Happy New Year and a warm welcome back to #FreelanceLife!
We hope you had a wonderful and well-deserved break these past few weeks and feel ready to face the next year of Freelance. We are wasting no time and getting straight back into the Freelance action with a wonderful Graphic Designer and Creative Artworker, Kevin.
After graduating from Norwich School of Art and Design, Kevin has over 11 years working in-house for creative agencies designing and artworking before finding his feet in Freelance 2 and a half years ago. He says, "I sometimes collaborate with a collective of other talented creatives depending on the clients brief. Staying in-touch with web developers, photographers, copywriters and illustrators has helped me keep an open-mind and given me an eclectic pool of inspiration I can draw upon."
Over to you Kevin...
1. What is your favourite thing about being a Freelancer?
The main thing would be the variety of work. Compared to agency life where you could be working on just 2-3 accounts – freelancing brings lots of different agencies with national and international brands on their books and that mixed with my own clients certainly keeps me on my toes.
2. What is your least favourite thing about being a Freelancer?
I’m sure most creatives will feel the same about this but certainly the admin side. Sending and chasing invoices is a pain. But it’s got to be done to get paid!
3. What skills are essential for a Freelancer?
You have to be a quick learner as sometimes as a freelancer you can be drafted in halfway through a project with an urgent deadline. Being able to ask the right questions to understand the brief (if in fact you have been given a brief in the first place!) is always beneficial in this instance. Multi-tasking is also a required skill. Answering emails. Chasing payments, or print quotes while being focused on the job in-hand.
4. On average, what time do you start and finish work? How does your day map out?
On the agency side, it can be like a typical 9-5 job if they have booked you for a few days or even weeks. When working remotely I often start about 10am and start with the more admin type things I need to do like replying to emails, getting print quotes etc. I feel more creative in the evenings so tend to leave that to the latter part of the day which can finish anytime between 9pm and 3am the next morning.
5. How often do you work remotely?
With agencies, it’s generally always on-site as you need to be involved with the team closely often. The remote work I do is for my own clients which can take up evenings and weekends during agency bookings. I try to keep this quieter for longer bookings though so I can get a bit of a break!
6. What do you wish someone had told you when you were starting out?
To try and focus on what you want to do as early as you can. If you want to do branding or packaging design, make your portfolio all about what you want to do and the type of clients/agencies you want to work with.
7. Would you ever consider going for a permanent position?
Freelancing is a great way to try jobs out if you’re looking for a permanent position. You can see if you feel comfortable with the team you work with and even things like the commute. I’m quite happy with the volume of work, variety of work and bookings I’m getting at the moment so no plans to leave the freelance world. It also feels like freelancing is becoming a more popular option to employers as they can just hire people as and when they need as opposed to taking on new permanent staff and making a loss in the quieter periods.
8. What is the standout memory from your Freelance Career?
The most standout moment for me would be the step I took to be a freelancer. When I mentioned I was going freelance during my last full-time job, I had a few doubters that I could actually stick it out saying it was a tough game. And here I am almost 3 years later, with the last year being my busiest by far. When an agency or client calls you back to work with them again is a great feeling, as it shows you’ve made a lasting impression with your work you’ve provided and they like having you around the place. Some agencies will have a roster of freelancers they go to all the time when needed. So if you can be reliable like that then you’re onto a winner.
9. What song best represents your Freelance state of mind?
Oasis - Whatever. Because I’m free to be whatever I choose!
What a fantastic way to kick off 2018's #FreelanceLife I'm sure you'll agree. If you want to work with the wonderful Kevin get in touch with us now.
Next up this year to share their #FreelanceLife is Kat, a super designer who previously reviewed a Glug Birmingham event for us so be sure to keep an eye out for that. You can also find the previous 4 chapters of #FreelanceLife via the blog as well as a special Winter Advice edition.
As always if you want to get involved and share your experience, we would love to hear from you!
