Artist Update: Poster Design Freelance

from my instagram @cindydesigns

Hello!

Real! Freelance Friday!

Decide on something catchy or sweet to say on your promo cards to get them interested ...or atleast reading.   ✔
Personalize the back of the card (the message area) to make it feel more inviting and less like an advertisement.  ✔
Get it printed. ✔
Find clients.

Ok, so I have my cards ..I am just having some trouble deciding on who exactly to send it to.  I was thinking to send them EVERYWHERE!  The SKYS the LIMIT! Which is, true ...but I only have a certain amount of cards that I got printed so I want to make sure I'm sending them away to a business that is right.

I may have some ideas ..I MAY being the operative word there.  I don't know why; I feel excited to get this going but nervous at the same time.  I don't know how this will turn out.  No one may contact me asking for something .....but SOMEONE might.

I think this is what is holding me back from really sitting down and making an actual list of places to send the cards too.  Not just the fact that I may not get any clients but the fact that I might get ONE.  What'll happen then?  I've been to college; I've taken a business class, many design courses where we talk about clients but the thing is.. this is REAL.  Something that I REALLY want to do and I am actually finding a way to do it.  Normally I would have stopped and given up at this point, which I have in the past.  I have some old business cards to prove it.  

I just have to force myself to keep going with it because I know it's something I really want to do and try.


Happy Friday!!



Cindy

Is there something that might be holding you back?

...getting it printed: Freelance Friday!

Well, hello there my dear readers!

I didn't really put many posts up this week; when I got home from work, I was mostly concentrating on getting promo cards ready to be sent to the printer.

I'm doing this!

No backing down!

Well, I could but then I'd have wasted some money on getting these cards printed.  I won't show you the design yet... I'll wait for it to come in, which should be in about a week!

EXCITED.

I usually get things printed on a website one of my teachers actually mentioned quite a few years ago.  It's pretty affordable-- which is awesome but sometimes they do get you with shipping.  I have noticed, though, they tend to have lots of deals;  especially on business card printing!

The problem I am having now is finding a way to reach potential clients.  I'm googling and googling but not having too much luck on where to start.

I'm sure I'll think of something soon.  Any tips, feel free to contact me!

Have a happy Friday!

I'll try to have more posts up next week. :)

Cindy


p.s.  so who watched American Idol this week?! So glad it's back.  I call it a 'love/hate relationship' of a tv show.
I kind of tweet about it a lot so tweet me if you'd like to join in the Idol talk when it's on! [@cindydesigns]

Freelance Friday!

Why, hello everyone!

Since I have been inspired to look more into freelancing, I thought I would share some tips I have found helpful.  Now let's see how long I keep this as I regular Friday post... Any wagers?

I've always been curious on how someone would start working in freelance design but it has always intimidated me a bit.  So to make sure that I don't get too overwhelmed and back out, here is a list that I put together of a few things that I need to do to get started.  I did some research to get ideas!

Here we go.

• A portfolio website fit with a domain name. ✔

• Make some promo cards. 
• Why not business cards?  Well, I want to mail these to potential clients and promo cards can be about the size of a postcard.  Business cards are nice ...but too small for my idea.

• The thing with promo cards ...you have to make them stand out or it'll be mixed with the 'junk' mail... We don't want that. So I've been writing and sketching out some ideas and catchy sayings.  


• What do you guys think?  Should these cards have a catchy saying on it?  Or just a wicked cool look? 


• Make a list of potential clients.
• I've only wrote down a few types of places I want to research.  I'll get more into specifics when I'm ready.

So far this is my list.. starting out small and hopefully in a few weeks, I'll be a bit closer!
I'll update you all next Friday on the progress.

Happy Friday!  Keep those goals in site and keep trying.

Cindy

This is where I did my research from.
source: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/03/16/how-to-create-a-promotional-snail-mail-campaign/
source: Google. 

Why so intimidating, freelance?

I've done research on freelance.  I've googled what you need to do first, to freelance.  So why does freelance sound so scary and intimidating?

I mean, you can be your own boss and make your own hours. The hurdle you just have to jump first is getting your name out there.  Sounds easy, right?  Maybe it is, but scary.  

I don't know if you have read designlovefest's post on how those girls recently answered what made them go freelance.  It's a great read, if you want to check it out.  Gives you some insight how other people have done it, one keeping a full time job and freelancing on the side and the other freelancing as a whole.

Maybe in the future when the opportunity arises, I may take baby steps into it. 

Are you a freelancer? Do you have any sort of advice for me and anyone else thinking about going into it?