063: What’s work for an illustrator?

🧧Gong Xi Fa Cai, Happy Luna New Year. I miss you family!

I was thinking about the things I consider work, and ended up with this list. I then took some time to order this list. I think it’s to much to tackle at once, so lets do this as a series.

What you consider ‘work’ as a freelancer is different for everyone. But the way I think about it, is I need all these parts working at at least a 7 out of 10, or the whole thing falls apart. And ideally I’m aiming for 8 or 9.

The list is created in order of importance. The things earlier in the sequence in most cases effect the things that come after it. The job of illustrating for me is to maintain these ten activities at a 7 out of 10 score.

1. Enthusiasm

2. Communicating

3. Family/Home Stuff

4. Designing and maintaining a path or a system

5. Filling the Creative Jug

6. Learning In Real Life

7. Composing/Revising (illustrating)

8. Connecting

9. Growing Platform

10. Marketing/Promoting

If I was starting from scratch.

I would get my enthusiasm up to an 8 or a 9, Then I would work on my communication so I could communicate that enthusiasm. I would make sure the state of my home/family life is at an 8 or 9, then i would go about working on a plan/system. That plan must include ways to fill the creative jug and regular learning opportunities.

Now comes the work of illustrating, which is not a once and done, but continual revising and improving. I will connect with peers and mentors to get guidance and momentum. I’ll write down what I’m learning positioning myself first as enthusiastic student, then eventually expert.

And I will use this platform to market and promote my work.

Working this way, I will not become diminished, because the work includes renewal and growth, it’s a virtuous cycle that keeps moving upwards. At times, I might need to over invest in certain areas, but as soon as possible the job then becomes to keep everything at a working condition.

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🍷🎟 Every Monday, I send out a newsletter to everyone and paid subscribers get additional detail about how I personally go about my work. This Monday will be about how I built a colour palette, but I’m thinking I’ll use the subsequent ones to cover each of the 10 topics above. If that’s something you might be up here’s how you get on the list.