Getting Freelance Work

[Stevenwhoward]

I was curious about where some of the ways that all of you 1. did to start out getting your first freelance work. and 2. ways or places you generally search or use to get future freelance work.
Have you found that most of your clients find you? I'm assuming that starting out there was probably a lot of searching for work (as that's what I'm trying to do now as I need to get work soon), but as time and work progressed did you have to search as much? I know some of these questions would depend on each of your scenarios, but I think it'd be interesting to hear what most of the freelancers do to keep busy and be able to pay off the bills.
Lastly, are there any sites, like Flickr, that many technical illustrators post up their work to advertise for jobs?

[Don Cheke]

I was curious about where some of the ways that all of you 1. did to start out getting your first freelance work. and 2. ways or places you generally search or use to get future freelance work.
Have you found that most of your clients find you? I'm assuming that starting out there was probably a lot of searching for work (as that's what I'm trying to do now as I need to get work soon), but as time and work progressed did you have to search as much? I know some of these questions would depend on each of your scenarios, but I think it'd be interesting to hear what most of the freelancers do to keep busy and be able to pay off the bills.
Lastly, are there any sites, like Flickr, that many technical illustrators post up their work to advertise for jobs?

Hi Steven,

It seems to me like you are looking for a formula for success as a freelance illustrator but I don't think you will find one. What works for someone won't likely work for another and vice versa. Half the fun (and stress too) comes from finding one's own way. It makes the whole journey that much sweeter.

But… it is okay to share as well - as long as you remember to make your own map. Some things that I have seen that have made a difference may or may not be part of your makeup already.

Skill - obviously having a noticeable quality of work is important. From what I have seen in your work so far you are indeed skilled. But don't think that there is no room for improvement. We can all develop a greater skill. I know that if I look back on earlier work that I thought was great at the time I can see just how wrong I was. The farther along I travel, the better my work has become (IMHO). Don't be afraid to experiment and think outside the box. Experiment continually to expand your skill level. Practice, practice, practice. Be open to change and genuine critique too. One can learn a lot from viewers, clients, family and friends if they know you are open to honestly – but remember that much in this regard is subjective.

Be comfortable with not owning your work. What I mean by this is that if your are working for someone else allow yourself to create what they want and be able to let go of the results. Don't take seemingly illogical requests personally. If you are like most creatives you feel that your works are like your children and they mean the world to you. This is great when you are doing projects for yourself, but it can be bad news when you are working for others. Hurt feelings can be real road blocks to success.

Be unique enough to initially get noticed but be able to mimic others so that if they say "I want something like this" you can deliver. Once you have a foot in the door you will find that your uniqueness can be presented at appropriate times. Sometimes it will be welcomed, sometimes it will not.

Believe in yourself, give your all – everyday, pound the pavement (on a daily basis) and never give up on yourself. There is no point along the way when effort is not required because all projects eventually end and as a freelance you must always be planning for the next day. There is no real security, but you will be more secure if you are always making an effort. Having faith doesn't hurt either. Try to create a following and a large number of contacts in your community (real face to face contacts in the city you live). On-line community is okay, but it is still no where as important as real world contact. Volunteer your illustration services in your community – it is giving and it creates some of those contacts.

My 'success' came by having something unique in an area where competition was minimal. I found that the skill I had as a CAD tutorial writer was unmatched anywhere – no one seemed willing to create full projects tutorials (keystroke by keystroke) because of the time involved to create them. But I took the challenge because it seemed the right thing and they have (to date) been welcomed on a scale large enough that I am encouraged to continue writing in this fashion.

All of my CAD work and then graphic illustration work came about from people finding me through my active website. Lots of galleries means lots of images – and Google image searches bring quite a number of visitors to my site. A good number have made contact over the years, some of which have become long term clients.

[Stevenwhoward]

Thanks Don!
Yeah, I completely understand that I will have to develop my own way to get the work I want to get or at least a good paying job to pay off my future student loans. Hearing others advice and experiences just helps as different things others have done or experienced might inspire me on how to do things in ways I didn't think to do before. Thanks for all the advice!