artistic advice given in the most non-artistic way.
its 3:30am. Todd Burandt called me about some corporate headshots at Norfolk Southern. When Todd calls, I answer cause he’s the homie. Love that guy, but honestly this 5:30am call time got me tweaking. I fell asleep at 9pm because… well… I want to be responsible. but looks like I’ve become accustomed to only sleeping 4 hours a night (i’ve been up since 2am btw… been browsing gear and watches for an hour and a half… thats a lie I also made a post on my work IG (shoutout my left brain, @tfv.work).
This topic has been heavy on my mind because lots of people (actually, lots of people) always ask me the same question about what this freelance life really about. That proverbial ‘leap of faith’. They want it. They want a taste of what ‘freedom’ looks and feels like. If having a day job is that steady, reliable marriage, then freelance is that hot, passionate, dirty, secret meetup at the motel at 2am. But truly I tell you, if you want your business to succeed, you gotta turn that hoe into a housewife. (sorry ladies, not to be offensive, but the analogy is too good to be excluded).
This list was crafted in no particular order, all are equally important, and I have put them all into practice, and mal-practice. I’m putting this on wax here so I can just link future seekers of information to save them from 40 minutes of me passionately rambling.
Budgeting is freedom.
Have you ever heard of NET30? If not, open a new tab and google search it. Basically every job as a contractor will suffer the same bullshit payment cycle. and the best part is… NET30 isn’t even accurate. Sometimes jobs payout NET60.. or even NET90 depending on the employer. So how do you navigate this? How do you spend money that hasn’t hit your bank account yet? pssst. the answer is budgeting.
What I do is, I track every job and what that job is going to pay and build a budget for myself for the month coming up. Example: All the jobs I take on for August build a budget of what I can spend for September. You can do this on Notes, Word, paper and pen… I use Numbers (Apple version of Excel). So every month I create a new budget for myself for the following month. In my budget I have line items that include basic things like mortgage, utilities, credit card payments, car payments, etc.. But I also go as far as make line items for eating out, grocery, gas.. I have worked hard enough to even be able to include a passion project line item in my budget… meaning I give myself funding each month to be able to do something that involves my passion that I can pay for.
Budgeting, its a bitch ngl, takes a lot of discipline but honestly, this has been the most liberating tool that gives me a real snapshot into my career as a freelance creative person.
relationships are more important than the work itself.
Attention introverts, its time to break out of your comfort zone and do the thing that you hate the most, exude energy into social situations that leave you looking like a shell of your former self after a night out of small talk and chit chat. But thanks to social media, its not all doom and gloom. you can do a lot from your phone.
I preface all this with one simple fact. you can be the dopest at what you do, but if you know no one that is willing to pay for what you are capable of, then you gonna be broke mah boi. You gotta know people. You gotta get out there and meet new people, or cultivate relationships with people you already know.
My strategy has served me very well, and instagram has been one of my greatest tools for networking. Don’t undermine the power of the ‘like’ and ‘comment’. When you peruse the social network, dont just scroll past. like a post, leave a comment. every time. Show people you are active in their lives (actually… be active in their lives tho) dont be lengthy in your response, just show love. let them see that you mess with them and that its genuine. I’ve been freelancing since 2017, and every job I’ve gotten has been from cultivating personal relationships or thru IG. I’ve only ever had one booking thru my website.
Another huge thing is, if you get invited out to an event or a party… FUCKING GO. Go to that thing frfr. put aside all that pent up social awkward energy and just go. Ask if you can bring a friend if being in awkward social situations is that difficult for you. Showing up for people is major key.
sharing your work is a necessary ritual.
Converse hosted Tyler, The Creator on a panel and there is one line he said that resonates so much and has helped me view my relationship with my work differently. I’m paraphrasing, but he said something along the lines of
…You mean to tell me, you put your heart and soul into something, experienced something, and all you’re going to do is share it once on your story? NO!… LET MUTHAFUCKAS KNOW. LET THEM KNOW ABOUT YOUR SHIT. I don’t know why people only share their shit once.. maybe because they dont want to come off as too thirsty… I’m still promoting my album that I put out a year ago.
Self promotion needs to be shameless. It needs to come from a place of being proud of yourself and what you’ve accomplished. It needs to be frequent, at times relentless even. It needs to be genuine and needs to have your voice as the backbone. One caveat is to not always make it about your work alone. Talk about other peoples work too. Immerse yourself in what your peers are doing as well so it doesn’t come off as so self centered. admire what your peers do well, and I promise the gesture will be returned in favor.
Methods of sharing your work is up to your own preference. right now mine is all done thru IG or my website. Pick your poison and fall in love with it. One thing I say to myself is “social media is a business tool, and a business tool alone. If people want to get to know the real me, they will”.
This part is so often overlooked and can be easily forgotten if not put into practice religiously. carve out time for yourself and what you want to put into the universe. Major, major key.
Master a trade.
I once interviewed renowned artist and someone I can luckily call a friend, Rising Red Lotus. He spoke about the difference between being an artist and a craftsman. Artists devote their life to their original works. There is no other motivation for an artist except the clear vision of the work itself. No exceptions. This topic can be controversial to some, and I think the reception of this ideology can differ depending on context.
What does it mean to learn a trade tho? My example would be music and photography being my forms of true artistic expression. My trades also include music and photography when applied in the client / creative dynamic, where there is a collaboration or someone dictating my creative decisions. Some other trades I include in my wheelhouse are video camera operating, photo assisting, digital tech, gaffer, grip, AC, and acting. I also score and audio mix for certain projects.
Trades are important because it broadens ways you earn revenue for yourself. Being a full time artist can be a struggle sometimes. Perspectives change, sometimes people aren’t on the same wavelength as you. Capitalism is a real thing and most times survival is key. Applying skills you learned thru your journey of mastering your craft for the sake of others is a necessary evil. Honestly for me the peace of mind that comes from when that check hits the bank account is an amazing feeling.
My journey as an artist is more about self acceptance. I learned to respect the marathon and to not let my age determine my level of creativity and output. It is a constant battle, but im in a good place with everything. My priorities shifted and I understand my role in my family and how I can bring value. Mastering a trade and letting people know what you can provide in collaborative settings can help float your bills and kinda keep you in the same arena.
Plan to stay in it long term.
Businesses thrive because of reliability of service and reputation. Reliability and reputation is the most valuable currency and if you have this with people, they will work with you and build relationships with you. Unfortunately I dont think you can really expedite this process. Its something that comes with the territory of building yourself and your business.
Those times when you feel like giving up, dont. Ofcourse its gonna suck sometimes. Nothing lasts forever and those enjoyable times can feel so fleeting especially when you’re stuck in the weeds with something. My advice is to keep pushing unless there is a clear, lateral move you can make to not set you back so much.
alignment is the goal.
I’ve spoken about alignment before here. Alignment is when your passion aligns perfectly with what is in demand, and you get paid to do what you love. Someone pays you for your artistic expression and execution. Lets take Rising Red Lotus for example. He’s gotten to a level with his expression that he was awarded a job to design Shuri’s lab in Black Panther 1. Not only was it a well paying job, he was able to conceptualize and execute his vision, and was afforded the opportunity to be a part of film making history.
Alignment takes out the guessing game of the clients wants and allows for a seamless transition of style, intellect and motivation. It empowers the artist to do what he/she/they were put on this earth to accomplish, and there is an equal affirmation thru the exchange of money from the client side. Money is definitely evil when taken out of context or misused, but within the context of family and sustaining a healthy relationship with yourself, money is a great tool that can be used to continue a positive trend in your life. and with this point we come back full circle to budgeting lol.
All of this is thru my own personal experience and what i’ve learned, and your journey may be different. Thru and thru tho I hope whoever reads this puts some of this into practice and keeps positive in mind, body and spirit. I’m rooting for you. Keep pushing <3
