We come to the end-- I hope the advice has given you some insight and guidance into the rigors of freelance.
I'm not going to recap what I've already written, you can do that on your own, rather I'd like to take a look at the obstacles you might be facing in your drive to succeed; the biggest one might be YOU.
Are you the kind of person who often blames misfortune on someone else? Are you the kind of person who feels the world is against them? Are you the kind of person who looks at the success of others and feels a sense of jealousy or do you develop an attitude that they "just got the breaks"?
Successful people don't waste their time with blame. They don't waste their time with jealousy. Instead, they set goals, some realistic, some seemingly impossible, and they do everything in their power to achieve those goals.
Mistakes will happen. Misfortunes will come. Setbacks will occur. As Richard Nixon said in his autobiography only when we've been to the lowest valley can we truly appreciate the view from the highest mountain.
You either make excuses or you make progress but you can't do both. It's like attempting to win the Indianapolis 500 with your foot on the brake. Not going to happen, not a chance.
If you fall into the category of the excuse maker...STOP.
Today. This minute. Make a pledge and stick with it. Change the outlook and you'll change the outcome. Do you know what your goals are? If not, spend a minute to think about them and then set course to achieve. Here are a few basics to help you get started:
GOALS: Write them down. I am not one who believes in making a big deal about my birthday. When asked my age I often have to stammer for a few minutes because it's not something I ever think about- NOT EVER, even on my birthday— why?
BECAUSE ORSON WELLES WROTE AND DIRECTED CITIZEN KANE WHEN HE WAS 25 YEARS OLD.
That right there is enough to make me hang up my creative tools and go back into the fine world of retail, where you work a LOT of hours but if you get into management you make real money (unless you're working at Wal*Mart-- NO one should work there).
So I don't think about it. I don't set goals like "by thirty five I need a million dollars in the bank"-- rather I do it by more generic thought. "in the next ten years I want to do XX" << maybe that's all psychological but it works.
I also don’t do “Bucket Lists”— change the B to an F for those things— if you want to do something just go do it. Stop putting things off.
Write down your goals and then create a road map of how to get there. LINKEDIN is great for this, because through two connections on my own account you can be in touch with Jack Welsh. Amazing what technology does.
MENTOR: Find someone who's done what you want to do and try to learn from them. Most highly successful people are willing to share insight and even time with those lower down on the ladder of success. Most are willing to give a helping hand where they can, but they won't do the heavy lifting and it's easy to spot someone looking for an easy ride rather than someone who is willing to put in the effort. If you're sincere it will come through.
My favorite gallery of all time was SPACE 242 in Boston. I liked it better than many of the galleries I know in New York City, Seattle and Portland Oregon. I liked the vibe. I liked the themes. I liked that it was near the MCA so I could double up my culture. I liked that it was in SoBo which was experiencing a renewed art vibe. Most of all I liked their Halloween Show-- because it was boss.
We attended probably two years worth of shows before we introduced ourselves to Gallery Director Ami Bennet who looked at our work and soon gave us a very successful solo show at the gallery.
NETWORK: Get thine ass out and mingle with real people. It will benefit you both socially and professionally. If you're an artist, get to openings and bring business cards with you which lead prospective gallery owners and other artists to your website.
This is separate from getting out and hanging with friends-- that's important too-- but networking is getting together with your peers and people with similar interests.
TIME: Time is our enemy if we don't plan for it. Ignoring a deadline or a difficult task only puts it off until it's too late to effectively do something about it. Time with planning is our biggest ally.
I had a routine that I stuck with pretty much Monday - Friday. I would give my mom a ride to her job first thing in the morning, my dog in tow and then we'd hit Elm Park for either a long walk or even a run around the park each and every morning. Then I'd walk the two blocks over to Dunkin Donuts on Chandler Street for a coffee and one of their lower calorie breakfast sandwiches. I was such a regular that the women who work there would know my coffee order as soon as I walked in.
I'd eat my breakfast sandwich and drink my coffee on my way back to the car and then be back in the studio by 10am with breakfast eaten, the dog walked and ready to work. I liked this routine because it ensured that I would be up early (as a freelancer controlling my own work schedule early rising can be an issue) and it also got me out of the studio for two hours everyday.
The downside was I was spending $7 on every visit.
My mom retired, and I kept up the routine for a few weeks but eventually I opted to make my own coffee and breakfast at home and walk my dog at the huge park near my home that was less than a half block away. While Elm Park was full of people, my park was deserted save for the occasional other dog walker or the old guy who would hit golfballs into the woods. It didn't have the same vibe, but it accomplished what I was looking for.
What I noticed was my spending money increased dramatically. I never really put it together that the $7 I was spending daily (it's only $7 after all) really added up. I decided everyday I'd drop the same $7 in a Lost In Space Cookie Jar I have in my studio. Just like Dunkins.
I kept doing it and paid it little attention. Spring came and went-- summer did too-- and before I knew it we were on the cusp of Halloween.
I decided to count the money in the Robot-- $1120. ONE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLARS.
ONE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLARS on a breakfast and coffee I barely even liked???
Holy hannah.
It's time you see? Time.
This works for projects, goals, money, relationships-- you name it. Time used wisely is your best friend.
That's it my friends, re-read the posts, make some notes and put some of this advice to work. But most of all stop making, and stop accepting excuses.
You can do this.
Andy Fish is a freelance artist and writer who has been living the lifestyle longer than there has been an iPhone on this planet. The advice given has worked for him, it might work for you, he hopes it does. But like all advice, take it with your own situation in mind. If you want to contact him shoot him an email andy@andytfish.com