Don’t be afraid to ask for more than you think your work is worth. Sure, you might lose the odd client, but if you double your rates and lose half your clients, you’re still making the same amount of money. And you’re working half the amount of time.
3. Resell your stuff over and over When you design a logo that gets rejected (which is likely the best one you did anyways) resell it on Envato or Creative Market. All those photos you take are also worth something to someone. Sell them on iStockphoto or create your own site to sell them.
5. Prove your art has value I believe everything we create should bring value to people. The art hanging on my wall has value. The song I listen to has value. The software I use has value. The keyboard I’m typing on has value. And they were all created for a purpose. The more value you give people, the more you will make. If people don’t find worth in what you do, change what you do. Keep records of what works and doesn’t work. Clients need to know that what they are investing in will bring value — whether it’s a painting on the wall or website they need to make money from. Make sure you have data, testimonies and case studies to show that your ideas work.
Art isn’t art if no one likes it. If you take offense to the rejection, you will never improve. The website you've just created can be changed slightly, made into a template and sold on themeforest.net or the song you didn’t include in your album can be used in an indie film or in a commercial. My friend who was a set designer for commercials told me of how his director would often use left over film to shoot stock footage. Which they later resold. In their book Rework, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson talk about reselling your stuff two or three times over in different formats. Turn your best blog posts into a paid training series or a book.
4. Rejection and failure are part of the process Almost every artist I know could be described as sensitive and emotional. This makes great art, but it doesn’t exactly help when you’re trying to make a living. Or when everything fails and your ideas are rejected. You can’t take things personally. Earnest Hemmingway said, “The first draft of anything is shit.” If your idea is rejected, make it better. Ask why they didn’t like it. Art isn’t art if no one likes it. If you take offense to the rejection, you will never improve. Instead, try to apply the advice and think objectively about the criticism they give you.
6. Focus on what’s important You’re never going to make it if you’re not serious about what you do. It’s hard to be focused, stay on task, and get to the important things. But you have to do the important work first. Don’t check emails. Don’t constantly post on Facebook, check your Twitter or look at the latest Instagram. Seth Godin says you always need to be creating and doing the work that is making you money. Otherwise it’s just a hobby. And you should go work for someone else.
7. Just do it The reality is you can make it as a creative person. So stop playing and do the work. My own story has been more about failure than success, about good ideas that should have worked, but didn’t. I’ve had more accidental successes than strategic ones. The only difference between me and those who haven’t been as successful as me? I haven’t given up. I’ve done the work and I’ve gotten better. I’ve made so many mistakes it’s laughable. But I’m still here. Still creating. Still providing for my wife and soon to be five kids. And still doing what I love.
Is your journey taking you where you need to go? Why wait?
be change.
Rocky Mountain College Calgary, Alberta • 1.877.YOUnRMC www.rockymountaincollege.ca convergemagazine.com | 9