Is it the Right Time to Go Full Time as an Illustrator? | Summer Shorts 01

Welcome to Summer Shorts Season! In case you missed my announcement in the last episode, I’ll be taking a break from the longer episodes until September. You can hear all about it in Episode 15! The long story short: these episodes will be 10 minutes (give or take) and more casual.This is a free preview to all listeners, and then for the remainder of the summer, I’ll be sharing these exclusively with my supporters on Patreon. If you’d like to be in on the summer fun, you’re more than welcome to join at patreon.com/tomfroese. If you’re already a part of my Patreon, thank you for your support! If you decide to join me, thank you so much! Otherwise, I’ll see you in September! HOW TO SUPPORTThank you for listening/watching!01 — Share this episode/podcast with a friend. <br />This is the single most effective way to help grow this podcast.02 — Support me on Patreon at http://patreon.com/tomfroese<br />This helps me cover some of the costs of running the show.03 – Take my Skillshare classes! <br />Visit http://tomfroese.com/teaching to find links to all my classes. Use these links and get 30 days of free membership on Skillshare!04 – Join my mailing list<br />Never miss an important update. Sign up at http://tomfroese.com/contact IN THIS EPISODESo today I want to talk about the question, How Do You Know When to Go Full Time as an Illustrator?I. IntroductionIllustration is not a guaranteed careerUntil we have a steady flow of client work we need to support ourselves another wayAspiring illustrators' dream of making art their full-time jobNot ideal to do it on the side (for most of us)“When are we ready to make the jump?”II. Determining the right time to go full-time freelanceFOR THOSE WITH ESTABLISHED CAREERSAnalogy of a car race to illustrate the decision-making processJumping from a moving car to another moving car (established career to illustration career)Jumping from a moving car to a stationary car (current situation to illustration career without having things going on the side first)FOR PEOPLE WITHOUT ESTABLISHED CAREERSNeed to support yourself another way  while you build up your careerStart out with an open mind about what the path to full time illustration looks likeYou end up looking like the first situation, on one moving car and needing to jump to another moving carIII. Being open-minded and patient in pursuing a full-time illustration careerStarting with an open mind about the path to full-time illustrationWhat does it mean to have Experience?How can you transform every experience into something related to illustration or whatever your dream is?Emphasizing the gradual process of becoming a successful illustratorSetting realistic expectations and avoiding instant success mindsetImportance of learning, growing, and seeking experience consistentlyIV. ConclusionHolding the dream of illustrating full-time while staying positivePersistence and dedication in sticking with the process to achieve long-term successDon’t confuse Complacency with Patience / Vice-versa —Be patient as you realistically work to feed yourself and build up your art career on the sideAlways be checking in on yourself — are you staying out of fear or necessity?