Freelance Design Tips, Tricks & Resources

He Who Hunteth, Gathereth

By • February 23, 2012 • advice, finding work, freelance • Leave a comment

freelance tips and tricksRemember that class? I think it was History 101 or something like that. Those “Hunter/Gatherers” who wore animal hides and hunted for food (bears, mammoths, sloths, rats, ants, unwary slime) and/or gathered enough organic food (nuts, berries, mushrooms, saltines, ants, unwary slime) to propel themselves into the next day, full of protein and ready to take on more of the exciting game of staying alive, were our beloved ancestors.

They evidently did a pretty decent job at their work because here you are, letting your coffee grow cold while you hunt for ideas that will propel you into your next day—full of protein (that Hershey bar melting into your mouse pad) and excitement in doing what you love.

You do love freelancing, don’t you? Well, you do. Maybe, at this very moment, you’re not totally in love with your vocation. I can understand that. Hunting can be very lonely. Gathering ain’t a lot of fun either, when you’re trying to add $2 + $2 and keep coming up with less than $157.

But, my job right now is to inspire you. We can all use a bit of inspiration from time to time.

Like you, I’m in love with my art. Would I do it for nothing just because I love it so much? You can answer that, too. Would you? Yes, you would. You’ve probably been doing that all your life … like the rest of us. Whether it was designing the homecoming float, drawing the cool car for a friend, designing the poster for the stupid guy running for president of the 9th grade (he lost), or just making a neat wreathe to hang on your front door, you’ve given yourself away freely all the time. Think about it. And, honestly, you’ll do that free stuff until they pull the sheet up over your face and say something like, “sorry, we did all we could do”. So, hey, stop dripping into your keyboard. You love it. BUT! Enough is enough.

Nobody’s asking you to really do your art for free. Freelancing contains that awful word but, don’t give your talent away. Use your free time to prospect, hone your skills, learn, … anything but wait. Face it—you’re going to be working on something (there is that cool, Happy Hysterectomy card you’re working on for Aunt Nancy) even if you have nothing to do! So, make yourself more valuable when the next project arrives. You can even make that next project arrive! “I’ve been checking my E-mail all day and nothing’s shaking. I don’t even have a forward from my cousin in Detroit. I’m totally out of work. I have no prospects”. Yes, you do!

Make that next project arrive at the mouth of your cave!

For the past week I’ve been working on a booklet to replace the god-awful booklet that came with a product I bought. No, I’ve not spent an inordinate amount of time re-working the booklet … just enough to show that I can do a better design, think deeper and write better copy than the poor schmuck who did the original.

Why? I want as much of the advertising/design work there is to be had from this company. That’s all. Am I asking too much here? The poor schmuck did all my prep work. The poor schmuck left holes I can fill. Thanks, poor schmuck!

So, yesterday, after phoning the company and politely squeezing out the name and E-mail address for the Director of Marketing’s secretary, I wrote a friendly note to accompany the PDF of my (fabulous) re-design. The letter was just as important as the booklet design. I wanted the  person-in-charge to know I’m a neat, caring, fun and intelligent sort. The letter was my “presentation in the board room”, complete with five-piece suit and marching band … without the bath robe I normally wear. I had to show the person that I know the product (did my research) and honestly cared about the company and how it would profit by hiring me to re-design all their print. Yes, the positive audacity cloud that follows me around was thick above my head yesterday.

Then; I waited.

This afternoon I received an E-mail from my newly-acquired contact with the company … “ Michael, I have forwarded your e-mail to the person over the manuals. We will be in contact when he makes a decision”. Not a long letter but enough of the key words I love to hear. I like the simplicity of the note. It sounds positive, with the “person over the manuals” term to let me know there’s not a whole heck of a lot of typical corporate double-speak in this company.

I’m excited. My prospecting for free may net a nice relationship with a good company. They may end up hating me. I may end up hating them. Who knows at this point? What I do know is that this little experiment in “what if?” has given me a bit more confidence—more excitement in what I love. You can do the same.

Confidence will get you a lot farther down the road than sour grapes or “they probably wouldn’t care to hear me out”.

Your Assignment: This week, find something you’d like to bring home for dinner. I’d probably not try to do this little exercise with Coca-Cola, McDonalds or any of the global companies. I’m pretty sure you’d be wasting your time. But, why not pick up the phone and talk to a human at some point this week? Find something or some product you can sink your meat-loving teeth into and grab hold. Do some noodling and maybe submit a redesign to the appropriate authorities at your chosen target.

I can give you more examples of good, long lasting, lucrative client/agency relationships I’ve had that started with, “would you mind if I presented a few of my ideas to you?”. If the prospect answers, “no”, just move on toward people who actually want to improve their image. The ones who are sure they will never be able to do better than what they currently have are the folks you don’t need wasting your free time. It’s worth a couple of minutes to call and say “Hey – who do I ask…” and then just send them some ideas. Hunt – you might gather.

Also; while you’re out there hunting and gathering, please bring back some fire and a couple of sharp sticks.

100 Perks of the Freelance Life #51-60

By • February 22, 2012 • advice, freelance, inspiration • Leave a comment

david yow stagediveSo, there I was, sitting in one of my favorite coffee shop/grocery stores, eating my date rolls and bananas, listening to The Jesus Lizard and drinking coffee. I thought to myself “Self, it’s a pretty typical Wednesday.” The location may change, but the modus operandi is pretty consistent. A few phone calls, some doodling, a bunch of work and a bunch of daydreaming. Daydreaming can get me into trouble, but as I mentioned earlier – it has to be done, and by God – I’m going to give it my all.

As I sat there basking in the glow of my wonderful little freelance life, I looked out the window for an hour or three – I don’t remember – and I found myself to be yearning to be set free from the shackles of my desk (booth.) And oddly, I was shackled there. Granted, the view was great, the coffee was pretty good and I didn’t have anyone telling me I HAD to sit there. I could pack up my Moleskines and my mouse and laptop and stand up and go somewhere else (another coffee shop, home, etc.,) but I also have these clients that expect me to actually get their work done. In the words of Cheech “Responsibility’s a heavy responsibility.”

But there’s a freedom that can’t be ignored. If I wanted to get up and spend a couple of hours out in the beautiful mountain air – I can. That’s terrific. But I also know that with that freedom comes a big responsibility. It’s not even that I have to answer to clients – I have to answer to myself. I have to end the day knowing that I put in a good effort. If I go to sleep knowing that I’ve not done a square day’s work, I have a hard time looking at myself. My cubicle isn’t in an office somewhere. My boss doesn’t have to come out and holler at me. My cubicle, my boss – all that yelling, is in my head. And it goes on 24/7.

The person with the “job” gets to shut it down at 5 and leave. It’s finite. The freelancer is a freelancer all day every day. It never rests – and that can be a serious shackle. You have to find ways to shut it down and regain a bit of life outside your freelance “job.”

And so – I give to you 10 ways to shut it down and escape the office. These are really some serious perks – but you have to be serious about taking them. Your down time is important for your sanity. Leave your “cubicle” and enjoy these:

The Top 100 Perks of Freelancing 51-60:

#60 – Kongregate.com – Shut off the email, turn off the phone and spend 10 minutes playing absurd games. Zombies, castles, guns, towers – you name it, they’ve got a game for it. Let’s see you play Abobo’s Big Adventure while you’re workin’ for the man.

#59 – Nature – it’s all around us, yet it can be ignored. I happen to live and work in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I’ll bet you do, too. Get out and stretch your legs, get some fresh air. It’s the ultimate in analog.

#58 – Take Your Shoes Off and Wiggle Your Toes – Sounds crazy, but give it a try. Take your shoes off and stretch your feet out and wiggle your toes. Get some blood circulating in your feet. You’d be surprised how invigorating that can be. You don’t have a cube buddy to complain about the smell. Just don’t do it in a coffee shop or restaurant. Or, at least don’t get caught doing it.

#57 – Change Your Shirt – tired? Stymied on a project? Hop up (if you’re at home) and change your shirt. Again, sounds weird – but a fresh shirt feels great, smells great and can kick-start your brain. The idea is to break the routine, take a few minutes off and “reboot.”

#56 – 3 Day Weekend – Oh, yes. You know what I’m talking about. If you can do this – do it. Take 3 whole days and don’t work. On anything. It really clears the brain, and you’d be surprised how many great ideas you can have when you’re not pressing yourself for ideas.

#55 – 4 Day Weekend – Really. If 3 is awesome, 4 is awesomer.

#54 – Tense Up Every Muscle in Your Body – take 2 minutes. Spend 10 seconds tensing every muscle, then 10 seconds relaxing every muscle. This gets the blood flowing and can relieve a lot of tension, which can help the ideas and the motivation flow. You can’t really do this in the traditional office setting, as you look rather odd doing it. You can do this in a coffee shop or in public if you don’t mind people looking at you and wondering what’s up. I don’t mind that look. I get that look anyway – no matter what I’m doing.

#53 – Blog – Start a personal blog that has nothing (or very little) to do with your job. Complain, review movies, post dumb lists – whatever. Just take some time to do something that has very little to do with your “job.” It helps restore sanity.

#52 – Clean the House – again, it’s about getting out of your routine and away from your “desk.” If you’re at home, a bit of cleaning can really help clear the cobwebs. It also helps you keep the place clean. Double prizes. If you’re working mobile, clean out your backpack or satchel or car. Just stop and clean and organize. Good for the soul, good for the psyche, good for the environment. Having tunafish rotting behind the speaker is NEVER a good thing.

#51 – Facebook – GASP! I said it. It can be a good way to get your head out of the cyclical thinking thing, get you away from working and it can kickstart ideas. It’s not JUST for time-wasting…

Audacity

By • February 17, 2012 • advice, finding work, freelance • Leave a comment

freelance tips and tricksThis is the “Old Man” speaking here. I’m the senior graphic designer with 40 years in the ad business so, put down the sandwich and listen up.

In my day (before total freelance beckoned late in life) I used to hire folks like you! I’m that smiling, not-too-bad-a-guy who looked at your portfolio and kept looking up at you in this “really ?” way that made you spill your guts about what you wanted to be paid for the measly job I had to offer (so I could determine if you had what it took to land the really big, measly job), and what you’d settle for just so you’d appear reasonable. There are budgets to consider. Time constraints. You know. If you’ve been around that particular block more than once you’ll recognize me.

Which brings us to the topic … audacity. My mother used to call it nerve. Most folks say balls. Sorry. Hope the kids are in bed as your read this.

Having convinced you of my great background in advertising (you are convinced, aren’t you?), let me stop all the embellishment and tell you flat out that audacity is probably the next largest commodity you have for hire in your arsenal. When freelancing I always let the client know I am thinking with him and, being audacious, thinking ahead of him. Being a hired gun for a project is great but, you don’t want to say goodbye after you have completed your task and have your check in hand (well, unless your client is an absolute jerk).You really want to expand your reach into the project/piggy bank. If you’ve been hired to illustrate one ad, design one logo, layout one web page … look for more.

Perhaps your client will be the likable old guy I am who appreciates stupid questions like, “would you mind if I drop off a few more ideas when I come by tomorrow to pick up my (measly) check?” How many folks are going to say, “uh, no”? Example: If your client is a clothing store that picked your name out of a phone book, out of a hat, or off the internet to design a St. Patrick’s Day ad, how badly are you going to be hurt to walk in with your portfolio plus an idea for their 4th of July Sale?  Prepare when possible. Actually read if necessary! Audacity. Sure, the marketing director probably has his/her ideas lined-up way in advance and they won’t mind telling you they have (silly pudding). BUT … what if your idea is better than theirs? Want to lose future income by not trying, not asking? Yes, you do run across the occasional cretin who steals from you. Yes, you will throw some perfectly good ideas down a rat hole. Hey! Stop crying. Good God, man. Buck up!  You won’t always win. But, sometimes you win big time. You really do!

True story: I was once commissioned by an art director to do a pen and ink illo of a local bank for a newspaper ad (remember newspapers?). Nothing great but, it paid nicely. After meeting with the AD and suggesting a series of illustrations, I walked away with a much better slice of the bank’s ad budget, a heftier portfolio, and … because I had been ballsy enough to suggest something that made the AD look good, an invitation to the next creative meeting for another client of the agency. Some folks appreciate nerve.

So, there. Small word, audacity—but the potential rewards are staggering … just don’t stagger too much. You don’t need to have your blood alcohol checked while you’re in the middle of a project. It just looks unseemly.

Carry on.

100 Perks of the Freelance Life #61-70

By • February 16, 2012 • advice, freelance, inspiration • Leave a comment

fga Lately, I’ve seen an awful lot of these “What My Mom Thinks I Do, What Society Thinks I do, What I Really Do.” The majority of them are a bunch of unfunny, horribly obvious puns. Some make me giggle, most just make me roll my eyes. The truth is that everyone thinks they’re a rock star – but the concept of what these different jobs are is usually miles away from reality. They’re getting to be all over the place. I haven’t seen one for a sewerage worker, but I’m pretty sure everyone knows, understands and accepts the reality of that job.

In the interest of following trends, sheeplike – I made my own. It’s unfunny and horribly obvious. But – this is my blog, so I do precisely whatever I want.

I might joke about it and piss and moan about it – but this really IS a fabulous job. A lot of the myths about freelancing are based in truth – because when it works, it’s a beautiful thing and a marvelous career and everyone should be jealous. When it doesn’t work – it sucks, but that goes for anything. When it’s good, it’s good – when it’s bad, it’s bad. Weird how that works, huh?

And without further prevaricating about the bush, I present to you the truths based on the myths…

The Top 100 Perks of Freelancing 61-70:

#70 – You Can Work Any Time You Want. Sounds great – and it’s TRUE! As a friend of mine once said “You get to pick any 80 hours of the week.” That’s the truth, folks – but you really are flexible. You can’t just slack 24/7, but you have the luxury of picking your hours.

#69 – You Don’t Have Anyone to Answer To. Yeah, right. Ever had 30 clients all at once demanding that something be done on Friday, and it’s 4:30 Thursday afternoon?

#68 – You Get Paid Tons Per Hour. Yes – I get paid a lot per hour to do what I actually do. Unfortunately, for every hour I can bill, I normally have about 2 hours that I can’t bill – administrative stuff, sales, promotions, etc. So, divide my hourly into thirds and you’ll start to get the picture. If I could BILL 40 hours a week, I’d be a very happy man. Well – even happier than I am now.

#67 – You Get to Pick What You Work On. To an extent, that’s true. But when you’re first starting or when things get lean, you lose a lot of that ability to choose. Needing to pay an electric bill will surely make you think long and hard about taking that crappy menu redesign. Know what I’m saying?

#66 – You Get Paid to Be Creative All the Time. See #68. I don’t consider billing and sales as being creative. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not a huge fan of paperwork.

#65 – You Get Lots of Respect, Professionally. Yeah, sure. I get just enough respect from 10% of people who understand and value my skill to keep my psyche stoked enough that I don’t become suicidal when the other 90% of the people I come in contact with in the professional realm disrespect or belittle what I do. “Oh, you’re a graphic designer? Yeah – my nephew is, too. He’s got a fast computer and a copy of CS5!” I’ve actually had people say that to me. Tres Respectful!

#64 – You Can Work from Anywhere. Yes. This is true. But this can also be a drag. Ever tried to discuss sensitive business information or schmooze a client over the phone from a coffee shop? It’s louder than you think and the chairs aren’t always comfortable. Also – have you any idea how many graphic designers there are sitting in a coffee shop at any given time? I don’t want to give away my business secrets to “competition.” Working mobile is cool – but it’s really got a lot of downsides, too. And it can get expensive. But, I’m rolling in the dough, right?

#63 – You Don’t Have to Dress Up to Go to Work. No, I don’t. And it’s great. I can wear Black Flag tees and Chuck Taylors all day, every day. Chili stain on my shirt? BIG DEAL! Oh – until you run into a client who you’re trying to appear professional to. You might not have to wear a suit and a tie – but you can’t look like a complete bum. I know this from personal experience.

#62 – You Don’t Have to Deal with Co-Workers. You’re right. I don’t have to deal with the 10 other people in the office – I just have to deal with the hundreds of people that I’ve met and who have employed me. You might have to put up with some schmucks in your office, but at least you have a relatively finite number of people (and the problems attached to them) to deal with. I have hundreds of personalities to maneuver around. There’s something to be said about the regularity and predictability of the insanity you have to put up with, too.

#61 – No Boss. Wrong again. I’ve got a hundred bosses, plus I’m my own boss. And as a boss, I’m a complete jackass, too. Worse than your boss.

100 Perks of the Freelance Life #71-80

By • February 15, 2012 • advice, freelance, inspiration • Leave a comment

101 perks of freelance designDay three – and if you’re still with me, I applaud you. I’m not real sure I’m with me these days. I’ve been absolutely covered in work (yippee!!) and blogging has been a bit of an afterthought. I really do enjoy it, and the written word fascinates me to no end. There’s a power to words that can’t be understated. It’s one of the reasons that typography can be so powerful. But, I digress. (You expected me NOT to digress?)

Since I’m so slammed, I’ll try to focus these “perks” on ways to procrastinate. There’s really a lot of ways, and – let’s face it – we all procrastinate. I’ve found, though, that the ways in which you procrastinate determine the sustainability of the period of procrastination. See – if you’re doing something that actually benefits you, it’s not really procrastination, and you can keep it up longer and folks will leave you alone. This does not include playing the Xbox. Sorry.

When you’re a Freelancer, you can use your time to procrastinate in ways that ultimately can benefit your business/career. Thus, that procrastination is a perk. If you’re stuck behind a desk doing “The Man’s” work, your procrastination might benefit you, but you’re robbing time from “The Man.” And, well – theft isn’t cool.

So, here are a few procrastinational* perks for freelancers. (Complete and utter time wasting tomorrow. *Yes, I make up words.)

The Top 100 Perks of Freelancing 71-80:

#80 – Pinterest. This is actually pretty damned cool. If you subscribe to some like-minded folks, you can sit back and watch inspiration and reference material scroll by at the speed of broadband. Check mine, see some of my repins, and you’ll find some really cool folks. This can be a HUGE time suck – but it can also be a great place to find reference.

#79 – Sketchbooks. Ok, I know I keep on harping on this one. But – get yourself a sketchbook and start doodling. You don’t have to be an illustrator to have a sketchbook. But, I can get lost for hours on this. I can open up my sketchbook and start drawing the strange monsters in my imagination and the stranger monsters in the coffee shop around me and be lost for the better part of a day. The plus in this is that it clears out my brain and I’ve come up with the best ideas while doodling. Try it. It’s refreshing.

#78 – Twitter. Yeah – this is a perk available to everyone, but it’s a great outlet for Freelancers. You don’t have to do a bunch of selling or SEO/Search crap here. Just be yourself, connect to the like-minded and let it rip. You’ll attract folks by osmosis, and it’ll help you grow your business and brand. Plus, you stay up-to-date on what everyone’s up to, in to and what’s hot on the streets. Win!

#77 – FreelanceSwitch.com. In some ways, a competitor, but – credit where credit is due. A lot of great info and resources. Check ‘em out.

#76 – Daydreaming. Face it. This is a 100% must. If you’re not daydreaming, you’re in the wrong business. Just do it.

#75 – Blogging. This one is hard for a lot of folks – but if you do some sketchbooking and daydreaming, you’ll come up with ideas. You don’t have to be super eloquent – you just have to be consistent. This will benefit you in a bunch of ways: it’s a mind dump, it’s great search engine fodder, it gives clients a better view of who and what you are and it allows you to better articulate what makes you the right choice for the work you’re pursuing. Again, I know this is kind of “work” for a lot of folks – but it offers a huge return on your procrastination investment.

#74 – Facebook. No, I don’t mean chatting up old girlfriends or trying to find new ones. I’m talking about the business side of Facebook. You can approach prospective new clients in a more personal and less threatening way. Chat ‘em up and “consumer” their Facebook product. If you keep showing up, you’ll eventually be implanted in their psyche, and they’ll be that much more likely to hire you when the time comes for the services you offer. Name recognition, easier “cold calls,” and a lot more. Beneficial!

#73 – Googling Competition. See what they’re up to, see what you can “borrow” from them, and see where your strengths lie in comparison to theirs. You don’t want to rip them off, and I think there’s plenty of work to go ’round – but you can certainly learn from what they are – and what they’re not – doing well.

#72 – BoingBoing.net. This one can be a time-waster, too – but it has some wonderful info in a variety of areas. Good for a brain cleansing session, or for ideas and inspiration. My personal home page.

#71 – Taking a Shower Any Time of Day. This is one of the best perks. Lately, I mostly shower after hitting the gym, as I work largely mobile and I wind up a the gym at odd hours. This is exceedingly cathartic for me at any time of the day. Even if you’re already clean – there’s something about stepping away from all of the electronics and sketch books and phones and other nonsense that helps the ideas really flow. In the words of Perry Farrell “Water hits my neck, and I’m pissing on myself. Standing in the shower, thinking.” I don’t really recommend pissing on yourself – that’s just kind of gross. But, the rest of the sentiment is spot on. Get clean, get warm and get to thinking.

100 Perks of the Freelance Life #81-90

By • February 14, 2012 • freelance, funny, inspiration • Leave a comment

100 perks of freelancingAnother day, another post chock full of…

Well, it’s full of something. Because I’m full of something.

Today is Valentine’s day, so I’m going to focus on stuff that is Valentines’ related, heart-shaped, about love or things that are sexy. I’m nothing if not sentimental. And by sentimental, I mean black-hearted and spiteful. But, that’s a personal issue that we really shouldn’t get into here.

The Top 100 Perks of Freelancing 81-90

#90 – Harney & Son’s Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea. I don’t know for sure, but I’ve got my suspicions that this stuff has crack in it. It’s like drinking a hot cup of those little red candy hearts. I absolutely adore this stuff, and I’m a very, very staunch coffee guy. My son agrees that we could drink this stuff all day, every day. You can try it at Sbux inside Barnes & Nobles. You can also order it. HELL YES.

#89 – Craphound. I love these books. I’ve gotten all of the reprints, and I use them regularly. They’re great reference for all my conspiracy theory posters and doodles, plus they’re very punk rock. Break out a copy of Craphound and you’ll be the target of suspicion and strange glances. Sweet.

#88 – Loving my job. Yeah – I love this job. What’s not to love? Freedom, poverty and real control over the end product. Sure beats the pants off of bagging groceries.

#87 – Naps during business hours. I’ve got this quilt that my Aunt Elaine made for my wife and I. It’s this grand affair with squares and a million colors and hearts. It’s tattered and worn, but it’s warm and it’s my favorite. Give me that thing, around 3:00 in a sunny, quiet house and I’m a happy, sleepy boy. Sometimes, a 15 minute power nap can make the difference in having a good, productive afternoon and sitting around in a haze. Napping is a business investment. You have to be rested to be creative. Really – try it.

#86 – Cardio during business hours. Get your heart pumping, take a break from the electronics and get moving. I’m a big advocate of the gym (especially now that I’m getting older) and I know from personal experience that a healthy freelancer is a happy, productive and energized freelancer. Walking back and forth to the coffee pot is NOT the proper amount of exercise – unless your coffee pot is a couple of miles away and you run.

#85 – The love and support of my family. If you’re a freelancer with a family (oh – and I’m going to start posting more in that vein,) you know how good it feels to have your family behind you. If you’ve got that support and you work hard, you’ll succeed. If your wife isn’t happy with your career choice, you’re going to have a hard time. My wife and kids are awesome, and they put up with a lot for my “job.” Hope you have the same.

#84 – Love songs. This goes back to music and headphones and the ability to listen to music as much as you want without a manager looking at you angrily. Music feeds me all day, every day.

#83 – Quotes About Love. I post a lot of quotes on Twitter. One of my latest favorites: “Do what you love and tomorrow will pay the rent.” ~ Felix Sockwell

#82 – Twitter Love. Speaking of Twitter, I get a warm feeling when my Tweets get reTweeted. Viral communication is really very, very cool – and it can be a huge boon to freelancers. Tweet regularly – how else can you reach thousands (potentially millions) of people of like mind – FOR FREE? That’s worth loving, right?

#81 – Getting to see my babies grow up. With my first son, I was in the belly of the corporate beast. I loved my job, and I had a good time doing it – but I missed a lot of my son’s “firsts.” With my other 3, I’ve been able to be there for the big stuff. A lot of the time, I worked out of the house, so I could stop and interact and see what they were up to. Now, I work mobile, but I can generally show up when something cool is going on – so I get to see my kids’ stuff. That’s important, and it’s one of the biggest things I love about this “job.” My kids and my wife and our family is my heart…

100 Perks of the Freelance Life #91-100

By • February 14, 2012 • freelance, funny, inspiration • Leave a comment

freelance graphic designerI’m starting a list of reasons that Freelancing kicks ass. This is just as much a reminder to me as it is a list for general consumption. You see, I’m like everyone else (in a creepy Herman Munster-esque sorta way) in that I constantly fail to see how good I really have it. I cry and whine and mope about my job – but really, how freaking awesome is this? And still, I get my panties in a wad…

So, I’m making a list of the Top 100 – But really, there’s about a million.

Anyway, without further adieu:

The Top 100 Perks of Freelancing 100-90

#100 – The coffee is infinitely better.You get to pick what you drink, and I’ll bet you don’t pick anything close to office coffee. That stuff is essentially paint stripper and caramel color.

#99 – Pajamas are viable business dress. That’s right – I’m the Hugh Heffner of freelance graphic design.

#98 – Headphones. If I have to explain this, you’re not worthy of being a freelance designer.

#97 – Spending 3 Hours Reading About Milton Glaser is Kosher. It’s research – not slacking. This is a concept that I’ll be returning to very, very frequently. There is a big difference between screwing around online and actually looking for inspiration and resources. One is very important – the other is crucial to your business.

#96 – Your boss rarely looks over your shoulder. Actually, if you can look over your own shoulder, I’d love to meet both of you.

#95 – You can pick the people you work with. I’ve done the corporate thing enough to know that not everyone in the business world is a lovable eccentric like the folks on The Office. Some of them are downright evil. When you’re a freelancer, you can avoid the evil. If you’re stuck in an office with someone, avoiding them can be problematic, uncomfortable and dangerous.

#94 – Melt Banana  at ear-splitting level at 4:00 on a Monday. See #98, above.

#93 – The smell of fresh Moleskines. Man, I love my notebooks, and the scent of these babies is like nothing else. It’s freelance crack.

#92 – Dafont.com. If you’re a fontophile like me, it’s like wandering into a candy store on free day.

#91 – People watching. If you work mobile (I do, mostly,) you get to see some pretty great stuff. Weirdos, geeks, freaks and some genuinely funny stuff. When’s the last time you got to see someone break up with their boyfriend in a coffee shop? Me – last Thursday. It’s entertaining, and in a lot of ways – good research. You get to see what kind of crap the general public is up to. Oddly, I’ve found that most of the world isn’t a 40-something doofus who thinks The Young Ones is the funniest show. EVER.

Did I miss something? Contact me and tell me your goodies. If I use ‘em, I’ll give you credit. Backlinks YO!

Why Do You Do What You Do?

By • January 4, 2012 • advice, family • Leave a comment

the family freelancer“Bye, bye daddy,” followed by blowing a kiss.

Painting toes on 6 year old ballerinas.

Listening to bad jokes and reading comics by a 9 year old professional detective.

Fistfuls of Sour Patch kids and political discussions while playing Gears of War 3 with the most brilliant teen I’ve met.

Hot coffee with a hotter redhead – every morning.

I am a family man. 4 kids, married for almost 20 years. That’s what I work for – my family. I can go into my desire to do excellent design, but the bottom line is that I work the way I do to provide a good life for my children, my wife and our family. Granted, what I do isn’t physically demanding (other than having a flat spot on my ass) and I LOVE what I do. I’m incredibly blessed to be able to say that – but I would do whatever it takes to give the ones I love the best life I can. I don’t make a boatload of money, and I probably never will. I’m a bit too much of a daydreamer – but I put my nose to the grindstone when it’s time to provide.

I work hard, and I work a lot of hours doing stuff that I don’t necessarily want to do, but when I’m on my way out the door and my youngest notices and says “bye bye, daddy” and blows me a kiss, it reminds me what a beautiful, brilliant life I have – and makes me all the more resolute to do what I do to the best of my abilities.

What do you work for? Is it the money? That’s o.k. Do you work for the prestige? Great. Do you work to stay out of trouble? Do you work because you want to deliver excellence in your field? Define why you work..

If you define why you work, it makes it a lot easier on those days when nothing seems to go right. Those days when it’s 1 step forward and 2 steps back. You’re always going to have those days, but if you can keep in mind why you’re doing what you’re doing, it makes it all that much easier to digest the bad stuff and get through your day. When a client calls and hates the 3rd group of 40 logo roughs and wants something different but very much the same as what she saw on the back of a corn flakes packet, all I have to do is remember my baby’s words and my heart swells and I can trooper on.

Defining why you do what you do is sometimes more important than defining what you do. Define what you’re working for and keep a reminder with you – keep it on your desk, on your Facebook profile, on your desktop, in your pocket, on your dashboard – somewhere where you run across it frequently. When you see it, think about why you’re in the gig you’re in. It’ll make the dark days a little brighter. It’s an inspiration. It’s your muse.

We can all use a gentle nudge now and then – even if it comes from the mouths of babes. Find your muse.

(End proud daddy rant. Back to my normal cynicism and vitriol tomorrow.)

Hide Your Email from the Spamming Bastards…

By • January 2, 2012 • advice, blogging, free stuff, resources • Leave a comment

too much spam email? encode!If you’re like me, you get about 8 quadrillion spam emails a day. Unfortunately, when you design and develop websites for a living, you have to put your email address out there for those scraping, thieving robots that are out there, looking for your email address to add to databases that are sold to companies that help you enlarge stuff, see stuff you shouldn’t see or find cheap car insurance.

You want to make your email address accessible to the general public so that it’s easy to contact you (and send work and money,) but the minute you do that, you’re opening your box to a lot of spam – and I don’t mean the most awesome lunch product in the world.

One of the ways to avoid this is to encrypt your email address so that normal, real people can use your email, but the bastard will leave you alone. But – how?

Here’s how – Enkoder by Hivelogic. Just fill out the form, hit submit and you’ll get a code snippet that you can easily copy and paste into your HTML, Blog, what have you.

Now, your email address is protected and you can sleep a little easier. Real people with real browsers can contact you – but the robots can shove it.

You’re welcome.

Click Here to Get It (non-affilate link, no spam. really.)

Facebook Page Design & The Freelance Designer – Worth It?

By • December 27, 2011 • design, facebook, finding work, freelance, promotion, resources, social media • 2 Comments

facebook business page design asheville

Such a Cute Doggy. He Loves Facebook Pages!

I’ve been a freelancer for 14 years (or thereabouts) and there have been a lot of changes in that time. One of the biggest (obviously) is the whole social media thing. It’s been a game changer in a lot of ways. It’s a great way to connect with other freelancers, it’s good for promotion, it’s good for branding – and it’s good for wasting time.

But, at the same time, it can be another great revenue stream. It’s something that’s pretty easy to design around, and with some easy-to-use tools, you can do some really cool stuff.

While there are tons of social media platforms, one of the most configurable and usable is Facebook. It’s nice that it’s also become one of the most ubiquitous – and it’s opened up a good, viable new stream of work.

I started a new company (I love doing that) in AVLFB.com. It’s focused on my local area, Asheville, North Carolina – but if you wanted to go nationwide (and I have with this, to an extent) it’s a rich field, and really seems to be growing.

Now – this really isn’t a promo piece for my businesses. It’s just demonstrating that diversifying is a good thing, and that branching out into Facebook Page Design is an easy way to add a new stream of revenue.

The design is pretty straightforward (Photoshop, anyone?) and the build-out is pretty easy, too. I use a couple of tools – Lujure and North Social to do the actual uploading and build-out. Lujure is my tool of choice, as it’s simple and has a great feature set. You can add like buttons, contact forms, images, fans-only images and areas, etc. Just about anything you see the big boys do on Facebook can be done using Lujure. I use the big (read: expensive) package – but you can do it all for the $30 a month package. You pay more for non-branded pages with some other bells and whistles – but, plan and price accordingly.

I’ve built TONS of pages with (admittedly) very little marketing – and I’d bet you can hop on the bandwagon now, too. It’s a growing field, and with some good marketing – or upselling – it can be a real boon to the old pocketbook.

Check out AVLFB.com for some examples. You can also see some examples on my main site, or the Facebook pages for either: DesignAVL on Facebook and AVLFB on Facebook.