PP3 Life As A Freelancer

What are you concerns?

Getting consistent work/regularly.

Juggling a creative practice with a day job as I'm starting out if necessary (most likely will be).

Getting an agent? Whether to try and get an agent straight away to build my momentum, or whether to hold off so I'm not losing money unnecessarily.

Keeping my integrity; will I have to take on jobs that I don't want to do just to make money? Is it worth doing that when there's a risk of pigeon holing yourself into a certain type of work that was never what you intended to do?

Paying for a studio. I could maybe work at home but it's generally better to separate your home from your work. Is it so much better that it's worth paying for a studio? Do the benefits outweigh the costs?

What facilities do I need to to make the work I make. I shouldn't need analogue print facilities because my work doesn't typically involve them but I will need the Adobe creative suite (at least Photoshop and Indesign) and things like a computer, scanner and printer.


What is the shape of your working week?

Ideas can come at any time so I wouldn't want to restrict myself too much or put too much pressure on myself to come up with stuff at certain set times. One of the nicest things about working as a freelancer is the flexibility. Having said that, keeping a routine is important to organisation so I would probably try and keep to a more general lifestyle routine to keep on top of everything. It may look something like this:

8/9 - Wake up, shower, breakfast

10/10:30 - admin, emails, phone calls, filing, planning (whatever boring stuff needs doing)

11/11:30 (unless the boring stuff takes longer) - start working on whatever jobs/briefs I have on

Lunch (whenever I get hungry/ run out of steam)

Work until 5  (from whenever Lunch ended, although it's conceivable that on somedays I would have been working until 5 anyway so lunch would be then)

Break until dinner

7/8 - dinner

No work after dinner unless an idea strikes

12 - bed

This is all subject to change I don't think I will really know until I'm doing it. Plus, if I have a studio then I will have to factor in travelling time etc.


What are your strengths? - practical skills/ management/ people skills etc

Draughtsmanship

Photoshop

Relaxed/ Easy to work with

Good written and verbal communication skills

Sociable


What do you feel you need to develop

Confidence

Networking skills

Connections

Organisational skills

Working quickly (not procrastinating/ I tend to suffer from option paralysis)

Initiative

Be more enterprising


Networking: Identify and contact a minimum of 10 people who will potentially be useful to you in the future

- 'It's Nice That'
- 'New Statesman'
- 'Nobrow'
- 'Plum Pudding'
- 'B&A' Reps
- 'CIA'
- 'Cicada' Books
- 'Hachette Book Group'
- 'Guardian'
- 'The skinny'
- 'Time Out'
- 'So Young' Magazine


Where are you going to be working and what do you need to buy/ prepare for a future career?

- Photoshop/maybe full Adobe suite
- A3 Scanner
- Printer
- Computer
- Studio space would be ideal but I could probably work from home
- Agent?
- General Art Supplies (sketchbooks, pencils, paint paper etc.)



Keeping sane: develop your wider support network and skill swap

- Have personal Creative project

- Days out/ gigs/ exhibitions/ pub etc.  to relax and keep inspired

- Make music (this might even become part of my illustration practice