How to be a Freelance Artist: 6 Ways to Stand Out the Competition

Being a freelance artist is one of the most liberating experiences imaginable. But, before you take that leap into the unknown, it's important to have all the information necessary to know what is a freelance artist entails.

This article will provide insight on how to be successful as a freelancer in today's economy and will discuss some tips for succeeding with your career.

What is a Freelance Artist?

A freelance artist is someone who works independently, rather than for a company. It's an individual self-employed person that creates their own schedule and lends his or her talents to different projects when it benefits them most.

Freelancers are usually hired on a contract basis for temporary work by companies or individuals with specific needs in mind.

This can be anything from writing, graphic design, web development, or just about any other service that can be done remotely.

How to be a Successful freelance Artist?

Now that you know what it means to be a freelance artist, the next step is learning how to become one.

The first thing you should do before quitting your day job and taking on clients as an independent contractor is carefully planning out all of your projects.

1. Figure Out Your Niche

Freelance artists usually focus on a niche to set them apart from their competition. If you're an animator, then it's best that you specialize in animation for television and film. An animation maker is a software or tool that allows users to create animated sequences or videos by manipulating images, characters, or objects to bring them to life through motion and storytelling

If your work is mainly editorial, such as writing or editing articles for magazines and newspapers, choose to become the expert at creating content within those specific subject matters.

Figure out what you're best at and do that, then expand from there as opportunities arise.

You can always switch up your focus later on if the need arises, but it's important to have a foundation of expertise before branching off into different areas of interest.

Once you know where your talents are most likely to be profitable, it's time to figure out how you're going to get paid for your work. There are many types of payment arrangements, so pick the one that best fits your needs and go with it.

2. Register Your Freelance Business

Registering your freelance business is very important. It allows you to legally do business with your clients and operate under a formalized structure that will protect both them and yourself.

Depending on where you live, the process may be different than what it would be in other places; however, there are some general steps most artists follow when registering their businesses:

Get all of your company documents in order and make sure they match the state you live in.

• Decide on a business name.
• Choose an annual report filing date and pay the required fees to file for incorporation with your state's Secretary of State office.
• Set up a bank account for your freelance organization, then register it as a sole proprietorship by going through the necessary steps at your local IRS tax center or online through sites such as TurboTax.

Once you've completed all of these steps, you'll be able to legally run your company and get paid for the work that you do! The next step is finding clients who can use your services.

3. Structure a Business Plan

A business plan is an absolute must for any freelance artist. It will help you map out your goals, whether they are long or short term, and make sure that they get done in a timely manner.

Asking yourself questions about how much money you want to make per year can help keep you accountable while planning out projects.

It's also a good idea to create your plan on spreadsheet software, such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, so that you can easily keep track of how much work needs to be done and the amount of time it will take you.

Freelance artists should always know which projects they are working on in order to avoid any confusion with their clients.

Make sure that you have a separate calendar for your freelance work that's different from the one you use to keep track of personal appointments.

When planning out new projects, always know where they are in terms of priority and what deadlines need to be met before they can be considered complete.

When keeping track of multiple projects at once, it's important to be flexible and able to adapt your schedule if necessary.

4. Build a Portfolio

A Portfolio is an important part of your freelance career, so be sure to include examples of everything you've done.

You should not only have a collection of finished projects that show what work you will be able to do but also explain how each project was completed and why it's unique from the rest.

It's always helpful if past clients leave feedback on your work, so be sure to ask them for that if you're ever in doubt.

Keep track of every single project and make notes about what went well and how it could have been improved upon before sending out any new work samples.

You may want to consider keeping a blog or website where you can post about current projects or give advice on how to do things in the future.

Creating a website is easier than ever nowadays, so it should be easy for you to set up an online portfolio with hosting provided by companies like Squarespace or WordPress without too much trouble at all!

Once your business is registered and you have samples of past work on hand, there are some ways that you can promote your services to potential clients.

5. Acquire Customer Loyalty

Once your business is running and you're consistently getting new clients, keep in mind that customer loyalty can be a very important part of success.

Building connections with past customers will make it easier for them to come back if they need more work done or recommend your services to others.

When doing any project, try asking questions about what the client wants and what they hope to accomplish with it.

This will help you make sure that their goal is clear while also making them feel heard, which can lead them to remain loyal.

Be proactive about asking for feedback once the project has been completed as well; this way you can continue improving upon your work rather than simply resting on old ideas.

Be sure to ask for referrals if the client is happy with your work. This will not only increase business but also give you a chance to build connections with new people as well!

As businesses and clients reevaluated their finances, many contracts and freelance opportunities came to a standstill, which led to many workers being laid off, getting their hours reduced, or having their positions eliminated entirely.

But being a freelance artist isn't all bad. Fortunately, the gig economy has remained relatively stable compared to more traditional industries, such as retail and marketing.

This unexpected stronghold has seen some growth as more individuals take their careers into their own hands.

6. Market Your Freelancing Business

You should always consider selling products or services for your business. This can be anything from prints of past projects to t-shirts with the company logo on them.

If you're making money doing freelance work now, then there's no reason not to start expanding! Look into what kinds of opportunities are available and put together a plan for how you can begin making more money.

You might even want to consider offering multiple services, which will help bring in a variety of customers who may not have known about you otherwise.

Promoting your business through social media is also an excellent way to get noticed by new people and potentially create long-term relationships with them as well!

As businesses and clients reevaluated their finances, many contracts and freelance opportunities came to a standstill, which led to many workers being laid off, getting their hours reduced, or having their positions eliminated entirely.

What are the Pros of Being a Freelance Artist?

There are many benefits to being your own boss and working independently as a freelance artist. For starters, you have complete control over how much work you take on at once.

If you want to focus on one project or many, it's up to you. You also have the flexibility of when and where you work.

Not having a fixed schedule allows for more time with family and friends while still being able to complete tasks in a timely manner.

Another huge pro is that anything goes, creatively speaking. There are no creative directors or managers to tell you what to do.

You have the freedom and creative license to express yourself in a way that feels most comfortable for you. This is your work after all, not theirs!

It's a pleasure knowing that someone wants you to create something for them. You can do anything from making living painting portraits, creating logos and branding materials, or even rebranding established companies through web design.

Conclusion

Freelancing artist is a rewarding career choice that allows you to spend more time on things you love. It is a  popular choice for many people, but it can be difficult to land that first job.

It takes time and effort in order to get your name out there, but once you do, opportunities are endless. It's an excellent opportunity for artists who want to make money from what they're most passionate about that is their art!