Hello!
If you are stumbling upon this post right now.. welcome! Not sure if you have been a long-time reader or just someone who is stopping by for a quick sec. Either way, it's nice to have visitors :) I realized the last thing I wrote about was my overall year as a 24 year old. There has been a lot going on since then! Since my birthday was in fall, that means the holiday season should follow; carrying with it a sack of commissions all at once.
I remember asking Brendan Wenzel (author and illustrator to They All Saw A Cat) if he really makes a living being an illustrator.
He said, "Money comes in waves,"
I understood what that meant, but never did I think it was totally true. His father, David Wenzel (illustrator of the Hobbit comic series) told me doing anything holiday-related will be guaranteed money once a year. He watercolored the classic Rudolph into a children's book and said he will still get a big check in December. Perhaps one day I will work on a holiday-themed story as well!
I already have ongoing commission projects, which I highly recommend getting your hands on. If you get in contact with someone who wants you to do a project that will last a couple months, please do it! Not only will it keep you working, but you'll have income coming in all the time.
Currently I have a graphic novel to finish by Max Dweck, a story to illustrate by DarkeImp on deviantart, and character sheets to do for a tabletop game. On top of these, I was commissioned for Christmas cards, anniversary pictures, character drawings, and portraits. I'm happy the caricature job at Balboa Park allows me to meet people and be their first choice with art!
Another thing I learned was that -apparently- every artist will have two of three things:
Talent
Personality
Time-Management
Talent: Pretty much speaks for itself. Can you create well? Are you good at playing your instrument or singing? Can you make your craft look professional? Can you draw well? Do your poems follow the proper structure? Are your stories spell-checked?
Personality: I do know a lot of artists who will constantly post a new thing every day... but maybe their opinions or mannerisms don't take too well. I'm sure you've heard of some actors or actresses that, although they show up on time and do their lines well, are very hard to work with. This may also mean you could be shy, make bad jokes, get angry too fast, don't take advice, insult someone, don't engage in conversation, etc.
Time-Management: I know this is the one thing I'M not good at. Some projects may get pushed if their artist doesn't get things done in time. Other times you might lose your client halfway through a project. Maybe even get half pay because they waited too long. TIP: Even if you're not finished on your end, don't leave your client on read!
In other news... I'm currently working on a lot of personal changes! I'm setting up a Patreon, fixing up my Picarto and Twitch for streams, and just downloaded some new software so I can animate professionally. ^^ I can't wait for you to see what's coming next!
Enjoy reading your tips. Well written!