Art & Business

13 Apr

Posted at 01:40h in Art & Business, Just for Fun

Well, that didn't last long. Yesterday I gleefully announced that I was jumping on the Pinterest bandwagon and had begun pinning all kinds of amazing artwork onto my shiny new inspiration boards. I was also making a few connections with other pinners and enjoying the giddy goodness of seeing so much amazing artwork being shared. Then I read this blog post by...

31 Jan

Posted at 23:18h in Art & Business
Recently I've started an email correspondence with a creative director who was laid off from a large agency. She's looking for some freelance work to keep the bills paid and is thinking about possibly launching out on her own full-time. With the economy continuing to flounder stories like hers are becoming more and more common. I sat down to type up a list of resources for her and decided it would make a pretty good blog post.

22 Dec

Posted at 06:27h in Art & Business
One of the things they don't teach you in art school is just how many business skills are required to run a successful illustration studio. Talent is not enough. You also need to get a firm grasp on some basic business principles. With no formal business training I've had to learn an awful lot of things the hard way, picking up as many tricks as I can "on the street". I've also read more than a few business books and every year I attend the Creative Freelancer Conference. Those things have all helped, but recently I've found myself in need for something more. My business has plateaued, even stagnated a little. I've been landing some big clients, which is great, but I've found myself asking "Now what?" Conventional wisdom is that to charge higher rates you should specialize—pick one industry to focus on (i.e. toy design, animation, etc.) But which one? And what about the future — do I still want to be working alone doing illustration twenty years from now? Is that even possible, or will younger, less expensive up-and-comers edge me out? Should I look at ways to grow and maybe even take on employees? How would I go about that? Is it possible to run a creative business and still have time to be creative? On top of it all, my studio was in desperate need of a re-brand (new website, logo, etc.) so it was a good time to really step back and examine things. With all these questions swirling in my mind, I decided to take things up a notch and hire a business coach.

16 Nov

Posted at 11:13h in Art & Business, Character Design

  Tonight I'm flying to California for the CTN Animation Expo. Can't wait! Before I leave I wanted to post a few items of interest: 1. Update on my freelancing presentation. I'll be giving a talk at the Expo on Saturday, November 19, 4:30pm, called "Be Your Own Boss: Freelancing Tips and Tricks". In an earlier blog post I said the talk would...