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What's so unmarketable about your personal work? I'm just curious. If what you enjoy working on is somehow outside the bounds of marketability, maybe you should seek out novel ways to monetize the stuff you really like to do.
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Jan 24, 2017 01:58
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| # ¿ May 9, 2024 22:53 |
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gmc9987 posted:The big nerve-wracking things about freelance, though, are A. inconsistent income from month to month, and B. taxes and lack of paid time off (at least if you're stateside, we get some tax breaks and paid parental leave where I am).  I can't remember who it was who noticed the big indie comics community in Canada being made possible by glorious  single payer. Thank your lucky stars daily if you are not an American!
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Apr 24, 2017 14:34
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I do animation n' things but I don't live in L.A. and most likely never will. I am married and pretty settled in my home town. I know there are some elite east-coast folks who are good enough to call some shots and work remotely, but that's unlikely to be me at this point. I get a bit frustrated when I see and hear about the steps to "breaking into the animation business" when step 0 really seems to be, live in or move to a city that has an animation industry. But I guess that's how it is in every industry, right?
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May 12, 2017 19:39
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Nessa posted:A designer friend of mine suggested I do some unpaid internships and free work for non-profits to get more experience, though all the internships I have been seeing lately have been student only positions. Is this a good idea? Should I just try to find a company I like and ask to work there for free for a few months or ask to design things for a non-profit? Any company that takes your work for free will never respect you enough to pay you. 
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Jun 13, 2017 21:53
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I don't want to sound discouraging, but I sincerely believe that your best option is to find a job that is not first-and-foremost a graphic design job. Instead, try to find a decent full-time job in an industry you can tolerate, which might require some graphic design skills as part of the overall job. For example, you might find a job in the marketing department of a company. Most of the time you won't be doing design, but a ton of job descriptions now say stuff like "Adobe CC knowledge a plus," as if it's like a step up from MS Office. If you have real design skills, this can make you more competitive to get the job, even though it isn't strictly a design position. I've been doing graphic design in a professional capacity for over ten years. This work has been a combination of design work that grew out of non-design jobs, and freelance side projects to supplement. When I survey the market, I could not be happier with this state of affairs. The stability of this arrangement means that I can choose freelance projects that look good to me, and not have to take every gig or eat poo poo just to live. In my case, a steady full-time job is absolutely essential because health insurance in the US costs $$$$$dollars. You might be able to find a good balance with a part-time job or a combination of part-time jobs. But the hustle of full-time freelancing will take years off your life, and full-time design positions are effectively extinct for all but the most elite. I know whereof I speak from another angle as well, since both my parents are graphic designers and I grew up in a "freelance family." That really put the fear of God into me at a young age, because I watched my parents have to chase clients for money, never get time off, live in a feast-or-famine scenario, and have to pay for tons of extra insurance and taxes and poo poo. (again, may not apply to you as much in but still)
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Jun 14, 2017 12:26
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| # ¿ May 9, 2024 22:53 |
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Yes. Maybe look into marketing. Lots of companies need people (particularly younger people) to get their marketing stuff into the 21st century. MANY businesses and non-profits have been left behind and have, say, only a Facebook page as their online presence. If you can make a web site and design a thing, and you understand how the Internet works, it can matter more than having a business-related degree. Also, you write well enough (judging by your posts) that you could be writing copy for things like that. Don't be discouraged by job "requirements" (unless they're highly technical like driving a forklift or having a CS degree). Most job ads are bullshit. Apply anyway. It doesn't hurt you to do so. Are there any local businesses or industries that you'd like to learn about? Anything you're genuinely curious about working on?
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Jun 14, 2017 19:23
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