Struggling for your art

[frogboy4]

I'm sure there are others around here in the same boat, but my career as a freelance artist has been particularly tricky this year.

I've had more clients than usual and I’m thankful for the employment, but for some reason most people undervalue creative work. Making things look easy on the eye is hard work that isn't pulled out of thin air and let’s face it – creative advertising is the heartbeat of the economy! I enjoy my work, but it's not a hobby or a way to pass the time. I live off of the proceeds of my projects along with the few days a week I spend behind the counter of a toy shop.

My clients like my work and that pleases me. But I'm entering a phase where I just would rather say no than devalue my skills by accepting fees well under what I deserve. That could mean less cash for me in general, but I'd have a lot more time and a lot less stress.

What do the freelance artists around here do to handle this predicament? I don’t want to upset or lose any clients, but I can’t suffer working like a dog for slave wages either.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Yeah that is a difficult decision. Maybe at some point you do want to set a fixed price and just see what comes from that.

 

[frogboy4]

Yeah that is a difficult decision. Maybe at some point you do want to set a fixed price and just see what comes from that.

I do have an hourly rate, but the time it takes to create pieces (even though I underbid in their favor) is haggled even lower. I have great people skills and can feel out each client's limit. It's just that too many of them are closed to paying for quality work and I don't do any other kind.

 

[Vic Romano]

Freelance for me has usually been as simple an equation as "seek and ye shall find". Lately though, I've been getting lots of offers and I'm very pleased about it. The problem I've always had is people are shocked at my prices, even though I always low-ball myself. Lately though, I too am taking whatever a client offers because I've been very aggressive about expanding my portfolio.

My biggest qualm is that bad design seems to be in style, and apparently all you need is a bootleg copy of Photoshop or (God forbid) something like Wordle (shudder) to qualify as a designer nowadays. I always take pride in my work and never produce anything I'm dissatisfied with, but even if it's a quick and cheap job, I still prefer to put more effort into it then maybe I should.

 

[sesameguy]

When you're doing creative work, it can be tricky trying to find a "pace" that works. First I guess I would ask myself if I would be able to pay the bills having fewer assignments. If I could, then I would be able to say "no" without feeling too bad. Or (and this is hard, I know) maybe I could seek out clients who were better able to work at the same pace that I do.
Sometimes you have to be patient and realize that the clients' schedule doesn't always work with your own. They usually want it done yesterday. I would have to check and be sure that my own creative work could fit in with the "real world" of deadlines and paychecks. Often, I've found myself having to deliver work that I knew wasn't perfect, but had to be done due to time constraints. This isn't a problem as long as any errors or troubles are relatively small & don't take away from the goals of the project. In the rare case that someone does notice, you can honestly say, "yes, but unfortunately I ran out of time. I'd be glad to redo it if you think we need to."

 

[frogboy4]

I usually institute an hourly rate, devise how many hours it should take and itemize each section clearly in an easy to read Word or Excel invoice. I then use that as a flat rate to bill the client even if I go over the amount of hours due to my perfectionism, but extra items beyond that are tacked on per the client's request and with full disclosure.

My issue is that even though I underbid the hours, some still don't think the work takes even the minimal amount of time quoted. And sometimes they sign off without reading and try to haggle later.

I just lost a gig because the bid was lower than low due to their budget. I just couldn't do it. All my prices were breaks to this particular client, but what they felt entitled to extensive revisions for peanut prices. I mean, find a kid on Craigslist if that's what you want.

I'm just upset. This client also likes to pitch ideas that we keep shelving in order for other work and there's so much beginning work that's been scrapped that I can't charge for. It's irritating. I pride myself on an accommodating personal touch and it's sad when clients abuse that.

I have a freelance friend that often gets into arguments with his clients about payment and duties and I don’t want to be like that. But he ends up much more successful. I just don’t like the stress. I just want to create per my client’s request and get paid a reasonable fee without having to be a jerk. My method should work. Maybe I’m just fishing in murky ponds?

 

[sesameguy]

I'm just upset. This client also likes to pitch ideas that we keep shelving in order for other work and there's so much beginning work that's been scrapped that I can't charge for. It's irritating. I pride myself on an accommodating personal touch and it's sad when clients abuse that.

I have a freelance friend that often gets into arguments with his clients about payment and duties and I don’t want to be like that. But he ends up much more successful. I just don’t like the stress. I just want to create per my client’s request and get paid a reasonable fee without having to be a jerk. My method should work. Maybe I’m just fishing in murky ponds?

Indeed, but let me try to slosh through the ponds with you.

I think that often, the client will "think" that they know what they want, but when they see the finished product, they get upset that it's not the way they wanted it. "But it's what you asked for!" "No, no, that's not what we wanted."

Perhaps the key is not so much to get into arguments as it is to be firm in what you're willing to do. Perhaps you should set a standard of work like this: "Okay, if you want me to do it over again I will, but I will have to charge you more." This will make the clients less willing to "abuse" the privilege and more focused on getting what they want. If they accuse you of being a "jerk," you can point out to them that you already did the work that they asked you to do. Your friend's success may be more in the fact that he's firm about what he wants from his clients. It can be stressful, but perhaps worth it if you realize that this is what you want.

Good luck & let us know how it goes!