For a freelancer, a website is an essential marketing tool. It proudly displays your work to potential clients 24/7. It trumpets your accomplishments to art directors all over the world. Most will not even consider hiring you if you don't have a website. But not all websites are created equal. There are some little extra touches that can go a long way...
CreativePro.com is a great resource for, well, creative pros. They've got some helpful articles, and a free email newsletter called "CreativeProse" that almost always has at least one item/article that interests me enough to read. (Which, unfortunately, is not always the case with email newsletters.) Check out a couple of recent articles from a regular feature titled The Art of...
How did I not know about this website? Thanks to a blog entry by the very talented Tom Richmond, I've recently discovered FreelanceSwitch.com. FreelanceSwitch is a blog devoted to freelancers in general (artists, writers, web designers, etc.). I've seen several websites that attempt to gather resources and advice for freelancers. Some are good, others not so much. This is one...
Last year storyboard artist Mark Simon published a 3-CD audio set containing his lecture "The Thriving Artist" given at the National Caricaturist Convention. Simon's website describes the lecture as a "non-stop energy presentation packed with insider secrets and industry stories you won’t hear anywhere else." The first two CD's contain the lecture, and the third "bonus" CD is Mark discussing...
As I mentioned in Part 1, when it comes to networking talent will only get you so far. Passion, confidence, and likability will take you a lot farther. There are some very talented artists whose careers are languishing because they lack these other qualities. Likewise, there are some very mediocre artists whose careers are thriving because they have those...
As a freelancer I'm always looking for my next paying gig. Unlike most people, I don't have a steady paycheck to rely on (although the bills keep parading through my mailbox with military efficiency). To get new work I advertise on several illustration websites, I send out a quarterly e-mail to potential clients, and I occassionally do promotions through the...
