Creative Boom

SEPTEMBER 17, 2023

Image licensed via Adobe Stock When clients ask you to graft for nothing in return for "exposure", be very wary. It's a great time to be a creative freelancer. But in truth, promises of exposure or future paid work rarely materialise in ways that benefit the freelancer. We explain the downside of working for free.

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Freelance Freelance Client Education 518

Creative Boom

FEBRUARY 22, 2022

Particularly as your clients may also be feeling the pinch as the economic situation worsens. After all, most of the time, our freelancer bank accounts are empty. Getting paid in full and on time often feels like a job in itself, and it's as much about organising our own affairs properly as it is chasing clients.

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Freelance Freelance Client Adobe 545

Creative Boom

FEBRUARY 19, 2023

For creative freelancers, the start of the year is often a quiet time, with few enquiries coming in. And there are plenty of useful things that creative freelancers can do to stay productive, focused and positive during these quieter periods. Image licensed via Adobe Stock Short on commissions at the moment?

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Freelance Freelance Portfolio Client 526

Creative Boom

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023

Image licensed via Adobe Stock Freelancing not going as well as you'd hoped? We explain how to shift your work and clients in a new direction and give yourself the dream life and career you always hoped for. So you've launched your freelance creative business: congratulations! Then it's time to pivot. So, how do you go about it?

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Freelance Freelance Client Portfolio 497

Creative Boom

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

And even if you're still managing to keep on top of the rent, there's no shame in feeling a little down about your prospects for continuing success as a freelancer. And freelance designer Alex Foxley recalls fondly the moment he realised his first year of freelancing had earned him more than at any previous studio job.

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Freelance Freelance Illustration Illustrator 542

Creative Boom

JUNE 13, 2022

We asked ten successful freelance illustrators to share the benefit of their experience to date, and they all shared valuable tips and insights. Perhaps the biggest challenge of being a freelance illustrator, at least at the start, is getting enough work. That's how I got my first client as a character designer.".

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Freelance Freelance Illustration Illustrator 521

Creative Boom

AUGUST 13, 2024

If you work as a creative freelancer, many people will be seriously jealous of you. The life of a freelance graphic designer or artist can be exhilarating, but it can also be challenging and, at times, isolating. Times when you're short on sleep because you've been up all night working or worrying about a nightmare client.

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Freelance Freelance Inspiration Client 492

Creative Boom

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

If you're a freelance illustrator, it's easy to wallow in despair and imagine your job will soon be taken over by a faster, cheaper AI alternative. An important part of freelancing is planning ahead and ensuring there's enough work coming in to pay the bills. It's time to embrace it and use it to our advantage."

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Illustration Illustrator Arts and Crafts Freelance 370

Creative Boom

MAY 11, 2023

Image licensed via Adobe Stock Times are tough for a lot of freelancers out there right now. If our recent survey of creative freelancers is anything to go by, you may well be struggling. So that means almost three-quarters of you are failing to thrive in 2023, and that's not a situation any freelancer should be happy with.

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Freelance Freelance Client Networking 529

Creative Boom

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

Image licensed via Adobe Stock With so much talent out there, how do you get noticed as a freelance illustrator? And working as a freelancer means that you can, to a degree, work when you want, how you want, and where you want. But first, you need to attract freelance clients. Struggling to find your distinct style?

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Freelance Freelance Illustration Illustrator 488

Creative Boom

SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

Image licensed via Adobe Stock There are lots of pros to going freelance, but also quite a few cons. If you're thinking of going freelance, you're probably getting a lot of encouragement from people you know who've already taken the leap. The alluring dream of freelancing 1. It's fantastic!"

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Freelance Freelance Self-employed Client 476

Creative Boom

MARCH 19, 2024

Image licensed via Adobe Stock We celebrate International Client Day by sharing some tried-and-tested tips for growing and nurturing your relationships with clients. Happy International Client Day! International Client Day was started in 2010 by Russian and Lithuanian businesspeople and has since spread around the world.

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Client Freelance Freelance Web Design 473

Creative Boom

JUNE 2, 2024

Image licensed via Adobe Stock As National Freelance Day approaches, we share the community's best advice for making it as an independent creative. Embarking on a freelance career is a weird mix of freedom and responsibility. Yes, taking the leap into full-time freelancing is undoubtedly a terrifying prospect. Find your USP!"

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Freelance Freelance Client Networking 501

Creative Boom

NOVEMBER 12, 2023

Let's be honest: we freelancers like to think of ourselves as a pretty intelligent lot. A staggering 73% of freelancers say that tax management is the biggest strain on their mental health. Pie: the app to solve your tax problems Pie is quite simply the app freelancers have been crying out for. But we're here to reassure you.

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Freelance Freelance Client Digital 468

Creative Boom

JULY 27, 2022

But July and August can also mean a much quieter time for creative freelancers. If there's one thing that lets down so many freelance designers and illustrators, it's their About page on their website. They often go into one big personal statement without really thinking about potential clients. Image licensed via Adobe Stock.

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Freelance Freelance Client Media 545

Creative Boom

FEBRUARY 17, 2025

At the start of 2022, Taiwan-based illustrator Poan Pan was at the start of his freelance career a recent graduate of Central Saint Martins, navigating the uncertainties of working independently. Good news I'm still freelancing as an illustrator! Honestly, when we first spoke, I had no idea if freelancing would even work out.

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Illustration Illustrator Freelance Freelance 362

Creative Boom

FEBRUARY 6, 2023

Image licensed via Adobe Stock Many clients don't fully appreciate what graphic designers can offer them. At the extreme, some clients look down their noses at you and think of you as a menial 'scribble monkey' who knows how to use Photoshop but little else. Leading practitioners explain why and offer advice on the way forward.

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Client Graphic Design Graphic Brand 521

Creative Boom

SEPTEMBER 5, 2023

Image licensed via Adobe Stock Freelancing is great, but at the start money can be tight. Or do you yearn to break free and embark on a freelance journey more than ever? It's time to take your passion for creativity and kickstart your freelance venture. But is going back to your steady job making you excited and motivated?

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Freelance Freelance Project Management Adobe 508

Creative Boom

FEBRUARY 19, 2024

It doesn't matter how talented you are in your chosen creative discipline; that's only half of the work of being a successful freelancer. Talk to a freelancer who's got that sorted, and you'll probably find they have a suite of productivity tools that help them achieve this with minimal fuss. Obsidian Do you work in Markdown?

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Freelance Freelance Agency Graphic Design 504

Creative Boom

AUGUST 16, 2022

Play your cards right, and your worst client relationships can eventually become your best. We've all had clients that have made our lives a misery. Because let's face it, keeping existing clients is always easier than finding new ones. Yes, clients can sometimes be maddening, insanely irrational, and act like total jerks.

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Client Consulting Artist Illustration 501

Creative Boom

APRIL 29, 2022

Instagram is still a good visual resource or portfolio for clients, but it's the PR push that has been the most effective.". Go old school and remind clients you exist (and ask for help). It doesn't hurt to send physical mailers, cold emails, updated portfolios and other bits and bobs to existing clients. It all helps. "I

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Freelance Freelance Marketing Marketing 545

Inkbot Design

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

How to Find Lucrative Freelance Graphic Design Jobs Are you looking to break into the world of freelance graphic design? This comprehensive guide will share my top tips and strategies for finding high-paying freelance graphic design jobs. I remember when I first started as a freelance designer. Let's dive in! from 2022.

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Freelance Freelance Graphic Design Graphic 98

Graphic Design Junction

OCTOBER 17, 2024

The right business card templates can enhance your brand’s image , reflect your creativity, and leave a lasting impression on potential clients or partners. Professional Business Card Template Make a great first impression to your clients with one of our professional and easy to customize business card designs.

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Templates Business Cards Design Branding Brand 279

Creative Boom

JULY 5, 2022

For Sarah Madden , a graphic designer based in Leeds, she realised she wanted to embrace freelance illustration and design full-time to explore a better lifestyle. So at the beginning of June, she handed in her notice to her agency boss and declared herself an official freelance illustrator and designer. You've just gone freelance.

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Freelance Freelance Agency Illustration 457

Creative Boom

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

Whether you're a founder or freelancer, creative entrepreneurship is hard. Consequently, many independent creative founders and freelancers share a longing for connection, reassurance and motivation. Well that's exactly the need that creative coach Helen Jane Campbell addresses in her new book, Founders, Freelancers & Rebels.

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Freelance Freelance Client Consulting 487

Creative Boom

OCTOBER 31, 2023

After gaining residency without needing an employer sponsorship, he quit his job and pursued freelance full-time. As a freelancer, I work with agencies that normally hire me during their peak times or when they can't solve a project internally," he explains. But it's been anything but a smooth ride. And it's not been all bad. "I

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Freelance Freelance Graphic Design Graphic 465

Creative Boom

JUNE 19, 2022

This is why coworking might just be the solution for budget-conscious freelancers everywhere. There is a two-storey car park close by, you can print up to A3, and the light-filled waterfront office space and lounge are perfect for an informal coffee with clients. Renting a desk in a cool shared space sounds so appealing.

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Freelance Freelance Internet and Software Development Artist 500

Creative Boom

APRIL 14, 2025

By building up a network of private contacts, you'll have something to fall back on when commercial clients brands, agencies, even local companies reduce their budgets. A private client will come to you because they truly value your creativity. It's something that makes me really happy, along with seeing the client's reaction."

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Client Arts and Crafts Illustration Illustrator 397

Creative Boom

MAY 2, 2022

Many freelance web designers and web design agencies struggle because they make the same mistakes over and over again. A well-designed site can help clients grow, attract more visitors and even turn them into happy customers. A well-designed site can help clients grow, attract more visitors and even turn them into happy customers.

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Client Web Design Web Design Coding 540

Graphic Design Junction

NOVEMBER 2, 2024

Amazing Digital Art & Illustations by Zbig Wolowiec Zbig Wolowiec is a skilled freelance artist and illustrator known for his captivating book illustrations and expressive portrait work. One of the studio’s notable artists, Tatiana Pavlova—also known as Doriana DreamPro—is a skilled freelance illustrator and fantasy 2D artist.

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Digital Illustration Illustrator Artist 290

Designer Daily

NOVEMBER 23, 2023

If so, you might want to consider a career as a freelance graphic designer. Many people have been turning to freelance work in recent times, and there is always demand for skilled freelance graphic designers. Why Become a Freelance Graphic Designer? So, how can you get started as a freelance graphic designer?

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Freelance Freelance Graphic Design Graphic 268

Creative Boom

JUNE 29, 2022

Then slowly (over many years), the work began coming in, and I could take the leap to freelance full-time.". I'm usually just focused on doing the work and then getting the next thing done, plus freelancing can be so up and down I've never assumed anything would last!". © Grace Helmer. © Grace Helmer. . © Grace Helmer. © Grace Helmer.

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Freelance Freelance Agency Illustration 417

Just Creative

AUGUST 9, 2021

No truer is this mantra than when you want to impress potential clients with your portfolio. Unlike other freelancers who woo prospects with fancy words and lengthy pitches, in design, your visuals must do all the talking. You can also go a step further and build a funnel that will attract clients or recruiters. b) The Problem.

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Portfolio Client Graphic Design Graphic 353

Creative Boom

MARCH 3, 2024

And you don't have to take our word for it: big-name clients like Apple, Google, Gucci and The New York Times are already drawing on these illustrators to bring their designs to life. Caver Zhang Caver Zhang is a freelance illustrator based in Jinan, China. Work by Caver Zhang 3. Work by Jazzy Yuan 4.

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Illustration Illustrator Freelance Freelance 526

Creative Boom

APRIL 14, 2025

As a freelancer, it can feel like making any mistakes, not being absolutely perfect could lead to not getting follow-up work from that client, and that can be quite intense," she says. The way I overcame this is mainly by explaining my situation and also setting boundaries with clients.

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Illustration Illustrator Freelance Freelance 221

Creative Boom

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Though he never wanted the permanence of a full-time job, there was the issue of getting very little pay, and his plan was always to go freelance when it became a viable career option. "I "Going down and doing those shows with Daydream and being amongst people was great."

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Illustration Illustrator Freelance Freelance 459

Creative Boom

DECEMBER 11, 2023

We caught up with her to learn more about her journey so far, how she looped back into illustration, and what it's like to go freelance. She's since gone on to work with clients such as BBC Teach and Channel 5. After four years and with all this experience under her belt, Beth felt it was time to make the leap and go freelance. "It

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Illustration Illustrator Freelance Freelance 529