Friday, March 4, 2011

You have to be there

Hello there, internet void.  Mandalin here.  Sorry it's been awhile since my last post. I've been battling deadlines and flu virus.  Season has also finally made its way to southwest Florida, so pirating has gotten busy again as well.  Speaking of being busy brings me to my point for this post-
You have to be there.
Getting work as an artist (especially freelance) is a pretty random process.  It comes down to being in the right place at the right time, with the right portfolio and YOUR CARD.  You never know when you are meeting a future client, so get comfy being in interview mode.  Work on your elevator speech (5 seconds) telling people about your style and recent work.  Quick and to the point is best. Overselling yourself comes across as desperate... (trust me, been there.)

I have to have a 'real job' to support myself until the art can, so off  a-pirating I go.  Okay, so few people would consider being an entertainer a real job, but the key for me is in multiple jobs.  I get to create my own schedule- but I'm also responsible for filling it.  When the pirating gets slow after season ends, I'll be looking to art and other things to round the income out a bit more... either way, I'll have more time to focus on alone time with the pencil.  Looking forward to that... 
Until then I'll be
Artfully yours,
Mandalin