Living a freelance lifestyle is no cake walk. Anyone who tells you otherwise isn't being honest. There are plenty of perks to wanting to go rogue and be your own boss. But there are plenty of pitfalls and uncertainties along the way as well.Sometimes, things just get plain bad. You have a dry spell, a difficult client, you aren't paid well or on time, etc.Being an entrepreneur for a lot of people is also a huge leap in self-confidence. Sounds like a great time, but taking full responsibility for sourcing your own income takes a huge leap of faith, and often doubts about yourself will come flying out of the woodwork.This is all completely normal and understandable. Because if you
I wanted to write today about a subject that is very close to my heart. It's a universal trait that all humans share, and which almost everyone struggles with throughout their lives. However for professional creatives, it tends to be a need that is a bit louder, a bit more pervasive in everyday life. One of my good friends says this is probably because professional creatives tend to be a bit more emo about things. They're more aware of it overall. I would agree that this is probably true.I'm talking about an inner struggle that I like to call Feeding the Beast. The Beast exists in everyone, and its demands seem to be simple; work on something you are invested
Big animation companies do it, large and small game studios do it, and it's something that has always baffled me with long term business planning for companies. Outsourcing is still a large issue in the animation industry, companies outsource for a few reasons that are good in the short term, but which ultimately lead to a lot of issues and long term problems, all in the quest to save money and make as much profit as possible when they can.I'm a small business owner so I get the appeal of cheap labor, but many companies don't focus on the long term issues that come from outsourcing overseas to places with lower wages, lower skill, and the long term affects on
Lessons on Starting a Career in Animation
Today I thought I'd write about how I got started as an animator and what some of the things are I've learned about breaking into the industry as an artist, as well as some lessons I wish I had known before I attended art school.I got started in animation when I was 8, if we really want to go way back. I was always fascinated by cartoons, and I had already been drawing and writing stories for years at this point. The passion basically was already there, but I realized at this age I had no idea how animation was made, and I wanted to know.I eventually went to Art School in Minneapolis and graduated with a degree in Animation.
I thought I'd write a little today about the role that physical health has in my line of work and why it's important to me. I work out regularly, usually five days a week in the morning for around 20 minutes to 40 minutes depending on the morning and what my workload is.The reason I do this during the week and always in the morning before I work is because of a number of factors:1) It wakes me up and literally gets my blood pumping into my brain.2) I feel happier, less stressed out, less negative about my upcoming day.3) I'm able to focus really well immediately when I do start working.4) I'm less hungry later and able to focus