• Folio
  • Store
  • About
  • Media
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

Mindy Indy

Independent Cartoonist

  • Folio
  • Store
  • About
  • Media
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

The Power of Your Network

Even amidst unpleasant surprises like the pandemic, wonderful surprises can happen too.

Underwater.png

Last month a freelance project came to me TOTALLY OUT OF THE BLUE by someone I hadn’t seen in at least 6 years.  It was an animation project.  I hadn’t even DONE animation in that many years due to people expecting so much work from one creator for so little $.  At first I was hesitant to take on the project, as I didn’t even have an updated reel to show my friend. 

RootsMeeting.png

But I just asked more questions about the project and we agreed upon me creating character and scene designs with a few extra motions of arms and moving elements.  Then he’d pass it on to another animator.  This worked SUPER well and fast too!  Animation was really meant to be created in a team environment, not just one person doing everything themselves.  I really liked being part of a team again & the crazy deadline felt very energizing & motivating (although I wouldn’t want that lifestyle all the time… just eating TV dinners with no time to cook isn’t healthy long term!)

Plane.png

The animation was part of a video series called “Behind The Cover Art” by @art on Instagram.  This episode featured Kenny Gravillis’ story creating “The Tipping Point” album art for The Roots.  See the video with animation here.

friends.png

My animation story is an example of how we already have an amazing network of people even if we don’t realize it or think of them as a “network.”

If you’re on unemployment and are currently job hunting, applying to jobs online is a joke.  I feel like it always has been, but now even more so.  Some state unemployment sites like to see evidence that you’ve applied to jobs online because that’s something that they can measure, but it’s still not really an effective strategy to actually get you a job, especially with the unprecedented competition with our tanked economy. 

TAXES 2edit.jpg

I don’t know the ultimate solution, because the unemployment crisis is larger than any one solution.  But I do know that it’s always been the case for me that my own network has come through for me over the years.  A project coming from out of the blue isn’t all that uncommon when you know a lot of people that know what your talents are.  If people know that you’re skilled at x,y, and z, then they’ll come to you for those things.  If you’re stuck, just start talking with people about anything, then talk about what projects you’re working on.  They may say “oh my friend needs a designer” or something. 

You may have heard the advice of “ask people what they need help with, then help them with it.”  This will lead to a lot of unpaid work.  You can do this, but it’s more of a long-term strategy.  I don’t really do that strategy mainly because usually I have a que of projects always going.  It may not be a que that makes me “rich” monetarily, but it’s something that keeps me afloat and makes me rich in fulfillment.  This is also one of the strengths of freelancing.  If you have a fulltime job and the rug gets pulled from under you, you have nothing.  But if you freelance, you can still keep juggling the eggs still left in your basket, even if it’s only a few.

In other news, this is one of my last few blog posts using my current method and mailing list.  Many thanks to those who have expressed interest in joining my new and improved mailing list!  If you haven’t replied already to keep getting these updates, please do so.  Just reply to this email and I’ll put you on the new list.  Many thanks and stay safe!

tags: freelancing tips, networking, freelance, freelancer, freelance life, freelance artist, animation, unemployment, economy
Friday 08.07.20
Posted by Mindy Steffen
Comments: 2
 

Patreon Is Where It's AT

Screen Shot 2020-05-12 at 5.11.33 PM.png

NYC is FINALLY mostly “over the curve” and now we’re all in the phase of “NOW WHAT?” Definitely a time of soul searching and exploring career/life choices for many people on Earth. One thing I’m super happy about is that through all this, my wonderful patrons on Patreon have not only STAYED, but I gained some NEW ones and some people even pledged MORE! I’m truly grateful to each and every patron that has supported my work.

Backing up a bit, Patreon is a crowdfunding website, much like Kickstarter, but it’s for ongoing work, not for one particular item. For example, I launched my Patreon so people could see the behind the scenes world of how I create the AER HEAD comic series. Whereas I launched my Kickstarter specifically to print 100 copies of AER HEAD issue #1 once it’s all complete. Building my Patreon definitely helped me understand how to better launch a Kickstarter when the time was right, and I highly recommend artists launching both.

If you’re an artist, musician, or other creative and don’t have a Patreon, BUILD ONE NOW! Now is the time where, even though you may feel like the world is crumbling around you with instability, there ARE actually people out there that still have stable jobs working remotely that would love to support you during this time. I share a lot about the stages of building my own Patreon in the first few public posts. Public posts are posts everyone can see, whereas you’d need to join one of my monthly membership tiers to see some other posts.

compare.png

For example, here’s a sneak peek of a recent post for the “See the Present” tier (lowest tier level at $2/month) where I went into detail about the scanning and cleaning up process for my AER HEAD comic. If you want to level up your comic creation skills, this is a great tier to join at a low price!

Also, as part of MerMay (drawing prompts where you draw mermaids for the month of May & post on social media), if you join my “Custom Character Artwork” tier, you’ll get a drawing of one of my AER HEAD characters as a mermaid, usually on a surf board!

Jade-mermaid.png

This is a $50/month tier, but this is the price I normally charge for a color sketch of one character at a comic con anyway (btw MoCCA Fest is officially cancelled). If you’d like a mermaid sketch, you can always sign up for one month, then cancel later. If you’re missing that in-person comic convention experience, this is a great way to get some cool unique art and support me as a freelance artist in these troubling times.

Just go to patreon.com/mindyindy and select a monthly tier. It’s super simple - you can even pay with Paypal. Many thanks, and I hope to see you on Patreon!

tags: patreon, mermaid, mermay, freelance life, freelance artist, Kickstarter, crowdfunding, coronavirus, patreon tips, AER HEAD
Tuesday 05.12.20
Posted by Mindy Steffen
 

Remote Working + Artist Resources + Javits Hospital

TAXES 4edit.jpg

News

Of particular interest to the comics world, did you know that the Javits Center is being turned into a temporary hospital for coronavirus overflow? New York Comic Con fans will immediately recognize the iconic structure that has been part of our lives for many years. On Tuesday, Governor Cuomo gave his daily update on the state of the crisis right from the Javits. Details on this will continue to unfold and I hope that all goes well (or as well as it CAN, given the circumstances).

Other news: Tax Day is delayed! Amidst everything, nobody is thinking of doing their taxes right now. Luckily we have another 3 months to get it together. Our taxes are now due on July 15 with no interest or penalties! Again, since I blog once a week this may be old news to some people, but just in case you’ve been taking a break from the news, there it is. I took a break from it yesterday and today too. I’m not sure if I’ll hold an online version of my tax class, but if I do, you’ll be the first to know.

Resources

Over the past few weeks I’ve gotten a bunch of emails & messages that list many freelance artist resources! I’ve gone through some of them and they range from financial help to mental help and more. I understand that many in the artist community have had multiple income streams stopped. My heart goes out to actors in particular, who usually supplement acting gigs with restaurant or bartending work and can’t really work from home on stuff like visual artists. Hopefully you can find some help in the below links:

https://covid19freelanceartistresource.wordpress.com/

https://cutaway.shift.io/assistance-for-freelancers-and-gig-workers-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Qo_w8b6u2yXKzE7dIUmSeWqk3FFrqS1KhoCGzqcmZiQ/edit?mc_cid=3e772484f4&mc_eid=4f06a15aee#heading=h.9jxpafwpqf90

https://www.unpopcultr.co/blog/covid-19-artist-freelancer-resources?utm_source=Freelancers+Hub&utm_campaign=3e772484f4-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_25&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_757944db2b-3e772484f4-106947873&mc_cid=3e772484f4&mc_eid=4f06a15aee

For now, my freelance work has been holding up and I’ll be ok until the end of April at least with my current projects. I’m wrapping up some design work, sketching illustrations for 2 children’s books, have 2 custom comics, and some other illustration work. Of course, if you’d like some art during this time, feel free to reach out and I’d be happy to create something for you.

More Tips on Working From Home

Since many people are working remotely now, & I got a great response from the last post, here are more working from home tips! These have to do with time management and boundaries:

  • Designate “work hours.” This is about setting boundaries for yourself so others know what to expect from you. If a client calls you at 9pm and you pick up, they’ll expect you to always pick up. IT’S OK to NOT answer the phone and go to voicemail for non-urgent things. You can then communicate what your hours are and that you’re unavailable at certain times. The work/home lines are blurred now, but that doesn’t mean our whole life is work for others at all times. Some artists are uncomfortable bringing up this subject with clients, but it’s best to be straightforward & the client will usually understand.

  • Give yourself an actual “weekend.” This is related to setting boundaries & work hours above, but on a weekly schedule. Don’t work every day or you’ll burn out! Especially during this time, I’m letting myself not worry about accomplishing as much on Sundays. I don’t even check my email on the weekend. Remember, the world revolves around a M-F 9-5, and most people don’t check their email til Monday too.

  • Now’s a great time to test out getting up and going to bed at the same time every day to get better sleep. I can’t enjoy NYC nightlife for the foreseeable future, but one upside is that I don’t feel the need to sleep in on the weekends. I sleep better and accomplish more in the day!

Let me know if you found anything in this blog helpful!

Stay healthy & safe!

tags: working from home, remote working, freelancing tips, freelance life, freelancer, coronavirus, artist resources, Javits Center
Thursday 03.26.20
Posted by Mindy Steffen
 

MoCCA Fest Postponed & How to Work From Home

Screen Shot 2020-03-17 at 2.41.46 PM.png

I feel like this is kind of old news by now, as the corona virus changes life for us daily. I aim to blog about once a week, not daily, but a week feels like an eternity now! Just to clear some things up, MoCCA Arts Festival is POSTPONED, not cancelled completely. Lots of events are being outright cancelled, but being postponed just means that the event will happen at a later date. Life will eventually return to “normal” for us, but none of us knows when.

Meanwhile, I was just talking with my room mate (who is now working from home) that sometimes my life as a freelancer seems chaotic compared to a stable job. Now, I’m feeling more stable compared to people with “normal” 9-to-5s that aren’t used to working from home. But I figured I’d share some tips on how to best work from home!

Business Tips: Working From Home

  • Structure your day in some way. If you’re not quarantined, get out and jog or take a walk first thing in the morning instead of your commute. If you are quarantined, get yourself moving inside (also helps minimize depression).

  • Take regular breaks & eat at regular times so life doesn’t seem like one long continuous day and you either snack on crap all day or forget to eat.

  • Minimize distractions. Bosses are not hovering over your shoulder, maybe your pets or kids are around, and of course the internet is ever present. Working from home has its benefits but also challenges to focus. You WILL get distracted, but the key is to recognize when it’s happening and go back to your work. Example from today - my room mate got a text from her sister about the name of a character her son likes, so my room mate asked me about it. I realized the character was from Voltron, so I showed my roomie a clip of the show’s intro instead of explaining the whole thing in words. When the clip was over, I admit it was DIFFICULT to NOT delve into other Voltron clips! But I recognized this as a productivity trap and made the conscious choice to close the Voltron tab on my browser and get back to work. Now here’s a challenge for you: are you going to click on the Voltron link and binge watch the show, or are you going to get back to work?

tags: working from home, telecommuting, freelancing, freelance life, entrepreneurs, MoCCA Fest, MoCCA Arts Fest, productivity
Tuesday 03.17.20
Posted by Mindy Steffen
Comments: 2
 

Powered by Squarespace.