In this podcast episode, I talk to illustrator Will Terry. We dig deep into how he went from freelance gigs as an illustrator to developing a sustainable career with multiple revenue streams.
Will illustrates children's books, sells his art at conventions, and is the co-founder of an online art school called The School of Visual Storytelling.
In our chat, he share specifics about how he got his first jobs in illustration, and how he developed his network with other professionals, even though he worked alone from home. His story reminded me of what I hear from so many successful artists and writers: even though he is an introvert, he has spent years developing collaborations and sharing his work in public.
Will opens up about the downs of his career too. He recalled a time when his financial situation looked so bad that he thought, "All of this financial mess will go away when I die."
What was most astounding from this story was how he turned down financial help from a relative when he desperately needed the money. He concluded that all of his later success came from that single decision to dig his way out on his own. He says,
"If I had taken that money, I don't think I would be doing the things I'm doing today. Today my life feels so much better and happier, almost zero stress."
Will share such practical advice, including how he grew his business. He talks about how he got more work, with a pretty incredible insight: "You actually have to ask for it." He assume that if he turned in freelance work to a client, that they would reach out to him if they wanted more work. It turns out, they were ready to hire him again, but were waiting for him to tell them. You have to ask.
You can find will at the following places:
http://willterry.comhttps://www.svslearn.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA-iu9bp3mT9JgsUGCFIzZAhttps://www.instagram.com/willterryart/
https://twitter.com/willterry333
You can find Dan Blank at:
http://wegrowmedia.com
Be the Gateway: http://a.co/evyrsjw
https://www.instagram.com/DanBlank/
https://twitter.com/danblank
On January 29th, artist Marc Johns saw this on social media: Drew Barrymore shared a photo of her daughter wearing a jacket that had Marc's art on it.
Amazing right? This is the type of thing that many artists dream about: a celebrity sharing their work with 8 million followers. But there was a problem. The jacket was not an officially licensed product. The company who made it stole Marc's art. Drew didn't know this.
I sat down and talked to Marc about this, and he shared an extremely honest account of what happened, and what he did about it. He doesn't hold anything back, and shares how this made him consider giving up art entirely.
Luckily, this particular story has a happy ending, but I know that isn't the case for many artists. Marc and I also talk about the complexity that all creators face when dealing with art, money, and piracy.
You can find Marc in the following places: https://www.marcjohns.com/ https://www.instagram.com/marcjohnsart/ https://twitter.com/marcjohns https://www.facebook.com/marcjohnsart
You can find Dan Blank at:
http://wegrowmedia.com
Be the Gateway: http://a.co/evyrsjw
https://www.instagram.com/DanBlank/
https://twitter.com/danblank
Today I speak with Srini Rao, who is the host and founder of The Unmistakable Creative podcast, and the author of Unmistakable: Why Only Is Better Than Best.
In this chat we discuss how to find more time to do the creative work that you love.
You can find Srini at:
https://unmistakablecreative.com
His book: http://a.co/9ul7Gib
https://twitter.com/UnmistakableCEO
You can find Dan Blank at:
http://wegrowmedia.com
Be the Gateway: http://a.co/evyrsjw
https://www.instagram.com/DanBlank/
https://twitter.com/danblank