Stop trying to 'make it' and just make

Focussing on creating rather than chasing

It can’t only be me…right?

I never thought that 5(ish) years into being a freelance illustrator that I’d still feel like a student. The landscape of this industry has changed so much in the time I graduated college that I’m beginning to wonder, will I ever feel like I have a grasp on this industry?

Ambiguous Blobs

Nothing in this career is clear. It’s all a bit; higgledy-piggledy, take a risk, make mistakes, learn on the job… it’s not for the faint hearted. No two experiences are even remotely similar, but if one thing is for sure creatives crave creating. That’s what we gravitate towards. It’s our calling as it were.

In the years of cold calling/emailing, stalking art directors on LinkedIn and spending hours a day sussing out how to ‘make it’ as an illustrator, I wasn’t making as much work as I could’ve…nor was I being commissioned for the work my heart longed for.

Much like my painting process, I’m building this career on both messy layers of uncertainty and enjoyment. I’m continuing to lay the foundations in washes of ambition, building on them with gentle strokes of patience, before carefully depicting an image of how I continue a career as an illustrator.

The layers, the mess, the ambiguous blobs - until they fabricate into a scene of sense, they allude any pair of eyes into thinking ‘where on earth is this going?’ But trust me…you must keep going.

The quiet periods scare everyone

but don’t let that deter you

Look, don’t get me wrong, working with legit clients and being paid the cha-ching is a glorious feeling. Striving for stability is one thing, but neglecting your vision in order to do so is another.

Time and time again I’ve clouded my artistic expression in the need to appear like I'm ‘making it’, normally for me that’s proving a consistent income…which, let’s be honest, is rare in this industry. Say you earn less this month to last, does that mean you throw in the towel? Wave the white flag? Surrender to the 9-5 office Gods because you haven’t been consistent?… ahem…no, (unless that’s really what you want).

You’ll feel trapped and stagnant if the only work you produce is when someone is willing to pay you for it. So I started asking myself what I want to make as opposed to what I should make. Funnily enough, it’s always been the art I create freely and out of sheer joy that has brought in the paid work.

To attract the jobs you want, start by making the art you love.

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Much like all my posts, these are merely my messy musings…that normally crop up whilst I’m painting. I share them in the hope to connect with you, offer reassurance and a gentle reminder. I love learning about others experiences so please free to message, comment or pass this post along.

Until next time,