I’ve found that the freelance life requires me to laugh. A LOT.

I think I’ll create a list (lists are a good way to keep track of things – there, that’ll serve as my info for today) to keep track of the things I should do when stresses set in.

Cable Modem Dead: Read an Al Jaffee comic.
Bad Customer Interaction: Big Lebowski
Hard Drive Malfunction: The Young Ones Box set in it’s entirety.
Losing Out on a Bid: Seinfeld or Simpsons
Client Requesting Comic Sans:

Seriously, people – we’ve got to do away with Comic Sans. I wish we had one of those Men In Black memory eraser things so we could roam the globe and eliminate every copy of Comic Sans, then wipe free the memory of such an offending font.

Sadly, I have more than 5 copies installed. Just in case…

Hmm – maybe tomorrow we talk font management.

I’ve come to realize that making it as a freelance graphic designer is more about being calm than it is about being a good businessman and having a lot of work. You need both – but really, you need to be at peace more than anything. After all, worrying is counter-productive.

There have been times where I’ve lived fat, and there have been times that things have been very, very lean – but the one constant has been that I’ve always made it and that there has never really been a constant. There have been times when I’ve worked under market value, and times that I’ve made more money per hour than a lawyer.

As a freelancer, you have to get into the ebb and flow of the work and the lifestyle. You have to search, and you have to stretch – but you have to keep moving. If you’re flush with work, you have to squirrel away some dough for later down the line, and if you’ve got nothing to do, don’t go out and sleep on the interstate. When things are slow, work on your own business and your own abilities. Don’t stop moving, and don’t give up….

This might be a little base for some of you, but bear with me. This is important.

KEEP RECORDS OF EVERYTHING.

There. That’s all I have to say. Well, not really…

When you start a job, start a folder and place your work order (you really need to start this habit,) the job contract (again – start doing this. I’ll post on this really soon, plus give you a downloadable, customizable contract) and any other preliminary paperwork in that folder. That way, when you need to reference something, you’ll know where it is.

When you’ve done that – do it again. Take all those digital files, print them and put them in a real folder. Next, print out the emails about the job. Keep the records and keep the actual paper. That way, if you’re without electricity, you can still do business. If you have a hard drive failure, you can still work. If you lose something (and you WILL!) you can still work.

Staying organized and having informational backup are the most important things for a freelance graphic designer. If that’s not your strong suit (it’s not mine) you really need to make a habit of at least starting projects …

There are a lot of great logo designers out there, and putting your work up for public scrutiny (especially for other designers to see,) can be a little scary. But – it’s also a great way to judge where you are in the grand scheme of things.

LogoPond.com lets you post your logo and get comments from fellow designers. They discuss everything from color to layout to feel to effectiveness. Comments can be quite candid and at times, kind of rough. But, it’s designers from around the world and from all walks of life – freelance and otherwise.

If you’re like me, you have a tendency to get caught up in the work and it’s difficult to step back and look at what you’re doing without coloring it with your own opinions and feelings about the project. This site lets you get a totally fresh take on your work from people completely detached from the project.

Plus, there are a lot of great pieces to check out and get inspiration from. Don’t knock anything off, of course – but as Picasso said, “All art is theft.”

Enjoy!

There’s a somewhat negative connotation to being a freelance designer. I’ve worked hard to gain credibility as a designer, and I’ve had corporate gigs – but I’ve never had the creativity and lust for my work life that I have now as an independent.

A common misconception is that being a freelancer means that you’re either unemployed or unemployable. Truthfully, I’ve had more job offers (and some really good ones) as a freelancer than I ever had when I had a straight job. I know, however, that as soon as I pigeonhole myself into a job or a genre or a style, I’ll lose some modicum of my creativity – and that’s something I’m not willing to part with. No matter how good a steady paycheck and 3 weeks paid vacation might sound.

As far as being “unemployed,” why precisely am I working so much? 40 hours? Try 60. Or 70. Sometimes 80. Sometimes more. But it’s worth it…

As freelancers (designers, writers, programmers,) we’ve really got to work hard to keep our credibility. We’re outside the traditional thought, and that can make people – including potential clients – a little uncomfortable. As freelancers, our work has to be …

As I start this blog, I have a few things in mind. Bear with me as I run down my list.

1. Have Fun: I wanted to have a place to rant and rave and be stupid.

2. Get Info Out There: There’s a lot of great stuff out there – and I wanted to give it a home. An easy, one-stop place for all your freelance graphic design info and resources.

3. Be Honest: A LOT of the other freelance sites out there (blogs included) are either scams or just out to turn a buck. I want to give relevant info, tricks, tips and resources away – FREE. I can make some money, but that’s just not the sole intent here..

4. Promote My Insane Agenda: I am passionate about design, freelancing, the lifestyle of the self-employed artist and all things arty and stupid and fun. I want a place to talk about it, complain about it, be sad, be happy, yadda yadda yadda.

5. Make a Little Bit of Dough: If you’re a freelance designer, you know that having supplemental income is a good thing. I won’t make a lot here, but every little bit helps. Plus, I figure that …

Honestly – this guy had to be the greatest performer ever. When you have millions of people imitating you, you’ve obviously done something right.

I’d love to be imitated. Seems like a lot of designers and design ideology runs on parallel tracks, but I want to be imitated.

Ah – but check out Design Is Kinky. Lots of great stuff, lots of art and illustration. Very cool. Very inspirational. I think that’s what Elvis had – a lot of inspiration. Keeps you fresh.

Plus, having people write songs for you to swivel your hips to ain’t bad, either. Still trying to figure out how that works in the design field…

Welcome!

With this site, I hope to impart some wisdom gained (and lost) as a freelance graphic and web designer. I’ll offer tips, tricks and resources geared exclusively for freelancers. Here, you’ll find forms that I’ve used for billing and time tracking, general contracts, links to sites that offer real resources for all your freelance needs.

There are plenty of great sources for information out there – but it seems like they’re all written for a different crowd. Freelance graphic design is a different beast from most other freelance professions, so if you’ve never lived it, you can’t really write about it. I’ve seen the peak and the valleys that every freelance designer goes through. I’ve lived it for many, many moons now – and I have some advice, some tools, and some things that will help you on your way to success.

Along the way, I’ll offer some for-pay resources. Hey – I gotta make a living, you know.

Read a little bit about what I’ve done – learn from my mistakes, and let me help you on your way to a (somewhat) lucrative career as a freelance designer.

Enjoy!

Jim