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I got a new mini moleskine, so I could get some drawing done while on the go. Love the mini format.

To return to the pricing subject…
What I strive for most is to do fulfilling, interesting work. Work I can learn from. I’d love to do more work for charities etc, but like everyone else I’ve got a rent to pay. What I hope to do is get it all in a balance.

The pricing post was mostly about graphic design work and bigger projects. Magazines most often have a policy for different size of illustrations they use. So the fee is not up to negotiation.

…….
Recent inspirations:
- Quiet stillness is a brand new blog by my illustrator friend Hilda.
- Trade Secrets is my favourite place to visit these days. Meg writes there about all kinds of practical matters concerning the trade of illustration.
- design sponge: bizladies, a wonderful resource of tips.
- 3191, a year of mornings in photographs.

new work

Last week I talked with some clients about potential projects. What I find difficult is pricing. Especially giving quotes.

I tend to underprice myself horribly. I’ve noticed that when asked for a price for a job, I instinctively think a price that is about a third of what I should actually ask. Thank god these days I think again! But I still am in a situation where I work pretty much all the time, just to make ends meet.

As part of my money/business emancipation I read this book that got me thinking about my attitudes on money. I realised I’ve never asked for better pay, even with steady jobs. I have trouble asking for a fair price, because it makes me feel greedy. Typical of women, apparently.

When hiring a freelancer/solo designer, many clients don’t consider that the price is not at all comparable to, say, their own hourly rate at a steady job. Neither do many freelancers, though.

What really goes in a price:
time spent meeting/emailing/talking on the phone with the client
looking for ideas for the job, sketches
actual time doing the job
possible corrections from the client
+
cost of equipment and materials:
computer, software, scanner, paint, stamps etc.
business maintenance time:
writing bills, queueing in a bank, making purchases.
time spent networking, getting new clients:
updating website, emailing, mailing
sick days
holidays
retirement payments

On estimate half of what you earn on a job is actually payable to you (and out of this you pay income tax). Half goes to business expenses. Off all business income you pay 22% tax (in Finland), so this has to be added to the job price as well.

Pricing for me is especially tricky. I am still a student, so some clients expect a student price. I, of course, have the same expenses as any business and am not currently eligible for student grant either. Also note: It is actually illegal to sell work that is done on student software licenses.

I have thought of doing a pricing chart. Mostly as a reminder to keep me from giving too low quotes, but maybe even to give to clients.

Resources:
How to Set Rates FAQ
Quoting to win
Pricing strategies that work
Graafisen työn hinnoittelu (in finnish)

edit: When negotiating a fee with a client, it might help them understand the pricing better if you break down all the different phases the job entails and how much time it will take to do them.

The business papers are now in registration. A week or so and it should be official. I’ve been reading and reading about taxes, budget planning, and everything related. It’s a good thing I love immersing myself in new things.

I also did one illustration gig last week, I will post it on my portfolio when the magazine is out. There is also a couple of other projects cooking up. It almost seems like I am attracting work!

Lately I’ve been looking around for web-based project management tools again. (I wrote something about them last year.) Preferably free ones of course. Web-based (versus notebooks and calendars) so it is easy to copy-paste relevant notes, links and email addresses in the same place.

These are the ones I tested:
- Basecamp
- Tasktoy
- Backpack
- Nozbe

Basecamp is a heavy system, suitable for big projects with multiple users. It also allows you only one project with the free account. Not for me.

Tasktoy is completely free with no maximum project amount. It’s divided in tasks, projects and links -categories. Probably very usable, but somehow very bland.

Nozbe is very task oriented and usable but the interface is really ugly. I would probably use it if it looked nicer. As for now, all accounts are free but they will start charging at some point. You can have five projects with the free account and link ‘actions’ to them.

For some reason I’ve settled on Backpack. It is very clear and simple, although I miss the linking properties on Nozbe. As with Nozbe it is five projects free, for more you have to upgrade. The next pricing category is $5/a month, and could be well worth it. With Backpack you can also use writeboards.

I will tell you how it goes. Test around or give me your tips!

uploaded some pics from last summer. this photo by Sia makes me holland home-sick.

A couple of days spent just on me, doing all kinds of nurturing things. Going to yoga and swimming. Making vegan pizza and lazing on the sofa. Sleeping late and seeing friends. Recharging batteries.

From now on I try to abide to the golden productivity rule: take one day off each week. That means a day completely free from any kind of work. No computer, no work calls, emails, nothing. Preferably get out off the house, and stay out, if that is the only way to keep you from doing stuff. This also cannot be turned into a housework day. It is supposed to inspire and relax you.

To busy-inclined individuals (like me) this might seem harsh and difficult, but it is supposed to up your productivity in other days so much that you actually get more done. I guess I need to try this.

What do you do to relax?

When things go sucky, they go sucky… I had a horrible cold for a whole week. Too sick to do pretty much anything, even read, I am even more late with work stuff and school projects. This makes me immensely stressed out, and is probably not helping me get better. Oh well…

On Friday I started to work on a promo postcard for myself. I have wanted to get some printed for the longest time but always kept putting it off. No more of that! The above pic is the first draft for the back of the card, which will have all my contact info. I’ll probably get them printed at Print100. Six hundred of them. Happy mailing!

I’ve also made the decision to register my own business. Since even my steady writing job is done with a freelancer contract and I need buy all my own hardware etc. this makes sense. The goal is to do my future illustration work via my own company, and make a living doing it, of course. Since making the decision I’ve gone back and forth between excitement and total panic, but it’s the right step. If you have any experiences, advice, pearls of wisdom to share about starting your own business I would love to hear them.

Naturally, my latest inspirations are business oriented:
Sheepdog Print and Design (these ladies blog about starting a business)
the anti 9 to 5 guide

Life shrinks and expands in proportion to one’s courage
-Anais Nin

The above sentence is written on a postcard that came with Living Out Loud. Last week I taped it above my desk, to serve as a reminder, motto, intention, whatever you want to call it. Since then I have built my portfolio, applied to one magazine illustration job (they liked my work and will contact me about the next number) and started blogging again. After feeling stuck for a long time, something is shifting.

I am starting to believe in what seems to be written in every success/creativity book. You need to state your intention. And not in a vague kind of way. I want to make it as an illustrator some day, won’t cut it. I am a successfull illustrator, is more like it. Whatever you want, write it down. Post it in the place you see it. Think it, breathe it, live it. It will happen.

My intention - to live on my illustration alone.

Right now I am employed otherwise. And little by little my work has become (to paraphrase Tuukka) a life-sucking experience. But to make the leap to full-time freelancing? Scary as hell. Yet I think about it everyday, so I know, something’s got to change.

I also have the hardest time promoting myself. In my mind every magazine AD becomes a scary monster. Do I want to email a scary monster? No! But now I push myself. I stare at the postcard and think: I want my life to expand.