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Freelancer Feature: Jade Warrick of TrashKid Art

February 28, 2020 By upstatecreative

Last but certainly not least, we present our fourth Freelancer Friday highlight, Jade Warrick.

Business Name: JW Media/TrashKid Art

Artist Name: TrashKid

“ALWAYS charge what you’re worth. It is ok to have a sliding scale for certain areas, but never undercharge your talents. Working for exposure is DEAD.”

Where are you from? I am originally from Los Angeles, but I moved to Albany from Houston about 4 years ago.
In what year did you start freelancing? Oh boy, I’ve been freelancing since I was about 13, ha. But I really got into doing more creative freelance work in college to help stay alive and not eat ramen every day for three years.
What inspired you to start? My passion for design and entrepreneurship, but more importantly it lets me give my talents back into the community. Money is nice too of course, but it was never truly my main goal.
What’s your favorite thing about freelancing? Probably some of the cool requests I get. Weird murals. Intense designs. Doing thoughtful work for local non-profits. Freedom to work for yourself and being the owner vs. employee is a nice feeling as well.
What’s the most difficult part about freelancing? Sometimes the stress of heavy workloads can become intense. I want to get everything done with high-quality standards while being empathetic of my time and the clients. It is a balance. Another one would be people taking advantage of your time and talents.

Jade also says, “Never stop marketing yourself, especially when you’re swamped with clients. When you stop feeding your funnel, the work will eventually dry up and you’ll find yourself in a scramble trying to get more work when revenue drops. Dedicate time every single week to marketing until you build a solid base.”

Check out this video – CollabCast by The Collaborative Episode #19 with Jade Warrick / TrashKid!

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @trashkid_art

Comics Featured on The Collaborative

Creative Economy Mixer at Collectiveffort: Photo Highlights

February 27, 2020 By upstatecreative

Our February 2020 Creative Economy Mixer was at Collectiveffort in Troy, a new creative agency and workspace whose mission is building and bridging communities. We enjoyed entertainment from The Age, an informative tax workshop (especially for freelancers!) with Kelly Saposnick of Wojeski & Company, food from K-Plate Korean BBQ, beverages from Rare Form Brewing and much more.

Collectiveffort is not just a coworking space- check out the other amazing things that happen there:

Podcasting: Collectiveffort wants to help you tell your story! Come chat with them during the event at the live Podcast station.

Media Studio: Part of what helps to build a great brand is great content. Stop by the media studio to get updated photos for your social media and website.

Event Giveaway: One lucky guest received a special gift from the team at Collectiveffort.

Special thanks to the event sponsors Center for Economic Growth,MVP Health Care, The Community Loan Fund, Rensselaer County Chamber, and promotional partners Redburn Development, CapGirls, The Collaborative, Troy BID and Rensco Tourism. Event production by 2440 Design Studio.

Freelancing in Portugal with ACE Executive Director Maureen Sager

February 24, 2020 By upstatecreative

I did not exactly plan to have a working vacation during Freelancing February. I’d booked this trip to Portugal last year, long before I knew that I’d be up to my elbows in the Regional Brand project (it’s a new initiative that we’re launching in the fall — more about that soon!). I also didn’t know at that time that I’d be traveling alone (I’d had the trip planned with a friend). I was tempted to cancel. I’d never taken a major trip by myself, let alone a two-week excursion to a foreign country. But here’s what I thought about:

I’m in no position to go on a two-week vacation right now because of work commitments, but what if I worked part-time from Portugal? My official contract is for 7 hours a day. If I worked two hours in the morning and 90 minutes at night, that would still leave me plenty of time for touring.
In my ACE (and now the additional Regional Brand role), I sometimes spend more than 20 hours a week driving to and from meetings. What if I didn’t drive for two weeks?? I’d potentially have more “desk time” in Portugal than I have in the Capital Region!
The price was right – plus, my Airbnbs were all booked and my flight was paid for, so I’d lose over $800 if I canceled this trip. Off-season prices in Portugal are fantastic – wonderful apartments in perfect locations for less than $30 per night. I could swing that.

So, should I stay or should I go?

The answer is, I decided to go. I’d freelance, on a part-time schedule for two weeks, from Portugal. Crazy? For sure. But, why not give it a try.

I started my trip in Lisbon on a Sunday, after a super-easy, five-and-a-half-hour flight from JFK. It took less than five minutes to know that my month of studying Portuguese had not done much good at all, because they speak way too fast, and it’s a notoriously difficult language to begin with. It all worked, though. I got a $15 Uber to my apartment, and within an hour of landing, I jumped onto email, just to make sure I was set. Everything worked. I spent the day walking up the ridiculously hilly streets, and took an “Airbnb Experience” tour, where local people show you their city. It’s much more personal than a corporate tour. I’ve become quite enamored of them.

Monday was the moment of truth – would I be able to work? I woke at 8 a.m. and worked for two hours as planned, making cappuccino in my lovely apartment. By the time I finished my “shift”, it was 10 a.m. in Lisbon, and 5 a.m. in New York. I headed out for an amazing day, then came back after supper and worked 90 minutes til 9 p.m. By the time I finished, it was 4 p.m. in New York. I’d spent about the same amount of time working as I do on a normal work day, if I’d had two meetings that were 30 minutes from my home.

While working and doing email, I rarely mentioned that I was in Portugal unless it was pertinent to the conversation – it actually didn’t matter where I was. I scheduled phone calls at mutually convenient times, and used WhatsApp when it was someone who knew I was away.

I’m on Day 11 of my working vacation. The usual things go “wrong” and need to be worked out, same as any other work week, AND I’m in my fourth Portuguese city — it’s in the south, called Evora. I’ve also been to Lisbon, Coimbra, and Porto. All have been wonderful.

Like I said, I did not plan this as a working vacation, or my first big solo trip. Life just happened that way. It’s been a life-changing experience. I feel brave and competent and bad-ass, because there have been some damn challenging moments – like driving the wrong way down ridiculously narrow, cobbled streets — that totally worked out.

This working vacation NEVER would have happened if I’d not become a freelancer. I wouldn’t have had the imagination and gumption for it. It’s been fifteen years since my last traditional job. Fifteen years without health insurance, paid vacation, or 401K. And it’s been the best fifteen years of my working life, AND my personal life. Here’s to Freelancer February! Freelance forever. That’s my goal and motto.

I’m very happy to share travel tips on Portugal – it’s been absolutely gorgeous, stunning and affordable! Hit me up, and share your travel stories with us! [email protected]

Freelancer Feature: Aaron Moore of Acting with Aaron

February 21, 2020 By upstatecreative

Aaron Moore started “Acting with Aaron,” in 2012. Born, raised, and still living in Albany, he started teaching acting when he came back to Albany after college and noticed that there were a lot of youths in the area who were interested in the performing arts but didn’t have an outlet for it. He wanted to give back to the city and fell in love with doing it. Aaron says, “Giving my knowledge to others and getting to see how it affects them is a true gift.”

What’s your favorite thing about freelancing? My favorite thing about freelancing would be the freedom that it gives you. You can make your own hours, create your own projects, and set your own networking opportunities. I’m able to work on multiple projects at the same time.
What’s the most difficult part about freelancing? I would say that the most difficult part of freelancing would be the lack of stability that a regular 9-5 job has.
What’s your advice to a freelancer just starting out? My advice to folks starting out would be back sure you have a full understanding of your business plan and create realistic long and short term goals. Look for networking opportunities when you can, and always get things in writing.
What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started? I wish I knew I didn’t have to say yes to everything, that planning ahead does wonders, and to have set up my prices before starting out.
Your most exciting project to date? I’m working on my first written production “When the Sun Rises and the Walls Come Down.” Putting a play together from scratch has been most exciting, and stressful.

Aaron said that it’s great to be a freelancer in the Capital Region because the region has started on a creative renaissance and it’s still growing and shaping. As the city grows, so does the opportunities for freelancing.

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @actingwithaaronpage

Instagram: @actingwithaaron

Freelancer Feature: Kristoph DiMaria of Will Kempe’s Players Cooperative

February 14, 2020 By upstatecreative

“I challenge you, the readers, to consider how freelancing not only satisfies the individual creative work experience, but how it can be applied to change how our society operates – think activism, public policy, and working towards intersectional experiences and real inclusivity.” Meet our second Freelancer Friday highlight: Kristoph DiMaria. Many call him Rags, short for “Ragliacci,” his clown-performer-artists identity name. Will Kempe’s Players (Cooperative) is the name of his other business.

Where are you from? Where do you live now? I was born in Troy, NY and grew up in Clifton Park. I moved out at 18 years old to explore the Capital Region, living and working in each of the four cities. From there it was inter/national travel then back home to Troy, NY where I have lived consistently since 2014. I am currently in South Troy.
In what year did you start freelancing? I suppose my freelancing practice started as early as an open guitar case on the streets of Saratoga at 16 years old. I’ve been a notary for three years, officiating weddings for the last four years, divining with runes and tarot for the last 6 years or so, and performing professionally as a musician and actor since 2010. I incorporated Ragliacci LLC and Will Kempe’s Players Cooperative in 2017 and am actively working to consolidate and organize my diverse portfolio into a centralized container.
What inspired you to start? This is a great question. I have always respected the independence and flexibility of freelancing. The opportunity to work with a diversity of people, media, and venues allows for exploration and a natural evolution of one’s art forms. It allows those experiences to affect us and bring us back to ourselves with new awareness. It also allows us to have an effect on those who experience our work, whether audience or collaborator, that deepens relationships and understanding. My biggest push came from the recognition that this failure of late-stage capitalism chooses not to sustainably support artists. The burned-out, crumbling shell of corporate mentality from generations past feels obsolete and oppressive to me. We have to choose ourselves, find our own way, and trust in our impact to do and change, rather than to solely talk about it or trust in a larger system.
What’s your favorite thing about freelancing? My absolute favorite thing about freelancing is the liberty of the work. I am getting to change things up, constantly, and by choice. I follow my inspirations. I set my own schedule. I work with whoever I choose and with those who choose me. At the end of the day, I am accountable only to myself and my loved ones, and that’s what matters.
What’s the most difficult part about freelancing? Consistency is definitely a challenge. A freelancer responds more to the will of the market (or their audience), more than the other way around. Setting boundaries that include a narrative of self-care, such as creating just to create, making quality time for oneself and loved ones, or resting from work entirely can be a tricky balancing act.
What’s your advice to a freelancer just starting out? Finding a rhythm takes time. So does building an audience and context for your work to operate it. Do not despair at hearing “no” or when things seem to take a long time to manifest. Be flexible. Think broadly. Try all the things and be conscious of the responses you get.
What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started? I wish that I had known how important time and resource management is. I would have greatly benefitted from already having a routine, schedule, and budgeting practice. The learning curve is starting to taper off, however, and I am grateful for the in-flight lessons thus far.
Your most exciting project to date? The most exciting project is still in its primordial form and involves opening and facilitating a multidisciplinary arts and community space in the Capital Region that serves collaborators and the neighborhood it will exist in.
Any helpful “freelancer-friendly” resources you recommend using? Digital: Asana, Instagram, Google Suite. In-person: Power Breakfast Club, Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy, and attending other freelancers’ events / supporting their work.
Why is it great to be a freelancer in the Capital Region? There is such a diverse wealth of creators and ideas here. We’re in a unique position to shape the culture of this area with our work. It’s a fairly affordable area to live/work in and there is a lot of access to outdoor spaces like parks, rivers, and mountains that keep us healthy and sane.

Stay tuned for our third Freelancer Friday highlight next week!

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @ragliaccirags

Instagram: @ragliacci

www.willkempesplayers.com