I'm Mai, 26 years old and I am a graphic designer and illustrator.
Back when I was 4 years old I started drawing and I really started to like it.
So I thought: "Okay, what do I have to do to do this for the rest of my life? So that I never have to work a single day in my life."
This thought guided me until now.
Later, after I got my A-Levels I decided to study graphic design.
I chose illustration as a major and alongside my studies and in school I worked in this creative area already.
There was always this feeling inside of me that told me: You need the money. Something in your current career isn't right.
It's normal to work as a student nowadays and that's exactly what I did.
That's why I worked in different jobs and in different industries.
After my studies I thought: There needs to be more. And I recognized that freelancing is the only way for me to become happy.
Being employed is amazing, it's super nice for those who like it.
But I realized that for more it's not exactly brilliant.
That's why I decided to become a freelancer.
I really like to draw in general. It's also super motivating to see how my illustrations appeal to somebody.
What you're doing and how you appeal to someone .. there's such a magic!
Many people watch me when I'm on a DIY/creative market.
I know other artists who couldn't work in such an environment.
But for me it's fine. I already gave manga drawing lectures when I was studying.
That's why this "spotlight" is nothing new for me.
I somehow grew up with people watching me drawing.
It's so fascinating for me to create something completely new on a blank sheet of paper.
And you know: it's yours! You created it. Nobody else made it for you.
Of course it's somehow a compilation of many thoughts you gathered across the years.
But it's still yours.
Yeah. It's so fascinating for me that I am able to create something that makes other people happy.
Other people shall get the opportunity to watch me while I draw them when I am sitting at a DIY/creative market.
I can't be shy and I am not supposed to think that this is just for me.
You need to be open. You need to draw fast if you can.
That's my personal USP and I am really proud of that.
And for the people who can't do that: You're still artists but of a different kind.
And that really deserves respect, too.
My main challenge is that many people have to wait until I draw them, especially on those DIY/creative markets.
Because it takes time to create an illustration.
Sometimes they're getting impatient because of the waiting.
It's like standing in the queue in an adventure park, waiting for an impressive experience.
And my biggest challenge is to show these people how thankful I am and that I don't take it for granted.
Not getting nervous, thinking these people take so much time to get a drawing.
I get really jittery and I know that.
But I think you should stay calm and 99% of the people know what they get and are super happy with the result.
And that's making me happy as well.
There was never somebody who insulted me or complained.
Maybe some people who looked a bit annoyed but.. yeah.
To become a freelancer was some sort of a conflict for me.
Because I knew that there are many self-employed people in my family and looking at them I saw that this could be successful.
This could really work out. That's why I started my freelance career.
To make the decision to become a freelancer is half the battle.
But after the decision you need to stick at it.
As a self-employed worker you need to do something every single minute. You're responsible for everything at your company and only actual work will return in $$.
That's so important.
Do your thing. Continue.
And if you have no idea of taxation: Go and get an accoutant! :D
In the near future I'm continuing drawing doodles and having booths at creative markets, drawing even more people.
I have no idea if I'll do the same in 5 or 10 years but I will still be a creative. That's for sure.
And I'll definitely be a freelancer. Definitely.
My obstacles? I would call them challenges which help me to grow.
I don't fear challenges. I actually don't fear anything in life. I'm fearless. I'm not even afraid of spiders! :D
Back when I was studying I asked my lecturers (who were actually pretty good) what they did. How they started out.
Even things like how much do you take?
Those numbers were astronomically big.
For me as a graduate this was unbelievable.
I'd never pay myself that much.
The price/hourly rate calculation is definitely one of the most important topics for freelancers.
I was very pragmatic at the beginning.
On my first creative market I wasn't charging much for one drawing.
But after recognizing "Oh, wow. Many people want me to draw a doodle of them!?" I started to raise my rates.
I did this in small steps.
Within the last 2 years I raised the price per doodle to about $10 which is perfectly fine.
I know that my products are luxury goods. You don't need them in your life. But people like to pay for it.
You need to understand your target group. What price is okay for them, what's not okay for them.
You'll get many clients if your rate is too low.
However, if your rate is too high, not that many people will buy your products or services.
But you'll realise: Those who'll pay you the higher rate will pay it gladly.
I think it's good to find the center.
In general I'd say it's better to start too cheap than too expensive.
Imagine you'll charge $60 per hour and you'll reduce it after some time.. that's not smart from an economical standpoint.
Starting cheaper means you can always raise your rate. It's your right to increase it over time.
You're allowed to increase your rate once you get more and more clients because the value of your time increases as well.
I'm not sure if there's a single greatest moment in my career.
I think there're simply too many.
On my last creative market in Regensburg I painted a group of 4 people.
One of them was so impressed and suddenly she started to cry..
And I was like "Wow!".
I don't think about the impact of my illustrations and what they trigger.
But that's paradox somehow. I'm affected if I look at other artists and their work.
I never cried because of a drawing but people are totally different.
I caught her in my arms when I saw her crying and said "Thank you.. that's such a nice gesture.".
Then there was another experience that I made in Berlin.
I was in a big shopping center and painted there for about a week.
There was an older woman who came on the first day to my booth.
When I gave the drawing to her she was overwhelmingly thankful for it.
She said "Thank you.. you're doing such a great job.. continue doing it .. go your own way!".
The fun thing was that she came back on the next day and I doodled her again.
She said that it's a nice snapshot and so on and that she wants to support me.
That almost made me cry. Almost :3
But the positive moments every single day count just as much.
Once somebody is ordering a drawing I get this feeling: "Wow.. somebody actively decided to let me draw a doodle of him or her.."
And I am just super thankful for every order.
Simply for the people who decide to book my services.
Because sometimes people complain too much.
And sometimes there're no reasons for that.
And I think that if you're a thankful person everything will be alright.
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