What Does Being Self-Directed Mean To An Illustrator?
Self-Direction by definition means:
• To be directed or guided by oneself, especially as an independent agent.
• To be regulated or conducted by oneself.
• To be free from external control and constraint; "an independent mind"; "a series of independent judgments"; "fiercely independent individualism."
One of the appeals to being an illustrator is independence or to have that "fiercely independent individualism." I think many can relate to that concept and can hardly imagine working any other way.
So how does it apply to us? Self-Direction when it come to illustration can mean many things:
1. Self-Directed Career-
“Skill to do comes of doing.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Being your own boss means a lot of work, a lot problem solving and a lot of action. The rewards are both a personal and a professional asset. We have a large amount of control of when we work, where we work and how we work. This includes how we create our art- either traditional to digital techniques plus promotion, and our earning potential. We motivate ourselves to do what it takes to get it all done with the help of our drive to succeed plus many, many cups of coffee.
2. Self-Directed Projects-
“When freedom prevails, the ingenuity and inventiveness of people creates incredible wealth. This is the source of the natural improvement of the human condition.” –Brian S. Wesbury
Client work is definitely the driving force behind our earning potential. However, we will always have the natural drive to create things on our own on a whim so we can nurture our natural need for creative freedom. Self-directed projects are all about creating work outside of clients. This includes promotion illustrations, portfolio building and other creative projects that do not always add income but can help you make a bigger body of work which can increase future revenue.
Labeling projects to promote online as 'self-directed' is a good way to promote self work in a very professional way. It is a clear title that says you are able to create great work and self-direct yourself. If you can self-direct a project for yourself then clients will see that as an asset for future projects with them.
3. Self-Directed Learning-
“Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual.” ~ Arthur Koestler
Quite simply, our education never stops! Technology, new business ideas, social networking and new ways of working are a constant in our careers. We do it all from illustrating, marketing, web design, writing, promotion to accounting.
This constant learning includes webinars, podcasts, books, ebooks, online study, articles and anything we can get our hands on. There is no end to the information which definitely makes this industry so damn interesting! Our only constraint is scheduling enough time to absorb it all!
“The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” - Bertrand Russell
More helpful blogs:
10 thoughts for illustrators
Illustration Blog
Holly DeWolf's Illustration Blog
Book: Breaking into Freelance Illustration - The Guide For Artists, Designers, and Illustrators by Holly DeWolf
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