The Future of Creative Work is Independent

We’ve all experienced our work lives shifting to a more independent and long-distance format. With people turning their homes into their workspaces and getting used to their meetings taking place over Zoom during the COVID pandemic, it’s of little surprise that discussions about flexible, independent work styles have been happening on a more regular basis. This, however, isn’t necessarily new. Freelancing has always been common in the worlds of illustration and design; there are countless stories from well-established professionals recounting the “early days of their freelance grind.” These stories would both celebrate the freedom of being able to seek out new clients and exciting projects also warn of the challenges that come along with this lifestyle. (Especially back when work was done traditionally and often had to be delivered via courier! Invoices were mailed to companies, and check payments lead to long waits between finishing a project and seeing the final reimbursement for their time… which added stress to the creative worker.) 

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This stress made the idea of getting a job in a corporate office setting that much more appealing. Having a consistent, straightforward form of income, not having to hit the pavement to show work to potential clients around town, and not having to worry when the next payment would arrive in the mail added to the appeal of surrendering your independence for a nice little cubicle in an office setting.

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However, with our advances in technology and communication came advances in creative work, payments, and work searches. Designers working from their home studios are able to send work to offices across the globe. There are plentiful apps and websites that can be used to send invoices and receive payments almost instantaneously as well as work-sharing platforms. There are also many new ways to find freelance work from the comfort of home, as creatives can now set up an online portfolio or website and share it with prospective clients with the click of a button instead of “hitting the pavement” with a printed portfolio in hand.

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Even beyond working completely independently as a freelancer, there are now a myriad of flexible remote work options being offered by companies that have begun to catch on to the new wave of creatives working from home.Through retainer or freelance contracts, there is no shortage of opportunities and options to choose from.