Freelancer Profile: Julia Green
Julia Green
Boise, Idaho
juliagreenillustration.com
Q: Tell me a little about your freelance background (how you got started, how long you've done it, etc)
A: As an artist, freelancing is a pretty common way of working, and especially if you still have a day job, art/design related or not, work doesn't always come in super frequent and freelance is a great way to take on fun and interesting projects if you aren't freelancing full time. I began taking on projects before I even graduated college in 2010 with a BFA in Illustration. Because I consider myself more of an illustrator than a designer, and because the Boise market is small, I knew that I would most likely not have a day job related to what I wanted to do for a living but would have to take on projects while working a regular job so I could pay my bills and live comfortably. But in 2012 I got a design job at Whole Foods and it was a great mix of really easy and interesting design and illustration and lettering with hand-drawn chalk signs all over the store. I was in this job for 5 years before I was completely burnt out and wanting to spend more and more of my day actually doing what I love and doing what would best utilize my expertise. I decided to jump into freelance full-time in September of 2017 when one of my regular clients asked me to be on retainer for just 20 hours a month. That was enough of a buffer that I felt like I could easily get additional design and illustration jobs to make up the rest of the income I needed a month. It also helped that I was able to be added to my partner's health insurance unmarried as a life-partner since he and I have been together for so long.
“Try to save up as much money from your current day job before you make the leap. I saved up about 5 months worth of income before I left, but I wish I had saved up just a little but more.”
Q: What do you wish you would have known when you started freelancing?
A: I wish there was a guide to taxes. Taxes are such a beast and especially for creatives, it can get really messy and confusing.
Q: What are three key pieces of advice for students considering freelancing?
A: Three key pieces of advice are:
Figure out your expenses and how much you need to make a month and then add on 30-50% to account for taxes and additional bills.
Figure out your health insurance. It's important to be healthy and have options for healthcare when needed.
Try to save up as much money from your current day job before you make the leap. I saved up about 5 months worth of income before I left, but I wish I had saved up just a little but more.
“Freelance is a great way to take on fun and interesting projects if you aren’t freelancing full time”
Q: What were the best parts and the biggest challenges?
A: The best parts have been seeing my illustration and art grow and having the time to commit to making myself a better illustrator. I also love being able to work when I want and not having a super set schedule, especially because I am a night owl and have worked early jobs for the last 15 years. Biggest challenges is not getting sucked into distractions and not being super hard on yourself if you have slow income months or send out a lot of bids only to not hear back from anyone.
Q: Can you recommend any resources for people wanting to start freelancing (books, blogs, local groups, etc)?
A: I really only know of mostly art and design related resources:
Art, Inc.: The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist, Book by Lisa Congdon
Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines
Creative Pep Talk Podcast by Andy J Pizza
Non-design related:The Six-Figure Freelancer Academy Facebook Group and Web Course