Well, here we are again. I have to start by saying researching and writing about copyright takes me right back to my lecturing days at Design College of Australia. I recently jumped into re-educating myself on this topic, initially out of interest, but specifically because of an illustration project I was in the process of finalising.

Lately I’ve been thinking about what it would be like from a client’s perspective to work with a graphic designer, especially those clients who’ve never dealt with one before.

I process way more things on a daily basis since working for myself nearly four years ago.

I’ve got to admit, I’ve been planning to write this blog post for a while. It’s taken the time primarily because I wanted to put in the hard yards and test out some of the most practical and immediate solutions I’ve discovered.

One of the greatest things about being a graphic designer is that no two projects are ever the same, I’ll even go so far to say that no two working days are ever the same. As a freelance designer, it’s the same only on steroids.

I recently saw something in my Instagram feed that kinda blew my little socks off. It was a quote from Ginni Rometty, the CEO of IBM and she says ‘Your value will be not what you know; it will be what you share’ and I thought it was reasonably fortuitous considering the thoughts swimming around in my head surrounding this blog topic.

The question of specialisation versus generalisation for people working in a creative field is a multi-faceted topic and one size definitely doesn’t fit all.

Staying connected with other creative professionals is pivotal for your creative and professional growth whether you’re in a permanent role or freelancing from a home office.

Speaking for myself, I think visually creative people don’t naturally have the knack for anything mathematical let alone managing bank reconciliations or confidently asking clients to pay according to the value of work. We love what we do but at some point, if you are thinking of freelancing in a creative field it’s going to be necessary to adult effectively in terms of earning enough to eat and to maintain a roof overhead.

Back in my day, a full-time job was a full-time job. The security of a regular wage and four weeks holiday each year with the odd chance of a boss paying overtime for additional hours worked was the ultimate.

So…what’s the plan? You have got a plan don’t you? You need a plan.

Welcome. Hi, I'm Julia.