Burnout Made Me Lazy

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Burnout made me lazy.  Here’s another admission; I suffered a bit of burnout at the end of 2014.  After things picked up and I started to make it out of the hard time I had been having with my business, I burned myself out.  I was juggling freelance work with an onsite contract assignment and when I ended that year on a bang, I was mentally and creatively pooped.

Financially, things were looking pretty good.  The contract assignment paid well and freelance work had picked up.  The two together were bringing in an income stream that I was pleased with.  Because I am pretty frugal and pretty particular on what I spend my money on, I was also able to save more money.  However, I had to be very rigid and disciplined with how I spent my time.  Time is something that we cannot make more of.  There are only 24 hours in a day and I had to maximize every waking hour in order to maintain both income streams.

As a creative, I need down moments to regenerate and dream new ideas.  It started to get a bit difficult to get inspired when inspiration time was scheduled and not something that happened organically.  Ready…set…go!  Brainstorm an awesome, creative idea now!  Yeah, no…not happening.

I thought I would be ready to return back to my blog by the end of that year, but no.  I was burned out and I decided to ease back on trying to get back to my writing and also to take on less freelance projects during the beginning of 2015.  January is usually pretty slow anyway so I figured it wouldn’t be a hard thing to do.  I once again stopped my marketing efforts and I allowed my burnout to make me super lazy.

Burnout made me lazy.  Because I had two income streams I severely slacked on one, my freelance design business, because I could fall back on the other.  I was still able to do the things I wanted, like travel, so I didn’t think it was too bad of a thing.  In fact I told myself that the rest and relaxation from going on vacation would rejuvenate me and I would return ready to dive in and jumpstart things.  Really, burnout made me lazy.  My return from each trip, never jumpstarted any serious motivation to “go hard” with my business.

Burnout made me lazy.  In previous years, I actively sought out freelance work.  I spent a considerable amount of time marketing myself, building connections and staying abreast on the latest marketing trends.  After the burnout, I stopped actively marketing, building and learning.  I still took on freelance work, but I didn’t actively seek it out.  Burnout made me too lazy to do so.

Now, I am trying to kick my laziness off of a cliff.  I have returned back to writing and actively marketing myself again.  I still do contract assignments, but I am only taking on short-term, part-time and remote work.  That’s giving me more time to focus on my freelance work and have those organic, inspiration periods of time.

Jumping back into things has shown me just how lazy I have become.  I am constantly trying to figure out how I was getting so much done/accomplished previously.  I didn’t even realize just how much I was doing until now.  I am not currently getting a quarter of the things I used to get done, done.  However, I know I will get there if I keep pushing and kicking lazy’s…fill in the blank.

Have you ever struggled with periods of laziness as an entrepreneur/business owner?  Has burnout ever made you lazy?

 

 

METAMORPHOSIS:: The Storytelling Process

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As promised, I have invited a couple of friends and colleagues to contribute to my blog, and today I present a guest post by my friend Vanessa, on her approach to the storytelling process.

My mind freezes in childlike wonder when someone tells me a good story. It can be a well-written song, a verbal story, design or painting. In that moment of sensory awareness, that one story is literally the most awesome thing that ever hit my brain. No matter what emotion I feel, the awesome factor intrigues me. It’s probably the same for you as well – we humans like being entertained.

You may not have ever given it much thought, but the reality is that a meaningful story is the simple, flawless presentation of an idea or occurrence. For all of you realists out there…maybe you should cover your ears and hum a peaceful tune through this part: the story doesn’t have to follow the laws of the universe.

Yup, you can dive into the exaggerated and ‘impossible.’ It doesn’t even have to follow chronological order. The effectiveness relies on it being genuine – even genuine randomness is allowed, because people want to feel something real. A story about pigs flying can actually be a great adult story…as long as it’s told in the right manner and causes some type of emotional shift.

So, what does this have to do with you? Well, chances are that you’re reading this blog because you’re working either directly or indirectly with people, and value that. If so, conquering the art of the storytelling process, whether you’re a copywriter, marketer/advertising agent, entrepreneur, or designer, etc. would be beneficial to you.

I’ve found that something really helpful is to understand that storytelling is a process of metamorphosis, and use that in your storytelling process. A great visual reminder would be to think of a caterpillar and the stages it goes through to become that beautiful butterfly while you’re prepping for your story.

For the best results, you should fully complete each step before going onto the other. Let’s have a look at them:

Stage 1: Turn Fear Into Curiosity (visualize the caterpillar)

Be open-minded. The caterpillar, bound to the ground throughout its life must first embrace the novel and possibly scary thought of being in a vulnerable state (cocoon), hopefully surviving it to see the world again – to soar into the sky (an unknown territory) as a butterfly one day. Be the caterpillar. Visualize your end goal, but let go of all preconceptions of what it should be, because ‘should’ is a barrier. Fearlessly wonder into unknown territories and allow your mind to be a blank canvas while giving yourself the permission to paint like a wild person.

Stage 2: Let Curiosity Inspire Thoughts (visualize the cocoon)

Just as the caterpillar encloses itself into it’s cocoon, it’s time for you to dive into your creative space. Now that you’re free from all limitations, begin to actually paint that canvas like a wild person, believing in your abilities and trusting your mind to project you forward into the best version of your end goal.

Stage 3: Mold Your Thoughts Into Ideas (visualize wings emerging from the cocoon)

The caterpillar, full of life begins to burst through a once enclosed cocoon. You too, are almost there. Your thoughts have carried you and you are in a wonderful place. You’re also bursting with life, ready to create something amazing. We’ve all been there…we see the end goal and we want to just run ahead, but our idea needs to be fully mature to get there. As hard as it may be to exercise patience, just remember that only a well thought out idea has the power to spread its wings to fly. Visualize the outcome you want and come up with great ideas to make it happen.

Stage 4: Make Your Idea Become Reality (visualize the beautiful, soaring butterfly)

It’s time to fly. That cocoon has served you well, and it’s now time to shake the remaining pieces off, spread your wings and soar into the experience. At this point, you should have a solid concept that you can run with. You should be able to implement it flawlessly from beginning to end.

And now, as you soar in confidence with your storytelling process, knowing that you have a solid foundation and structure, look around and observe all of the bright eyes gazing in awe of your presence…and storytelling.

 

Cheap Graphic Designers vs. Expensive Graphic Designers

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Have you searched for a graphic designer, noticed a wide range in pricing and wondered why?  If you haven’t had much experience working with or a firm understanding of graphic design, you may feel that some designers are charging exorbitant fees.  Especially when you can find cheap graphic designers doing what seems to be the same type of work for a lot less.  I promise the vast majority of designers are not trying get over on you with what may seem to be “high” prices.

Today, I am going to attempt to explain why there is such a variance in pricing and few pros and cons to using graphic designers from each end of that spectrum.

What does it take to become a graphic designer?

To start off, what does it take to become a graphic designer?  I am often asked how I got into this field and if I went to school for it.  For me, the answer is yes.  I did go to school to become a graphic designer and I didn’t go to an “art school.”  My journey to becoming a graphic designer took me through a graphic design bachelor’s degree program at the University of Alabama, in Huntsville.  However higher ed, or “college” is not the only route one can take to becoming a graphic designer.  It  may be an easier route of entry into the field, but by no means the only way.

There are a host of very talented and successful graphic designers that are self-taught.  Some took classes in high school that gave them an introduction into the field, and others dabbled in it on the side and turned it into a full-fledged second career.

When it comes to pricing, experience is the biggest determiner.

The more experience a graphic designer has, the higher the cost to hire them.  This is because you are literally paying for access to their knowledge base, skill level and expertise.  On a corporate level or ad agency level, the same can be seen in graphic design salaries.  School is great, but seeing and learning how what I learned in school translates to the real world is an experience of its own.

There is no way that everything I know now, could have been learned in those 4 years of college.  From paper stocks; printing methods; translating print to digital applications; how marketing principles and advertising factor into design; down to the nitty gritty nuances of local, federal and international regulations for things like packaging design.  Add to that the fast and changing pace of technology, and you have to be living and breathing this field all the time to keep up.

I’ve seen a lot of great work come from newer and less experienced designers and there are some that I think are on track to have excellent careers.  I would recommend them in a heart beat to someone that may have a budget that’s smaller and I have referred work over to them.  However, I also have seen more rookie-type mistakes made that can completely be attributed to experience level. It doesn’t make them a bad designer, they’re just less experienced and the likelihood that they will continue to make mistakes of that nature are slim.  You learn from experience.

This is why salaries for graphic designers range in the same way you see pricing models and rates range with freelancers.

Full-time freelancer vs. A part-time freelancer

You will also see a variance in pricing in regards to whether or not the graphic designer you choose is a full-time freelancer or a part-time freelancer with a day job.  Let’s be honest, the financial revenue needs of the full-timer are probably going to be higher than that of the part-timer.  The part-timer with a day job has another source of income, the day job.  The full-timer has a day job as well…their full-time freelance business.

The part-timer can afford to charge below market prices because they can make up their income needs with their day job.  The full-timer has to charge at least average market prices (in relation to their skill level), because this is how they eat and earn a living.  It is their day job.

There are pros and cons to hiring each.  With the part-timer, you can potentially hire a more experienced designer at a lower rate.  However because they have to work around their full-time day job, they may have less time available to work on projects.  Their turn around times may be slower than that of a full-timer and because they have to be mindful of how much work they can actually take on and do, there may be a waiting period to start your project.

The full-timer may be more expensive, but you may also get quicker turn arounds and have better access to them for questions and concerns.

The proof is in the portfolio

Whether you choose a “cheap” graphic designer or an “expensive” graphic designer, make sure to really sift through their portfolio and don’t be afraid to ask them questions about it.  Unfortunately there are some not so great designers that lift the work of others and place it in their portfolio as their own. If you see a difference in the quality of work through out a graphic designer’s portfolio, it could be an indicator that this is the case.  Ask them to tell you more about that particular project.  If they cannot tell you why they went in the direction that they did and background about the project, it’s probably not a project they actually did.

If you are looking at the portfolio of a designer that is less experienced and you are seeing work done for large brands, don’t dismiss this work as being something they lifted from another designer.  It may be conceptual work done in school or as an exercise to build and broaden their portfolio; they are showcasing what they are capable of doing.  If you ask them about it, they should be able to defend the piece and tell you about the project’s background and why they went in the design direction that they did.  It is a good indicator of what kind of work they could do for you.

A more experienced designer may also have more recognizable brand’s in their portfolio and some may not.  However the majority of the portfolio, if not all of it, will contain real produced pieces.  These portfolio pieces will give you an idea of the type of experience they have and industries, methodologies and constraints they have worked within.

Choose what’s best for you and your budget.

At the end of the day, you have to choose the right designer for your needs and budget.  If your budget is small and your need is immediate, your choices are going to be a bit limited.  However, it doesn’t mean that you cannot still end up with a quality design product.  You may just have to make a few sacrifices with the amount of time it may take to achieve it, the number of revisions necessary and you may need to exercise a little more patience.  Almost every designer wants to please and make the client happy (within reason).  No designer wants to make a crappy design and less experienced designers want portfolio worthy work to showcase their skills.

If you want a more experienced graphic designer and have a medium-sized budget, someone that freelances on the side may be a good fit for you.  They will be more expensive than their less experienced counterparts, but they may be cheaper than someone of the same skill-level or higher that freelances on a full-time basis.  It may be a little harder to get on their docket and for them to take your project on though.  If you have a quick turn-around need, they may not be able to fit the bill.  Because they have a “day job,” they have less available time than someone that does it full-time.  If you can be flexible with your timeline and turn-around expectations, this may be a good fit for you.

For the more experienced graphic designers, you are going to need a reasonable budget because they are going to be more “expensive.”  Think of it in terms of hiring a lawyer.  You can get a “cheap” lawyer, fresh out of school and eager to please, to handle your case and they may do a good job.  However, the more experienced lawyer that has handled hundreds of cases like yours may get you a better result.  There is a lot of knowledge gained with years of experience.  They have been tested and proven by every client before you.  The same is true for graphic designers.  If funding is an issue for you, ask if there are payment options available.  If the designer accepts online payments and credit/debit cards through Paypal, you can apply for a line of credit with Paypal.  It will pay the designer and allow you to make payments.

For all three:  the entry-level designer; mid-level designer; and senior-level designer, you can get good work.  Use your budget needs, their portfolio credit and client testimonies to make a decision on the best fit for you.  Hopefully, after reading this super long (sorry) post you have a better understanding on why some graphic designers are cheaper than others and what this can mean for you.

Why I like doing graphic design contract work

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When I went through a tough time with my design business, I decided to supplement my income by picking up graphic design contract work.  Working graphic design contract jobs was not something that was new to me.  I spent four years working for 3M as a designer in Atlanta…as a graphic design contractor.  Working as a contractor and for such a long period of time, gave me a bit of a confidence boost to launch into my freelance career on a full-time basis.

A lot of graphic designers do not necessarily enjoy graphic design contract work, but I do.  I think it depends on your reasons for doing so.

Graphic design contract work can be a launching point to start a career in graphic design; to gain experience in the field while studying graphic design in college; to fill in gaps during periods of unemployment; to land a full-time position or in my case, fill in gaps when freelance work is a bit slow.

If you are looking for a full-time, permanent position it can be a good starting point, but can be a bit frustrating.  There tends to be more short-term and long-term open-ended contract jobs than there are full-time, permanent placements.  At least that seems to be the case here in Atlanta.

If you are not looking for full-time, permanent work it can be profitable and sometimes a bit fun.  I like working as a graphic design contractor for the following reasons:

Change of Scenery

As a freelancer, I work out of my home office.  Everyday I see the same four walls.  I occasionally re-decorate my space…but it’s still those same four walls. #boring

The first graphic design contract gig I did since I started working as a full-time, freelancer, I literally told the client, “wow. It’s really nice to see something other than my same four walls!”  Being away from my home office and in a new work environment, felt like I was on a work field trip.

I know a lot of freelancers that work out of coffee shops or co-working spaces for this reason, but I have never really been able to do that and still be productive.  I think for me, being in a structured environment like when I am on a contract gig is the difference.  It’s like when I went back to school for my Master’s degree.  I knew I couldn’t do it online and needed a brick and mortar program because I needed the structure that comes with it.

I also find it interesting to see how different companies setup and design their work spaces…weird, I know.  These “work field trips” are like an interior office space design tour that I am being paid to be on.

Seeing What Others are Doing

Speaking of seeing how others are designing their work spaces, I also like seeing how they operate.  What are the business processes and workflows they are using or have developed?  Seeing what’s going on in my field in this regard first hand and in different business types and sizes is invaluable.

During my time so far doing graphic design contract work, I have actually adopted a few new processes and systems for my business that I observed to be useful.  I have also affirmed that a few of the processes I already use are good and need to remain in place.

Working as a freelancer and from home, keeps me in a bit of a bubble.  Doing contract work, takes me outside of that bubble and allows me to see new ways and perspectives that can benefit me with my business.

Finding Out How I Measure Up

That bubble that I am wrapped up in as a freelancer that works from home and often by myself…yeah, it keeps me from seeing the reality of where I really am from a skill and career level.  This is because I have no co-workers.  There is no one for me to make a direct comparison to from a working level.

I can browse portfolios online and look at work done by others, but there is something more that you can learn to make that comparison, by knowing and talking to those same people.

Before my contract Jr. Art Director gig with NCR, I thought I had the skill set necessary to do the job, but I didn’t know I did for sure until I landed the gig and started working.  I’ve done Art Direction work for clients and I have Art Directed and project managed projects, when I have sub-contracted some of my client work.  However, I did not feel like I had “officially” been an Art Director until I took on that contract position.

Now, I am o-ffic-ial. 🙂

Adding to my Skill Set

Working contract has also allowed me to add to my skill set in a couple of ways.  One, it has provided a little extra income that I can now devote towards paying for classes, training courses, etc, to continuously stay current in my field.

Two, opportunities sometimes present themselves on contract design jobs that challenge your current skill set.  For example, while at NCR, I worked on a project that came with a request to make an icon font based on Font Awesome.  I’ve never created a font before, but I was familiar with Font Awesome from my freelance web design work.

I told the client that I would do some research and let them know if it was something I could do.  After researching I determined that I could and I did.  That is something that I don’t believe would have happened with my freelance business.  I believe I would have turned that request down.

Now I can say that I know how to create an icon font…or I at least know a way to do so!

Hermit Prevention

I keep mentioning how I work from home, have no co-workers and see the same four walls day after day.  If I am not careful, this could potentially lead to me becoming a full-fledged hermit!  I’m also an introvert, so it can be a bit difficult to get me out and socializing from a personal perspective.

Working graphic design contract jobs, gets me out of the house and around people.

Enough said.

Easy Money

Because I prefer to take on short-term or part-time graphic design contract work, the work is not normally super labor intensive or has a tendency to be more production-based with templates and brand guideline restrictions.  A lot of designers find this type of work to be grueling or less desirable.

I see it as easy money.  I also see it as a way to stay sharp with skills that are not directly related to creativity.  If you don’t know the production side of things, you can easily conceptualize something that cannot be easily produced or produced within your client’s budget.  Doing production work keeps you sharp and knowledgeable in that regard.

It may not be “glorious,” but it’s necessary.

If you are a freelance creative professional, don’t be afraid to pick up contract work through a creative staffing agency.  You can still freelance, especially if you only take on short-term or part-time assignments.  It’s a way to learn and grow, all while making dough.  Hey, I just rhymed! I should become a rapper.  🙂

looking for a small business loan

Looking for a Small Business Loan?

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So it seems I may have inadvertently started a series (of posts) centering around what was going on when I went missing from my blog for a year.  I promise there are happy endings and learning lessons wrapped up in all of these posts. 🙂

When things got tough with my business, I started to pour more effort into some side projects that were still in the construction phase.  One of my side projects was an online store.  I have always wanted to create products based on my illustrations, artwork, photography and quirky sayings, but I hit a bit of a funding snag when things got super slow with my design business.  This lead me to start looking for a small business loan.

My original plan was to bootstrap the online store concept with funds from my design business.  To be completely honest, the idea for the store and for different product designs came about long before I actually tried to launch the concept.  The tough times that I was experiencing with my business served as a catalyst to try to bring the ideas to fruition.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.

While I would have preferred to self-fund the store myself, I just didn’t have the cash flow needed to launch in a short period of time.  Instead, I decided to try financing with a small business loan.

The biggest expense I faced with launching the store was trying out different print vendors with my designs.  I needed to purchase samples.  I needed to see who had the best quality and which designs worked best for printing.  This required money.

Looking for a Small Business Loan

The first thing I did was to turn to “the Google.”  I did a search for small business loans and a familiar name popped up…Kabbage.

A friend of mine that is an eBay and etsy store owner had told me about Kabbage a year earlier.  He had used their site to get a small business loan to purchase inventory and supplies for his business.  The way he explained it was that it was an easy process to qualify for funds and easy to pay back.

Before I clicked on the link to check out Kabbage, I called my friend to make sure they were still a legit source for him.  I also wanted to make sure that in the year since he had first told me about them, his experience was still favorable.  He told me he did still occasionally use the site and that he still felt it to be a good alternative to going to the bank.

So I went back to “the Google” and I clicked the link.

The process to sign-up was pretty easy and because my design business uses Paypal as a payment processor, it was easy for Kabbage to analyze my revenue.  I honestly can’t remember if it took a few minutes or a few days to determine how much I qualified for and I don’t want to lie by trying to venture a guess.  I do remember that it was a very easy process and once I knew how much I qualified for, gaining access to funds was immediate.

I ended up qualifying for more than I actually needed and I liked that Kabbage did not force me to take that entire amount.  I submitted the amount that I wanted to “withdraw” from the approved amount, and they gave me a list of terms and a time period to repay the funds.  I was given specific dates and amounts that would be withdrawn from the Paypal account that I had linked to Kabbage.  Once I gave my agreement/acceptance, the funds were immediately made available within that Paypal account.  This allowed me to use those funds right away.

Another bonus or thing that I really liked about Kabbage was that there was no penalty for repaying the loan early.  At any time, I could go in and submit a payment for any amount.  It would post to the principal and reduce the amount I owed on the next payment.  I paid my loan off prior to the term limit (6 months) for the original amount.  I did go back about a month later to withdraw some more money to cover advertising for the new store.

It has been a little less than a year since I last used Kabbage, but if I needed funding for my business again, I would definitely use them.  Since that time, I received a notification that the amount I qualify for has increased.  Although I don’t need it now, it’s good to know! 😉

If you are a digital or online business and you are looking for a small business loan, I would definitely recommend Kabbage.  Like with any loan, you do have to pay it back and in a timely fashion.  So if this is something you struggle with, I think you should put your idea on hold.  If you can handle making payments, or just need an advance on funds, Kabbage may be what you are looking for in a small business loan.

I would like to note, that my experience with Kabbage is my experience and was favorable to me.  I also would like to note, that I am not being paid to write about my experience, although I was encouraged to do so by a Kabbage rep for a campaign they are doing to get the word out about their services.  With that said, no compensation has been given, no promises of exposure and no affiliate links appear in this post.  Just my two cents. 🙂