Humour, anger, passion and quirks – life at the sharp end as an arts freelancer
Christina Lister, comms and marketing consultant
(@christinalister)
I embarked on a freelance career two years ago. It was something I’d always wanted to do. After working for an agency and in-house teams, I was keen to use my experience on a broader range of projects. I focus on marketing and audience development consultancy for museums, heritage sites and cultural venues: developing strategies and undertaking audits, running training and facilitating workshops, and delivering campaigns.
It’s one of the best career decisions I have made. I love the diversity of the work and feeling I can make a real difference to the different and inspiring people and projects I’m so lucky to work on. As a consultant I can provide an outside perspective to organisations and unbiased advice, without being bogged down or involved in any internal politics. A huge plus is also being able to work flexibly (but not less!) to better fit in with my two young children.
I surrounded myself with people who didn’t shy away from criticising my work … I developed faster because I listened
Ben Tallon
What are the issues that affect me as a freelance arts professional? For one, a regular salary isn’t guaranteed; you constantly have to be on the lookout for new business and must prove yourself to win it, which is nerve-racking if you go through a quiet spell. You’re also responsible for every aspect of your business (computing, accountancy and so on) even though these might not be your forte. Having an IT helpline number is something I definitely miss.
In terms of the arts specifically, contracts seem more likely to be project-based and shorter-term when I compare them to the retained contracts I used to see five or 10 years ago.
My top tips
Know your unique selling points: Be clear on what services you offer and what your strengths and experience are, so clients know who you are. Know your sector as well, so you can understand the demand for your services. Specialising in a sector and some core services has paid off for me.
Be proactive: Proactivity keeps you and your offer current; trends and technology are constantly evolving. Look at tender and industry sites, embrace social media, go to networking events, speak at events and read, listen and talk to others.
Make time for marketing: Make sure you set aside time to market yourself, even during busy spells, to maintain a presence in your sector.
Invest in training: Self-funding my first training course earlier this year was a big step, but I researched it well so felt confident it would be worth it. It was incredibly rewarding, not just in terms of new skills that I could use straight away, but also just in terms of having two days away from the desk, chatting to interesting people and getting some perspective and ideas for future work.
Develop a network: Get to know other freelancers so you can give each other advice, bounce ideas off one another, refer work and potentially collaborate. In my closest freelance network are designers, photographers, outreach and education consultants, project managers and evaluators.
Ben Tallon, illustrator and author
(@BenTallon)
I’ve worked for six years as a full-time freelance illustrator and more recently, an art director in music, film and TV. On the whole I love it; drawing has been a hobby since childhood and has led me to work for dream international clients, such as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and the Premier League.
That said, the bad days can be very bad, especially when a personal passion is paying the bills. Sometimes you’ll tell yourself: I’m awful; what am I doing with my career? Why did I take that job for that fee?
What really helps is the solidarity with the thousands of others going through these issues in different locations and in various ways. Finances are always an issue. Cash flow, especially in London, can be quite daunting to say the least.
Job security is non-existent for the illustrator. Teaching, writing op-eds and learning on the job as an art director have added a fragile layer of security, however motivation, energy levels and creativity are not things you can switch on (yet they’re required in abundance). Thanks to advances in technology, people are able to take a photo, make a movie or do a drawing, so the competition field is bigger than ever. It doesn’t mean they’re all good, but it’s harder to stand out, so you constantly have to be on your toes, begging, stealing and borrowing. Freelancing in the arts is Darwinian.
Self-employed in the arts: the good, the bad and the future
Susan Jones
Read more
My top tips
Work very, very hard and cram as much of your personality into your creative output as possible. In an age when we face so much competition, it’s getting harder to be noticed. Individuality, originality and character will stand out from the crowd, and the styles that achieve that notability will often pack your humour, anger, passion and quirks.
Follow what you love and make it known: It was my love of sport that got me a foot in the door with my earliest clients. I made personal connections and impressions with the right people by not being afraid to show them I had gone out of my way to create relevant work that would ultimately make their life easier. I created images that made me laugh, which in turn drew a reaction from potential clients. It really is worth doing your homework and finding out what a client needs.
Who you know is crucial: But to know them, they have to like you, what you do and they need to know you’re for real. It’s not as if you’re handed an address book. These relationships take time, money and self-belief to build. I surrounded myself with honest people who didn’t shy away from criticising my work and I developed faster because I listened. Too many people are brittle and susceptible to being told their work is not perfect. You need an iron chin and a stronger resolve in the arts.
Let people know you exist: It’s too easy to spend all your time creating new work and posting it on your site, but if nobody knows it’s there, they won’t come looking. My over-persistence angered people, but for every one who asked me to stop making contact, there was someone who responded positively to my determination. This industry’s built on opinion, full of all kinds of characters, so not everyone will like who you are or what you do, so help yourself by finding that out and being nice to people along the way. These are basic people skills, but when the going is tough, it is easy to forget them.
Ben Tallon is author of Champagne and Wax Crayons
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