might be required of you, whether or not you are willing to take on the project, and for how much money.
Dirty Clients
A “dirty” client, on the other hand, is a predator.
A person who falls into this category only wants to take advantage of you. They don’t value your skills or your time, and they often expect free work. This motive reveals itself through actions that are either rude, unprofessional, unethical, or downright illegal. Dirty clients are what often make professional Illustrators understandably furious and less trusting of future clients.
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
On some level, I think every Illustrator asks this question before every contract they sign. With so many factors to think about when deciding whether to work with a certain client, it can be helpful to try and ascertain the moral value of their intentions. This isn’t always easy, and sometimes a client can reveal their “dirty” side when it’s too late to do much about it, but if you stay aware it will become more instinctive as you go. If you have a solid contract in place and try not to compromise yourself, you should be well protected against most situations that
0 Comments on Social Networking Won’t Kill You as of 1/1/1900
When I opened this page, I was working on my laptop, in bed, in my pyjamas. Now I’m at a desk, in real clothes. You win!
Sorry Kim! I hope it helps you to be more productive. Let me know how it works for you.
Of course, sometimes I’m just as productive in my pajamas, if only because I want to keep being able to do that.
Appreciate your thoughts and ideas here. I too find working from home quite challenging…
-My wife and I live in a small house, a cape
-My elderly mom lives with us so she has the one good spare room downstairs
-I tried creating studio space in our bedroom, but geesh, I was working out of my bedroom!
-I tried working in our finished basement but there was just no natural light. I need natural light!
I was at my wits end and figured I could either take my mom’s room and put her in the shed out back or keep thinking of another way.
-Finally (well hopefully not finally) I am working in what was our dining room. We tend to use it for dining only during the hoildays anyway.
I like the space. Plenty of light and room. The distractions are certainly there… the kitchen and its temptations, my mom and her occasional phone calls and other needs. And then there’s the sunshiney days that I just want to stay outdoors on the deck (I’m working on that).
Love to hear more about the problems and solutions others face.
Here’s a shot of my space and a story about a dry-erase white board that I recently made.
Dave Aldrich
http://aldrichdesign.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/making-my-own-whiteboard/
[...] How to Work From Home Part 1 – Dress for Success « Escape From Illustration Island ̵… [...]
Thanks for commenting, Dave.
I’m glad you found a space that works well for you. I think it’s rare to find the perfect workspace, but some artists are fortunate. Drew Struzan, for example, seems to have the ideal studio that’s set apart from the house, has lots of space and natural light, and is set in a peaceful setting.
As freelancers who work from home, we often have to get creative to maximize what we have.
Cheers,
Thomas
I don’t deny it’s an aid to productivity. But on a cold morning, before the caffeine kicks in, sometimes temptation wins out…
One day, I facebooked that it was 3 in the afternoon, and I just realized that I hadn’t put on pants yet that day. It gets hot in my apartment, even in winter, so in summer, when it gets really hot, no pants.
It became popular and people wanted to know my pants status.
Some one even got me a t-shirt that said, “Sadly, my day requires pants”
Maybe I should try a casual-n0-pants Friday. But then again, there’s my elderly mom here. And I definitely want her to keep her pants on. :-)
As someone who have experienced working both at workplace and at home, I quite honestly prefer the latter.
Yes, there are many distractions but they are, in my opinion, pleasant ones and as needed as times to work as well. I am quite known by my closed friends to be the artist who work and play at the same time. I work almost always the whole day as I play almost always the whole day.
The distractions becomes my way of taking a break.
However, I take deadlines seriously. Therefore, I always always calculate my time well.
In all my careers, I have never late to submit my works. I am quite efficient in using my time. And, my computer, my daily routine of plein air painting, and workshop enable to me to work at a much faster pace.
I work in front of my computer for no longer than an hour then I take my breaks.
This enable me to actually stay on task (without the risk of getting dizzy eyes, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc).
But, I think most of these efficiency can be traced to the way I started my work.
A lot of the time, I asked a lot of questions and request the client to give me samples of what is their projected illustration “should” looked like. In cases (a lot of them) where the client does not know what they want.. I usually asked them to give me samples of the illustration they feel are suitable to the project. And, I will give them mine and slowly explained to them why I think some style/composition/ color key would work better for theirs.
Then, I explained them my process of working.. We spend most of the time dealing with sketches, value, and color comps.
Once they approved it.. I can usually paint it real fast.
I would insist on my client to give their final approval on each step before I go further with the process.
and, of course, having a partner who can keep track of your time helps too :)
Hello Frans,
Thanks for making the point about combining work and play in your daily life. Like you, I prefer to work from home, and I hope I am always able to do that. Occasionally, I go to a coffee shop for a change of environment, but working from home is the most rewarding experience for me. I also agree with your point about calculating your time well, and I’ll definitely be exploring that topic more in future posts.
Thomas