I am a freelance artist.
I love what I do. It allows for me to do what I love. And the response I get from my customers: the happiness that comes with seeing something or someone that means so much to them immortalized in an artwork... It's a feeling that cannot be described. It's an honor to be able to bring that kind of happiness to people. And being able to make a little extra money is a nice perk, too.
However, as much as I absolutely love what I do, it does have its struggles that 5 years of studying design, art, and art history never prepared me for.
1. It is very difficult to get started.
For myself personally, I have been trying to get the freelancing thing to work for the past 4 years. When I first started out, I was trying to make it as a painter. I posted my work on Facebook and even started a Facebook page that had a gallery of my work, a price chart, and provided a way for me to organize my messages from interested customers. This only got me a couple of small commissions, and the ball kind of got dropped. It wasn't until recently that I attempted freelancing again, this time as a drawer - particularly portraiture. This has really picked up and is working out very well for me.
Getting started is difficult. You have to really put yourself out there and give your work adequate exposure in order to gain interest. Social media is a great way to start, especially Facebook! Other platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. are also great ways to put yourself out there because of the option of using hashtags and people re-sharing your posts in order to reach a wider audience. It's also very helpful to have a website. (I use wix.com - it's easy, and it's free!)
2. Setting a price for your work
This is especially difficult when you are just starting out, because you don't know how much time you'll end up putting into a piece, how much of your supplies will be used, etc.
There are two particular struggles with setting a price. On one side of the coin, is the fear that you are charging too much. It's no secret that no matter how aware you are as an artist about your skills, you will always see something wrong with the product of your work because you know the process and see every little flaw. This makes trying to come up with a price you are comfortable with a little hard. Don't let that mindset take over. The best way to come up with a price is to charge based on labor, the amount of time you put into the piece. Also if you use various materials, definitely take the cost of these into account so you can break even and make a profit. There is nothing worse than spending more money than you have coming in.
The other financial struggle is peoples' opinions of your pricing. There are the people who think that you charge too much for your hard work and will be unwilling to pay that price and will either try to negotiate with you or will just try to take their business elsewhere. Do not let this discourage you. These people do not know how much hard work and time and money go into your pieces, and if they did, they would never even think about accusing you of charging too much. If they cannot afford your price, they would simply come back to you at another time. Then there's the people who believe that you charge too little and are selling yourself short. These people have the best of intentions and it's wonderful that they believe you are worth more. Granted it is difficult to hear this opinion amidst the fear of charging too much and can leave you conflicted, never think ill of these people, stay positive. You may get lucky and receive offers higher than your listed price!
3. TIME!
When you are first starting out, this isn't as much of an issue. You may have only a handful of commissions and can get them done and delivered relatively quickly. But when your freelancing begins to pick up more as the customers and commissions come rolling in, time can become your worst enemy because there is simply not enough of it in a single day. But where time is your enemy, time management is your best friend. Here are some tips to help you get through the struggle of time:
- KEEP A WAIT-LIST - The way I do this is I keep a spreadsheet, as seen below. This keeps your commissions organized chronologically, and you can work on these pieces in the order in which they come to you! It's also a great way to keep track of how much money you are earning. Color-coding also helps!
- ASK ABOUT DEADLINES - Always ask your customer if there is a certain date they need the piece they are commissioning. If they do, make them a top priority. If they do not, make sure you let them know that it may take some time before it is finished. If they ask for an estimated time of completion, then definitely give them one, and emphasize that it is an estimate.
- DO NOT FEAR FALLING BEHIND - If you are falling behind, do not panic. Contact the customer and explain the situation, and always tell them how far in the process you are.
And finally...
4. Not letting yourself get burnt out
This is a big one, and it definitely ties in with time management. Now, it is okay to want to get your commissions complete as soon as possible so you can send them out and get paid sooner. However, if you have a lot of commissions, the workload and the rush can result in getting burnt out. You feel like you have bitten off more than you can chew, you become afraid of letting someone down, and sometimes you begin to lose motivation or end up exhausting yourself. DO. NOT. LET. THIS. HAPPEN. It's okay to take your time. It's okay to take a break, whether it's an hour or a week. It's okay to allow yourself more time than it may actually take to get the work done so you can take said break. Your health is so important, and if you have to put your work aside to stay healthy, then do it!
Being a freelance artist has its struggles. But the satisfaction and happiness of your customers from doing something you are passionate about, makes it so worth it! It's a reminder that you can make money doing what you love, and as an artist you are immortalized and being talked about all over the place because your work is amazing and anyone with eyes can see that! It can get hard, but never give up!
