New Illustration

Here is an illustration I just finished for a client who wanted an illustration of his son and his favorite toys. This was a really fun project!

Friday Favorites

Things that made me smile this week.

1. Having a very happy client! Before I helped her, she was stuck and couldn't move forward with her business because she didn't feel good with the logo and the look of the materials. I got her branding the way she liked it. I love that I helped her feel good about her business and got her excited about it again!
   
2. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   This little diva dancer on Ellen. So cute!
   
3. Frosty the Gourdman comic by Dani and Nicole Jones. I finally got around to reading this - it is so cute. Dani is one of my illustration heros - I'm SO not worthy!
   
   
4. Beautiful weather! I love having the windows open and seeing all the trees changing colors.
   
5. Skype. I know I'm a little behind but I just signed up with Skype and had a nice, FREE conversation with one of my clients who is in Canada (yeah, I'm international now-gotta love Twitter!!)

What made you smile this week?

Friday Favorites

Things that made me smile this week.

1. Have you seen this flash mob video from Ohio State? I just love the idea of flash mobs! It's just such a fun and joyful thing to do. I hope I get to witness one in person sometime. I love that they used the Glee version of the song "Don't Stop Believing"
2. Speaking of Glee, I LOVE that show. I am so glad that singing and dancing is cool again - it just makes me smile. Grilled Chesus was funny, and Jane Lynch, you crack me up!
3. Heidi Klum, you rock! I am a big fan of Project Runway, and one of my BFFs and I get together and watch it every week. I love how Heidi dressed down Gretchen - that girl needs to learn some humility! Don't be dissin' The Body, Gretchen! "What your line is missing..." I CANNOT believe she said that!
4. Amandin Piu's work.
5. The inspirational video of Pascal Campion talking about art below. Thanks Tracy Bishop! 

Inspirational Artists: Pascal Campion from Onyx Cinema, Inc. on Vimeo.

Top 10 Things I’ve Learned from International Freelancers Day (in no particular order)

Just got finished attending the first International Freelancers Day online conference. It was so informative! Had fun tweeting with other attendees while the presentations were going on. There was so much I learned, and a lot I missed (will catch up when the replays are available). But here are just 10 of the take-aways I can think of right now (my mind is swimming with so much information) that would be helpful to many kinds of freelancers – illustrators, writers, graphic designers, marketers, entrepreneurs, etc.

1. Pricing Implies Quality – Jonathan Fields
2. Paradox of Choice - don’t overwhelm your clients with too many choices – Jonathan Fields
3. Present your pricing from the highest to the lowest, because people will compare the new price in relation to the one mentioned before it – Jonathan Fields
4. FUF: Follow up Forever – Michael Huggins
5. ABP: Always be Pitching – Rebecca Matter
6. NEVER miss your deadlines. 75% of new freelancers Rebecca Matter hired missed their first deadlines. WOW!
7. Get listed on top influencers’ resource directories – Ed Gandia 
8. Milk the freelance life – Peter Bowerman (favorite quote - a t-shirt to be made?)
9. People Don’t Buy What You Do; They Buy Why You Do It – Simon Sinek (by way of Peter Bowerman)
10. Never discount, instead offer economical alternatives by taking out line items. – Michel Fortin