Throughout these blog posts I have intended to look at my practice in various ways. I have so far done this by investigating processes and where they might be headed as well as current social and economic issues that might affect my illustration work in various ways. Now, I would like to dedicate some time on the subject of gig economies and agencies. It is tough to know which path to take and previously the only way to succeed at one was to fully commit and shun the other, but perhaps that is not the only way anymore. This will be a mainly reflective post on my current working conditions with a look into other options to help guide me.
Currently, my illustration work takes me through a variety of ways of working. I use Fiverr as a side hustle where I can be hired for a small range of work, but this work comes randomly, never when I need it and always when I am busier. I work for an art store that pays me a certain amount of time every week to create art for them, whether that be locally or for online platforms. Since beginning the Semester, I have also picked up some ambassador work for Derwent who have paid me through a rather generous stock of art supplies. Finally, I offer commissions through my website and own marketing strategies which has provided most of my work lately. I would consider the majority of my practice as a gig economy which is where a person hops between jobs regularly without contract or ties. This is also known as freelancing; however, gig economy seems to have a higher rate of jumping between jobs and does not necessarily value creating relationships with clients like freelancing is generally famous for. Gig economies boomed over the national lockdowns which has created a generational movement where people no longer feel tied to companies for their entire lives. Simon Sinek explains that this whilst this feels good right now, there is a potential for future worry where employers might find the quantity of jobs undesirable as they cannot trust you to stay with them. (Sinek, 2022) Artists are well known for living in the freelance realm and each has a different viewpoint on whether this is something that they enjoy or not. An article interviewed a pool of artists about their freelance life, and it became clear that even though they work for themselves they actually become ‘slaves’ to algorithmic processes meaning that they are forced to compete at lower prices with burnout inducing time frames and the inability to avoid ‘bad’ clients for fear of bad ratings. (Alacovska, 2022)
Freelancing is not known to be a stable way of bringing in income, many artists are supplementing their work with multiple revenues. This includes commissions, teaching and part time contracted work. Although not all of these options are gigs, the idea of having multiple revenue streams is essentially a gig economy of its own. Something new for my practice is brand ambassadorship. This is the first time I have had this opportunity presented to me and currently it is only for one project. Derwent hired me to road test their ‘Inktense’ range and review it, particularly focussing on different materials to create illustrations on. Derwent are not paying me for this role but offered the supplies for me to keep in return. The supplies were incredibly generous when they arrived and I took the job due to the following and influence that Derwent has within the art community, I am hoping that my return will come in the form of marketing when they publish the images. Art materials can become rather expensive and although brand ambassadors do not get paid, the exchange of goods does exist as adequate payment so long as the materials were things that you might need anyway. There are questions over how important ambassadors are to a company and with the growth of social media platforms comes the growth of that importance. An article looking into the relationship between companies and their ambassadors point out, “brand ambassadors may legitimize an organization’s CSR activities because publics tend to question the motives of organizations that toot their own horn regarding their socially responsible behaviour”. (Smith, 2018) A general consensus makes corporations less trustworthy after profit reports show many companies making record breaking profits out of other people’s poverty. This article aims to show how ambassadors can humanize an organization and therefore making their ‘unpaid’ ambassadors invaluable.
My experience so far has been thought provoking. The people who have been in contact have been entirely forthcoming with all information and answered any and all questions from me. I do not feel a strong sense of place with that company, however. Although treated well and adequately compensated, the thing that is missing is feeling as though you are part of something. I can now say that I have worked with Derwent, but it is completely impersonal compared to working contractually as an employee of a company. It becomes difficult to represent a company when you have no feelings of worth from them. The goal for my illustration career is to illustrate for children’s books, which is known for needing agency representation. But do you need an agent to succeed? An agent is the middle person between a publisher and yourself. They can negotiate contracts and paperwork, but they are most valuable because of their industry connections. If the right agency sends your work to the right publisher, then your book becomes worthy of their time and is likely to at least be read. (Lawrence, 2020) So in terms of traditional publishing routes it seems highly difficult without an agent. Self-publishing has become easier to access lately with the business skills needed often comparable to that of being a general freelance illustrator. Shelli R. Johannes explains that if you wish to become a hybrid author then you likely still need an agent to help with everything from self-publishing to traditional or digital publishing. (Lawrence, 2020) A hybrid author or illustrator believes that the most success comes from covering all the bases by publishing in every format possible. When I first read this advice in my copy of the children’s writers’ and artists’ yearbook, I thought it sound, but upon reflection this hybrid way of working seems similar to a gig economy. Self-publishing also requires multiple revenue streams to support the artist financially and acquire the start-up costs. This is interesting because gig economies are hidden within what seems like a stable route through publishing. It then seems that the only way to avoid gig culture is to publish traditionally via an agent, but it is recommended to join book tours and teaching opportunities to promote the book and gain further financial success. Once again, this business model can be compared to gig economies as it works with multiple jobs coexisting together.
I began this post with the viewpoint that gig economies cannot be sustainable and expecting to find that my goals would lead me to traditional and stable routes. What has happened however is that a true reflection on my practice has begun. It is clear that no matter what path you take as an artist, gig culture is embedded in some form. I expected to reflect upon my current work as a means to get by until my later goals had been achieved, however what I have come to realise is that my current work is still relative. Although I consider myself a practising illustrator it seems as though imposter syndrome has allowed me to view my freelancing in a negative light. Traditional views on workplaces have told me that stable and contracted work is the only way to feel success, but my research here has uncovered evidence to show that this is not true and also almost impossible to achieve. Although this post has been mainly reflective whereas other have been experimental it has provided deep insight into how I view my practice currently, and where I can take things in the future, by understanding ways of working and the differences that exist within them.
Bibliography
Alacovska, A, et al. (2022). ‘A relational work perspective on the gig economy: Doing creative work on digital labour platforms’. Work, employment and society. DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1177/09500170221103146 . [Online] Available at < https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/09500170221103146?casa_token=YnjxUi3U6EMAAAAA%3AiD9Q8UOG_C8ejtBavfhP-NzbgXzaV6dKq5GQUt2h1G9rEeXCHMhhoLN3yi0lnFyZWq9tJlInA6etVw > [Accessed 08/12/2022]
Froese, T. (2019). Illustration agents: my experience. [Online] Available at < https://illustrationage.com/2019/04/17/illustration-agents-my-experience/ > [Accessed 08/12/2022]
Lawrence, P. (2020). Children’s writers’ & artists’ yearbook 2021. London, Bloomsbury.
Sinek, S. (2022). Consequences of the gig economy. [Online video] November 2nd. Available at < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tXMd5mc4Gk > [Accessed 08/12/2022]
Smith, B, et al. (2018). ‘Rise of the brand ambassador: social stake, corporate social responsibility and influence among the social media influencers’. Communication management review. 3 (1), PP 6-29. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22522/cmr20180127. [Online] Available at < https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337547977_Rise_of_the_Brand_Ambassador_Social_Stake_Corporate_Social_Responsibility_and_Influence_among_the_Social_Media_Influencers> [Accessed 08/12/2022]
Chloe Cooper | MA Illustration 