Any freelancer knows that there’s instability in their work. Finding clients, managing your time, keeping your finances in order are all big tasks. And with the looming threat of recession, things might seem really scary. But it’s not all doom and gloom. My guest on this episode has taken a close look at all these issues and has some great insight to share. Michael Jones runs MoGraph Mentor, a worldwide program that helps people get their motion design careers up and running. He recently wrote a couple of articles about the future of motion animation - one about what might happen in our industry during a recession and another giving you 7 Reasons not to Freelance.  Today we talk about some of the pitfalls of being a freelancer and why you might even consider another career path. Michael shares what he has uncovered while studying the effects of recessions on advertising and the gig economy. We also discuss our thoughts concerning earning more through content marketing, content creation, and some practical passive income ideas.   In this episode Thoughts on how a recession might impact people making digital content Why individuals and small studios could fare better than big agencies in hard economic times The challenges of most passive income streams and the ones that are worth pursuing Dealing with the stress and isolation that comes with freelancing Appreciating the freedom that comes with freelance work Transitioning from in-house to remote work Setting yourself up as an expert when working direct to clients   Quotes “For those of us who make our living creating digital content, we might actually be in an okay position even in a really bad recession.”  [4:36] “The talent is the asset. Wherever the talent goes, that’s what the companies want.” [9:07] “There’s an obvious pull towards freelance for so many people because so much time at a studio or agency is wasted time.” [32:17] “Just do what’s right for you and try to optimize for your health and wellbeing. Don’t think about the fame and the glory.” [45:19]   Links Follow Michael Jones on Twitter MoGraph Mentor The Freelance Contract Bundle Motion Sound Recessions, The Gig Economy & Motion Designers 7 Reasons not to Freelance Profit First Wealthfront     Thanks for Listening! To share your thoughts: Leave a note in the comment section below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. To help out the show: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help. Subscribe on iTunes. Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Some of the links above are affiliate links. Basically, this means that if you decide to make a purchase through one of these links, we will earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. You can be sure that we would recommend these products whether or not we made any commission on them. Please don’t spend your money on them if you don’t think that they will truly help you improve your business, although, in our experience, they will.

As with anything, there’s a learning curve to 3D animation. There’s always more to learn and more ways for expertise to be honed. Knowing where to look for education and new skills can be tricky. Today’s guest knows this well and has created many resources that any 3D animator can start using right away. Nick and I also spoke about how to promote and market yourself as a motion designer. Nick Campbell is the owner of Greyscalegorilla where he’s been helping 3D artists for over ten years by creating trainings, 3D tools, plug-ins, and other materials that artists need to get the job done. Considering that Nick started Greyscalegorilla as a photo-blog, it’s truly impressive what it has become.  In our chat today, Nick shares the story of how Greyscalegorilla organically developed into what it is today. We talk about using your background to develop skills that you are passionate about and where to turn to for valuable lessons and instruction. As Nick has discovered, many times, the best teachers are still students themselves. Nick is no stranger to negative criticism. He doesn’t let that stop him though. Sometimes its best to ignore it and other times it’s an opportunity to learn. We discuss the value of receiving all sorts of feedback and how it is an essential part of being an artist. I ask Nick what would say to 3D artists who are just starting their careers. His advice is to just work on developing your skills rather than trying to be groundbreaking. Just as any musician starts out playing covers of other musicians’ songs, new motion animators need to hone their craft before they worry about being original. Nick makes the point that marketing is not a bad thing. Many artists shun the idea of marketing. But in truth, all marketing needs to be is letting people know that you can solve the problem that they have and getting the word out that that is what you do. In this episode Combining your interests, skills, and passions into a single pursuit Who the best people to learn from really are Approaching negative feedback in a useful way Why animators should work on being good rather than original when they’re just starting out How to promote and market yourself as a motion designer Why it’s fine to be a generalist but your marketing should be niche   Quotes “After Effects was such a piece of software that it opened my eyes to the possibility of what computers could do.” [7:02] “I have this theory that all the weird jobs that we had growing up prepare us for what we ultimately end up doing in our life, even if they’re not connected.”[11:42] “Don’t be afraid of critique. Don’t be afraid of feedback. By letting that happen, you’re actually building the tools you need to become a better artist.” [19:09] “All marketing is solving a problem that other people need to be solved. If you are able to solve that problem and you’re not letting them know about, that’s on you.” [37:33] Links Find Nick Campbell online at Greyscalegorilla Follow Nick on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Intro to Cinema 4d Freelance Contract Bundle Show Notes

Most of us weren’t always freelance motion graphic designers. For those of us that once worked for another company, the change wasn’t straight-forward. Finding new work and having the right support may not have been easy to come by. Today, I’m chatting with someone who recently made this transition to becoming a motion graphic designer what he’s learned in the process. Chris Field is a freelance motion designer who recently made the transition from full-time corporate work. With a strong background in design strategy, Chris is finding success in motion design and learning some valuable lessons along the way. Chris shares his transition from working as a design strategist into the world of freelance motion design. He’s always had a passion for human-centred design which first led him into a career in industrial design. As such, Chris keeps a keen eye out for the elements of design that truly help the people he’s aiming to serve. His transition into animation took place once Chris realized its ability to tell the story that his clients wanted to envision. He talks about the steps he took to move into life as a freelancer and how he’s found support along the way. In this episode What goes into making sure that design serves the people that it’s meant to The power of story to help people and companies envision their future Affordable and supportive ways to transition from a corporate job into freelance What happens when we directly approach people we want to work with The potential role of a motion designer in developing brand strategy How deeply understanding your audience will lead to a compelling story Quotes  “I was super hyper focussed on getting a job within the creative world because I had done so many horrible odd-jobs before and it was time to treat myself to the career that I really wanted.” [2:04] You’re not going in with a solution. If you have a solution going into a design research project, that’s like throwing a dart at the wall and then drawing a target around it afterwards. If you have a design and solution in mind, you’re probably doing it wrong.” [7:23] “I’m genuinely interested in the work that they do. If they’re genuinely interested in the work that I do, they’re probably going to reciprocate that.” [30:02] “Who is watching this and how are they watching it is the basis for the human-centred design spin on motion graphics.” [39:41] “The emotional charge behind it all is deeply rooted in real people. If you don’t have that, you’re rolling the dice as to whether you’re going to have a compelling story.” [45:43]   Links Find Chris Field online Follow Chris on Instagram   Continuum Innovation School of Motion Episode 49 with Kyle T. Webster Episode 44 with Sander Van Dijk   The Mograph Mastermind Program Join The Mograph Mastermind Program here

As we approach the end of the year, I want to talk to you a bit about goals. Maybe you feel like you haven’t achieved all you wanted to or don’t exactly know what your next steps are. You’re not alone if you feel overwhelmed and exhausted. I certainly have these feelings, but I’ve found some things that help.  In this solo episode, I share some of my tips for you when it comes to setting goals for the end of this year or going into the next. I'll tell you about some of the strategies that I’ve found helpful for setting attainable and meaningful goals and how I put them into action. A key part of this is keeping your business goals in alignment with your personal goals. To help with this, I explain an exercise that I highly recommend that we all try to envision our perfect day. By starting with an idea of what you’d like your life to look like in three years and working backward, you can start to get an idea of what you need to do in the short, medium, and long term to reach it. I also discuss the importance of accountability and focus for attaining your goals.   In this Episode What running taught me about setting goals for work How to align your business goals with what’s personally meaningful Some thought experiments and exercises to try for helping to set goals for the future Setting a different focus depending on the season or quarter How to keep yourself accountable for achieving your goals   Quotes “You shouldn’t wait until January to make New Year's resolutions that you’re just going to give up by February. We need to do really start thinking about this stuff now and put in a plan.” [2:23] “You need to turn your to-do list into priorities based on what will move your career and your business forward.” [7:22] “I think we should think about our lives and what we want our lives to look like to help build your business around that.” [11:39] “We can all feel like we aren’t getting anything done, but we never actually give ourselves permission to organize our lives and we say yes to everything that pops into our inbox. You can plan your year actually. You have permission to do that.” [12:49]   Links Episode 28 with Joe Donaldson Episode 8 with Austin Saylor Couch to 5k The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E Gerber  Mograph Mastermind Program Download the Perfect Day and SMART Goals Exercise

Allison Butler has always had a passion for motion design. Mostly self-taught, she has been creating professional digital content for five years as well as running a monthly meetup of Connecticut based animators, motion designers, and related creatives.  Allison tells her story of how she started her own freelance business as an alternative to full-time but temporary work. While it provides a large amount of freedom, it also requires courage and determination and many hard lessons. Allison shares what she learned by becoming a freelance motion designer.  While it wasn’t always the case, Allison is a master of networking. We chat about the power of networking and how Allison created a local motion design meetup which helps her and others immensely with their freelance careers.   In this episode Lessons learned from chasing one temporary gig after another  Learning the basics of transitioning to a freelance career Tools and tips for overcoming the fear that comes with a career change The power of in-person motion design meetups to support your career How to start your own motion design meetup or event   Quotes “Freelancing is never easy to jump into when you’ve only known full-time work.” [8:43] “I needed networking practice. It’s something people don’t tell you - that you need to practice networking and just talking to people and being human.” [17:47] “Everyone has these online platforms to talk to and chat with people and they’re absolutely wonderful. But people still want that in-person connection. They want to know people in their area. They just want to know who’s around.” [23:52] “If you can find one or two people in your area who are pumped to have a meetup, that’s all you need.” [32:48]   Sponsors Milanote Milanote is a tool for organising your motion graphics projects - everything from the creative brief, mood boards, storyboards - all your pre-production material in one place. Watch Evan's series on pre-production where he uses Milanote and shows you how to organised your motion design projects to get better results. Check out Milanote and sign up for free milanote.com/motionhatch   Links Find Allison Butler online Follow Allison on Twitter | Instagram | Linkedin Connecticut Mograph Meetup The Ultimate Freelance Guide Work_Space, Manchester, CT Can we add the Mograph Mastermind logo like on this page?  https://motionhatch.com/046-masterminding-with-jess-peterson Find out about the upcoming Motion Hatch mastermind   Thanks for Listening! To share your thoughts: Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. To help out the show: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help. Subscribe on iTunes. Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Some of the links above are affiliate links. Basically, this means that if you decide to make a purchase through one of these links, we will earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. You can be sure that we would recommend these products whether or not we made any commission on them. Please don’t spend your money on them if you don’t think that they will truly help you improve your business, although, in our experience, they will.

There’s something that happens when you’re constantly creating. Your skills and technique improve and get fine-tuned. You realize what you truly enjoy doing and the ways in which your work is personally meaningful. Few people understand the payoffs of constant creation better than today’s guest. We dive into how to create the freedom to allow you to work on personal projects.  Mike Winkelmann, AKA Beeple, is a truly prolific 3D artist and motion designer. He is an instrumental force behind the “everyday” movement which encourages artists to create new work every day so that they are constantly improving their skills. Most of his work has been released free under Creative Commons, making them accessible to anyone. For our 50th episode, I ask Beeple a lot of rapid-fire questions about himself and his business. He shares everything from his favorite failure to what he’d do if he weren’t an animator and his weirdest habits. As someone who has been creating daily renderings, Beeple shares his insight into how daily creations can be beneficial to any artist and how he makes it his priority. We also get into money matters. Beeple solidly believes in the power of wisely investing your earnings in order to create financial freedom. Being wise with what you do with your money will open up more doors and provide you with more options in the long run.  Beeple is extremely open with sharing his work. While many people might be protective of what they produce, Beeple sees value in letting anyone have access to it. He discusses why he feels more people should do the same and the value that he receives in return. By releasing his work for free, Beeple has been able to find clients willing to pay him much more than he would ever receive from the original work itself. In this episode Beeple answers all my many rapid-fire questions How daily creations will help you hone your skills if it becomes a priority Investing and saving money to create freedom and options in your business How to create freedom to work on personal projects The value you get from being open in sharing your creations The advantages of charging a day rate versus a project fee Finding the true value of doing work for the sake of exposure Finding fulfillment in doing what you’re interested in rather than just following the current trends Quotes “You could definitely be the next Beeple. Just start doing it every day. I think everybody should be the next Beeple.” [8:18] “People see money as something to buy things. Really what money does is it gives you options -- to say no to things, to turn things down, to do your own work.” [14:39] “Very early on I recognized that the clips would be more valuable as a promotional tool than selling them directly.” [34:15] “Exposure is a real currency. It doesn’t work in the way a lot of people think it works, but it definitely has value.” [55:59] “If you keep pushing in the direction that you are super passionate about, I think it will eventually bear fruit versus trying to do some flavor of the month.” [1:06:59] Find Mike Winkelmann (Beeple) online Follow Beeple on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Behance | Facebook The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

As creatives, there are countless ways we can earn an income doing what we love. By keeping an open mind as well as open eyes, you may be able to spot opportunities that lie outside the traditional paths. Today’s guest has done just that. Kyle shows us how to boost your motion design career with side projects.  Kyle T. Webster started his own business as an illustrator in 2006 after years of doing it purely as a side gig. As an illustrator, he found that he has a special knack for building tools, particularly Photoshop brushes, to help other artists with their work. This caught the attention of Adobe and now he works full-time for them.  Kyle talks about many aspects of his career including how he stumbled upon making Photoshop brushes and how this was a total gamechanger for him. We discuss why personal projects and your day job doesn't have to be the same thing as well as the role of taking calculated risks. Kyle shares his opinions about the power of social media to connect you with audiences by showing the behind the scenes aspects of your creative process.     In this episode Developing skills you enjoy that can earn you even more income Recognizing the value in the ideas you have and the methods that you use How to boost your motion design career with side projects Why it’s helpful to talk about how much our products and services should really cost Determining how much risk is the right amount when trying something new with your work Deciding whether the work you do on the side can be an extra revenue stream or a passion project The power of showing what goes on behind the scenes to market your work  How getting actual facetime with your peers can open up many professional opportunities   Quotes “When you’re presented with a problem and very little time to solve it, sometimes you come up with good solutions simply because there’s no other option.” [4:24] “Nobody knows artists better than we do, especially the ones who are doing work that’s similar to our own. If we come up with a more efficient way of doing something, then we should sell that. If we come up with an idea, we should sell it.” [8:11] “I think it’s important to talk to other creatives about what’s possible with money and budget and what you charge for your work. I think illustrators need to be more vocal about these things because it’s an easier way to not get ripped off to say what a fair fee for this work is.” [17:21] “Things you do on the side, even if they have a short lifespan, will eventually lead to other things if you choose to promote them that way.” [27:43] “We’re human beings, we’re animals. There’s something about being in the presence of other humans that brings out the best in us. I think it also suppresses the worst in us.” [43:14]   Sponsors Milanote Milanote is a tool for organising your motion graphics projects – everything from the creative brief, mood boards, storyboards – all your pre-production material in one place. Watch Evan's series on pre-production where he uses Milanote and shows you how to organised your motion design projects to get better results. Check out Milanote and sign up for free milanote.com/motionhatch   Links Find Kyle T. Webster online Follow Kyle on Instagram | Twitter | YouTube Gumroad Society6 Creative Market Peer Assembly Episode 47 with Evan Abrams   Thanks for listening To share your thoughts: Leave a note in the comment section below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. To help out the show: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help. Subscribe on iTunes. Podcast music licensed by Big Waves sonosanctus.com dankoch.net Some of the links above are affiliate links. Basically, this means that if you decide to make a purchase through one of these links, we will earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. You can be sure that we would recommend these products whether or not we made any commission on them. Please don’t spend your money on them if you don’t think that they will truly help you improve your business, although, in our experience, they will.  

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an art director for motion design? While it involves a command of many of the skills that you may already have as a designer, there are many other elements to the job that can make it all that more exciting and rewarding. Today’s guest has transitioned from working purely in design to directing some fantastic projects with major brands and studios. Nidia Dias is a 3D art director for motion design who has been working in various studios around the world as a freelancer. Over the past few years, she has worked with brands ranging from Adidas and Bacardi to MTV and Microsoft. Nidia’s work is focused mainly on styleframes and look development for motion, but she also produces illustrations for print. With a background in graphic design, combined with motion expertise she creates visually compelling images that tell a story and reflects the overall look and feel of it. Today's episode is all about art direction and what it takes to get hired as an art director for motion design. Nidia tells the story of how her career developed from designer to director and how that has opened countless doors for her. She shares some great advice for managing good team cohesion and communicating effectively with clients. This includes tips for working with team members in ways that allow them to be creative while also staying focused on a common goal. Nidia tells us her advice for getting in touch with studios you want to work with and why you shouldn’t be afraid of sending them emails. She also shares what it’s like to work remotely with studios and a team of designers. Nidia includes what she looks for when searching for designers to join her team and how your personal projects are some of your most valuable assets. In this episode Getting the attention of studios you’d really like to work with Tips for maintaining good communication with clients and the design team How to maneuver your career in the right direction to get work as a director What you should include in emails you send to studios you want to work with How the changing professional landscape is making it easier for art directors to work remotely in spite of its challenges Leveraging the good work that you do to find more jobs in the future The power of personal projects to boost your career Quotes “I always felt that I needed to understand each part to actually be a good art director, not just the styleframes. I try really hard to understand each part of what the team does.” [5:58] “As an art director, you have to step back and think that it’s for the greater good. You shouldn’t be too focussed on your own style or what you want to do but let everyone on the team join in and bring their flair into the project.” [12:03] “If you’re working on something good, you’re going to get more work coming back from it.” [27:49] “I feel that people should learn what they really think they’re going to like and start finding what they like rather than just going by trends.” [46:36]   Links Find Nidia Dias online Follow Nidia on Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | Behance Nidia’s Society6 Store FutureDeluxe ManvsMachine Territory Studio School of Motion MoGraph Mentor Milanote Episode 47 with Evan Abrams Full show notes 

Often times, we overlook the value of the pre-production process, when it’s actually an incredibly important part of what we do. In many ways, a little extra work up front, will save a lot of extra time on the back end. To help us all understand this better, I’ve brought in someone who truly knows the importance of this concept.  Evan Abrams is a fantastic motion designer who runs his own YouTube channel where he teaches motion design. With over ten years of experience, Evan has fine-tuned how he creates his projects from beginning to end. Not one to keep his skills to himself, Evan uses his YouTube channel to share his expertise with other motion designers. His recent videos about the pre-production process have me thinking that we too often ignore this essential part of creating animations. So today we’re talking about how you can streamline your pre-production process for better efficiency and more clients. Evan also talks about why it’s crucial to position yourself as an expert in what you do and to share that expertise with as many people as you can. To that end, Evan shares his advice about whether or not you should start your own YouTube channel.  Evan gives some great tips on using your expertise to get new clients by using your knowledge to get you in front of new audiences. Much of this involves being active in the right communities and offering each other support. Evan and I also dive deep into how important pre-production is to creating a great final project. By focusing on the process before the creation begins, we can better anticipate potential problems and streamline collaboration, not to mention reduce stress. It allows us to be able to do and consider more in the end by being more intentional from the start. In that way we should enjoy the process even more than the finished product.   In this episode Why you need to make content that is meaningful to you instead of trying to please everyone The importance of being an expert in your field and sharing your skills with others The most important thing to consider when starting your own YouTube channel Why planning and pre-production is the most essential aspect of your work even though it’s rarely discussed How pre-production helps you and your clients understand each other better from the start Why mood boards are one of the most important pre-production tools you can utilize Top tips for communicating effectively with clients from the very start of a project   Quotes “If you’re going to create something, you can’t please everybody all the time. That’s probably the biggest hurdle to get over.” [6:25] “I think we’re entering an age where secret knowledge is not valuable, but shared knowledge is. If you hoard all this behind the scenes stuff to yourself, that’s great, now nobody gets to know about your process. Your process is as valuable as the product you’re putting out. It’s often more valuable if you want people to work with you. They’ll need to see how you work.” [11:35] “Pre-production, in my mind, is the only way to achieve great production. It’s the party that happens before the party. You can’t get somewhere if you don’t know where you’re going.” [22:49] “It’s vital to remember, everybody is a person. No one is a robot. Behave less like a robot.” [46:38] “Great work doesn’t come fully formed into the universe. We all want to produce great work and it doesn’t just pop out of people’s heads. It doesn’t just show up. Most great work comes from collaboration, working the problem, the process. There is a system and systems are not to be feared.” [57:12]   Links Find Evan Abrams online Follow Evan on YouTube | Twitter Check out Evan’s pre-production series Milanote Creative Cow Motion Hatch Episode 19 with Caitlin Cadieux Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon Mograph Mondays Detroit The Freelance Contract Bundle

Have you ever felt stuck in your motion design career? Maybe you’re feeling like you need to do everything all the time but aren’t sure what is actually helping you move forward in your business or career. If you feel like your to-do list is getting longer all the time and don’t know what to do and you're feeling overwhelmed, this is the episode that you need to listen to. Today I’m talking to Jess Peterson and Christopher Bernal about what to do when you’re feeling stuck and overwhelmed. Jess and Christopher are mentors in our Mograph Mastermind Program. Jess runs Mighty Oak Studios specializing in handmade animation and design. Christopher is a Bay Area motion designer with ten years of experience working with internal production companies, agencies, and studios. In this episode, we’re talking about conquering your feelings of being overwhelmed by work and moving on to the next stages of your career. Jess and Christopher share some of their tried and true tactics for when they feel inundated with work. As my guests explain, a lot of this can be accomplished by prioritizing and categorizing your tasks. We also talk about delegating roles to other people, the proper mindset for not letting the amount of work you have to get out of hand, and knowing when it’s okay to say no to a job. We discuss the benefits of being part of a community like a mastermind and how that support is one of the most valuable things a freelancer or small business owner can have.   In this episode Actionable advice for dealing with having just too much work to do Why taking the time to reflect on your business and work is an important part of moving forward with it Knowing when it’s time to delegate various tasks of your business The mindset needed to help maintain a healthy and sustainable work-life balance The power and payoffs of being part of a community   Quotes  “When I start to do these things, are they interconnected? Are they going to help set off a chain of things that can show me a path going forward? Every once in awhile, there will be lots of interesting things coming up on my radar, but it’s not really an opportunity if it’s just a distraction.” [8:19] “If you can take the other parts of your work that are on your plate an invest in someone who is also naturally good at that to help you, you find that the work goes so much quicker and that it is more cost-efficient, it’s more successful, it allows you to be a better creative or small business owner.” [14:48] “I just have to normalize that not everything that pops up is an opportunity. Just because it’s all happening at once doesn’t mean that it’s going away.” [20:54] “If you don’t know when you’re going to get close to done, then you feel like it’s never going to end. And that’s most often when we burn out. If you can give yourself opportunities, if you can plan projects out, it kind of gives you those markers to know it’s not forever -- there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” [24:24] “Who you know in an authentic way is incredibly valuable to growing your business. You shouldn’t have to be sending out cold emails.”  [32:19]   Links Mograph Mastermind Program Find Jess at Mighty Oak Studios Follow Jess on Instagram | Facebook | Vimeo | YouTube Find Christopher at Designer of Motion Episode 16 with Jess Peterson   Find the full show notes here Keep up with everything Motion Hatch   Follow Motion Hatch on Twitter | Instagram If you haven't already, would you mind leaving us a rating and review? It really helps!