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“A bad day drawing is better than a good day doing anything else.“
~ Shane Madden
What is the reality of a freelance art career?
Isn’t it all about sitting around in your pyjamas all day drinking coffee and watching Netflix while cherry-picking projects from one of your many illustrious clients to work on next?
Erm, not quite. There’s a whole bunch of myths about freelancing, and there are several big questions you need to ask yourself before going it alone.
So what’s the good news? Going freelance is nowhere near as scary as you think.
Sure, you’ll have to work super-hard and you probably won’t be working on the rockstar projects you’ve always dreamed of (at least, not at first, anyway)…
But you’ll have complete control over your own life and schedule. And that sounds like a pretty good trade-off to us!
So, if you’re wondering whether to take the plunge or not, who better to speak to than someone who’s been there?
In this podcast, illustrator, retoucher and all-round creator, Shane Madden, answers the big questions every creative needs to ask themselves about the reality of a freelance art career…
The Reality of a Freelance Art Career – Shane’s Experiences
Shane Madden is a freelance artist who’s produced work for clients such as Harper Collins Publishers Ltd., Harlequin, and Clipwire Games.
Here are some of the questions we asked him in this week’s podcast:
- What are the real opportunities out there for creatives?
Clue: It’s not all about being a rockstar concept artist for a massive company 😉 - How is freelance life different to a job in an art studio or a regular 9-5?
- What are the most important goals to set yourself as a freelancer?
- Do you need an art agent?
- How do you structure your time effectively?
- How can you tell if you’re ready to go freelance…or if you need to go back to school?
- Do qualifications or accreditations really matter?
You’ll find the answers to these and many more questions in this week’s podcast.
So, if you’re curious about the reality of a freelance art career, we hope this interview helps you weigh up the pros and cons and decide if this is the right route for you to take.
Stay tuned for more interviews with Shane, where we’ll be going even deeper on what it really means to be a freelance artist and how you can take the first steps towards taking control of your own creative career.
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Thanks for listening to our show! We’ll be back next Wednesday morning 8AM EST.
Cheers,
Mitch
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