The Freelance Transition

I was recently checking out Emma Kisstina/Kristina Hultkrantz’s Skillshare classes and freelance life pie charts and decided to share a bit of my journey with this as well. Going full-time freelance was not something that happened overnight. It’s been a gradual transition over a few years to change the slices of pie in order to suit and support the vision that I have.

Here is what two years of semi-full Freelance life has looked like for me:

Australia does their financial and tax year from July to June, so that is why these charts start and begin from those dates. It’s the only data I have. It’s a bit tricky to get a real sense for 2020 because I had two months of freelance gigs lined up in China and Japan which were cancelled. In-person teaching was cancelled for a few months as well as hospital visits with Inscape Tasmania. I was extremely lucky to have other options.

Here is a little bit more about each category:

Supportive Income/Keshet: I worked at Keshet Design in Hobart for several years. I started with about 4 days a week and gradually reduced my days and hours as I gained traction in other areas. At the end of 2019, I officially resigned. It’s important to have a supportive income while on the journey towards freelance so some of the financial pressure is reduced. I was lucky enough to have a supportive income as a creative art director so I used my skills in that area of my life too.

Teaching: Before moving to Hobart I was a full-time teacher in a school. My pie chart was about 90% teaching and 10% freelance and gigs during the Summer vacation. When I moved to Hobart with the intention of eventually going freelance, I serendipitously found an opening at The Nolan Gallery where a former teacher of theirs had just moved to New York City. I initially taught three sessions per week with some workshops and things here and there. I still teach there with reduced classes and love the students that I get to interact with regularly. It’s an important part of my pie because it is SOCIAL. Freelance life does not often incorporate dealing with people face to face.

Inscape Tasmania: I could categorize this as a freelance gig, but I feel like it deserves a category of its own, especially because I have regularly worked for this organisation for a few years. This work feeds my soul and is an important part of the pie chart. It’s also important to recognise that this is a paid job and not volunteer work. I only do this once or twice a month and it’s just the most wonderful job an illustrator could ever have.

Books/Advances/Royalties: This includes anything involving books from work for hire situations, advances for book contracts, and royalties for published books of the past. It’s certainly hard to predict this category each year, but it’s the one I’ve been focused on growing. I work with a wonderful agent, Claire at Painted Words, and without her, I would not have received such wonderful offers. This piece of the pie significantly grew when we sold my graphic novels in a three-book deal. Not only does it grow the chart, but it means that this pie piece will stay for a few years as I create the rest of them.

Things that are so insignificant that I wouldn’t include in a chart: Sales from my website, Redbubble, Society6 and Spoonflower where people can buy work of mine on various surfaces and objects.

Anyway, thanks to Emma Kisstina Illustration/Kristina Hultkrantz for inspiring me to do this. Anyone else out there pie charting their freelance life? I would love to see it.