Advice for Artists and Creatives Who Want to Quit Their 9-5

My creative friend,

Last week was a doozy, but I’m finally ready to put it behind me and move forward.

I have a very busy September coming up - creating graphic art for a t-shirt, a conversation with two authors about illustrations for their book and 3 brand photoshoots in my photography business.

Plus, my very own photoshoot with Brisbane City Council where I will be in front of the camera showcasing our mural together (eek!). There is also 2 murals in discussion and a 5 day getaway in the mountains where I hope to create new art.

This spring my businesses will be blooming.

In this first post I identified some of the things I did before I quit my day job that I consider (with hindsight) were wise decisions. These are the things I recommend to someone wanting to quit their corporate job:

1. Test Your Creative Ideas

2. Get (the right) Support

3. Your Ticket To Freedom - a ‘Fuck You Fund’

4. Invest In Your Resources

5. Build a Portfolio

6. Collect Kind Words

Today I want to share the second half. This post will focus on your resources to create, share and get new work.

Let’s do this!

Do you know what you need to do your best work?

One of the smartest things you can do is to use your 9-5 corporate salary to invest in any resources you need BEFORE you quit your job.

There are so many things that you will need (or might like) in your business - everything from domains to desks. It’s up to you to decide what’s essential and what can wait.

For example, if you are a photographer, you will need:

• A high quality, full frame camera body

• A variety of lenses

• Batteries, chargers, bags, camera accessories

• Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop subscription.

• You might want a software subscription to present your gallery of images.

• A reliable car!

As an artist, you may want to invest in a tonne of beautiful paints, brushes, pens, ink, visual journals, canvases and frames.

I highly recommend making a list of everything you might need. There are things you won’t need to start, but can invest in along the way.

As you (and your business) evolve, your needs do too.

Here are some things I had to purchase after I quit my job that I didn’t consider:

• A sit-stand desk and great chair (for long days you need good support)

• Storage for fine art (so it didn’t get dusty or damaged)

• A high resolution scanner for scanning my hand-painted artworks

Your resources can also be people -

• Business coaches - to provide experience and help you with strategy, business model, offerings, pricing and mindset.

• Business courses and events - to help you understand marketing, cash flow and invoicing.

• Suppliers, who can source products and arrange samples (which may be free or paid).

Writing these posts came from a conversation I had with a client who came to me for branding and photography.

She is a busy professional working long hours in her corporate job and is keen to make the leap into something she is very passionate about. She is time poor, but she earns a great salary.

While you are in your 9-5, it’s the perfect time to put your salary towards your brand identity.

I am an artist and designer who helps businesses with branding (and I have rebranded Tiny Giraffe many times!) as well as a photographer who helps others with professional branding photos.

If you want to look professional right out of the gate, or command higher prices, I highly recommend hiring a designer or photographer to help you. This could include logos, illustrations, colour palette, brand guidelines, brochures, packaging, copywriting. Plus photography - think portraits, product or lifestyle shots.

Your brand will be considered and curated, with strong messaging - ready to share confidently with the world.