The Complete Artists' Guide to Self-Employment

For the artist determined to go their own way, making a living doing what you love requires mastering more than just your craft, it requires embracing entrepreneurship.

This Attract, Chat, and Deliver Framework will help you do exactly that.

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Phase 1: Attract

Finding the right people to work with

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The Attract phase is all about generating leads. A lead, in its simplest form, is a person who:

1. Knows you.
2. Trusts you.
3. Has a problem you can solve.

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You can kickstart this process right now by creating two simple but powerful lists.

1. The "Who Trusts You" List

This list is for anyone who would reasonably trust you to do what you said you would do. Don't overthink this. Start with family and friends, and then expand to:

• Old colleagues and coworkers.
• Past supervisors.
• Previous clients (if you have them).

The goal is to write down 20 to 25 people. This list is the foundation of your trusted network.

2. The "Problem Solvers" List

Now, think deeper about the people on your first list. Which of them have a problem you can solve with your unique artistic skill? This second list will likely be much smaller, but it requires a deeper dive. For each person, ask:

• What is the specific problem?
• Why is this a problem for them?
• What goals is this problem blocking them from achieving?
• What is the pain that this problem is causing them?

The answers to these questions are crucial, but you may not know them yet. That brings us to the next step: talking to them.

Overcoming the Common Fears

The idea of reaching out can stir up a lot of anxiety, especially for artists. You may worry:

• "I don't feel genuine asking people to hire me."
• "I don't want to bother people."
• "What if they ignore or reject me?"
• "What if I don't know enough about their problems?"

These fears are completely normal. But here is the spoiler for the next phase: in all of these conversations, honesty is paramount. The goal is not to be salesy or inauthentic, but to genuinely explore whether you can help.

Phase 2: Chat

Having a Real Conversation

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The Chat phase is about moving beyond your assumptions and speaking directly to the people on your "People You Can Help" list to understand their situation better.

When you reach out to the people you trust, your objective is not to immediately sell, but to learn.

You will do two main things: find the real problem and make a good offer.

By focusing on their problems and the pain those problems cause, you transition the conversation from an awkward pitch to a genuine exploration of how your skills can create a meaningful solution. This is how you set the stage for a deal without feeling inauthentic.

3 Rules for Talking to Clients

1. Ask good questions. Learn as much as you can about their problem.
2. Make sure you are a good match. Don't talk about money or projects until you know you can truly help them.
3. Stay focused now. Don't worry about getting the job or losing the job while you are talking. Just focus on the person in front of you.

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Ask Questions, Don't Pitch

A good expert never pitches their skills right away. They ask questions to find the true problem. Your job is to be truly curious about their business and their problems.

Great questions to ask:

• "Why are we on the call today?" They set aside time for a reason. What do they hope to get from you?
• "If I had a magic wand, what would you wish for?" This helps them dream bigger than what they think is possible.
• The Dan Sullivan Question: “If we were having this discussion three years from today, and you were looking back over those years, what has to have happened in your life, both personally, and professionally, for you to feel happy with your progress?” This helps you see their biggest goals.

Your intention must be to understand, not to fix. The fixing happens later, in the Deliver Phase.

Check Your Intentions

People can tell when a salesperson only cares about making the sale. You must check your heart:

• Care about the buyer more than you care about getting the sale.
• Only offer help if you know for sure that it will work for them. Be honest with yourself and the client.
• Be brave. Don't let thoughts like "Someone else is better" stop you from helping a client if you truly can.

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Is the Problem Worth Solving? (Qualification)

You don't go to a heart doctor for a scraped knee. You need to make sure their problem is appropriate for an expert like you.

Use BANT to see if it is a real job:

• Budget: Do they have money set aside to fix this problem? If not, the problem isn't that big to them.
• Authority: Are you talking to the person who can say "Yes" and hire you?
• Need: Do they need this fixed right now, or would it just be nice to have? You should only spend time on jobs they need fixed.
• Timeline: When do they need the problem fixed by?

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You also need a Minimum Level of Engagement (MLE). This is a line you draw in the sand, saying, "I will not work for less than this amount of money." This keeps you from doing small, cheap jobs and saves your time for the serious clients who are willing to pay serious money.

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Make the Offer.

If the problem passes through all of these qualifiers, you can finally make an offer to help! This is the first part of the final Finish Phase.

Your offer must be about their success. It needs to cover:

• The steps (milestones).
• What success will looks like.
• The price
• How long it will take.

This is where you set up the payment terms.

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Phase 3: Deliver

Honoring Your Promise and Building Trust

Once you've chatted and closed a deal, the Deliver phase is where you execute the work and solidify your reputation.

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Core Tenet: Do What You Said You Would Do

The success of this phase hinges on achieving the results you and the client discussed. While the how of the artistic process is unique to you, these principles ensure a smooth delivery:

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1. Standardize Your Onboarding

Make sure the client knows exactly what happens next the moment you start working together. This could be a standardized email, a brief kick-off call, or access to a client portal. Eliminate any uncertainty.

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2. Tap into Your Domain of Genius

The work you do should leverage your unique expertise, the je ne sais quoi that makes working with you different and offers unique outcomes. If the results you offer are not unique, they become a commodity and are not worth much. Focus on delivering outcomes that result from your special process.

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3. Formalize Feedback Cycles

To avoid endless back and forth revisions, formalize your feedback process. Clearly state in your agreement:

• When you will send work for approval.
• How long they have to provide notes.
• The maximum number of rounds of notes you will accept (e.g., two rounds per department like modeling, texturing, etc.).
• Charge appropriately if they exceed the agreed upon rounds.

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4. Establish Clear Payment Terms

Never start work without a payment plan. A common structure is:

• Deposit: No work starts until a deposit is paid. 50% upfront is ideal.
• Remainder: The final 50% can be paid by milestone or by time (monthly or quarterly, not hourly).
• Final Delivery: Final assets are delivered upon receipt of final payment. Give your client a heads up 30 days before completion to ensure the final payment is sorted and there are no delays.

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The Ultimate Goal: Building Trust

The entire Attract, Chat, and Deliver framework is not just a cycle for getting paid, it is an engine for building trust.

In the market, trust is built on:

• 70% Character: Your ability to do what you said you would do.
• 30% Skills: Your unique expertise and the results you produce.
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People do not hire or give money to people they do not trust.

Every time you successfully execute this cycle, attracting a client, closing the deal, delivering remarkable results, and getting paid, you build more trust.

This creates an upward spiral where you continuously attract higher and higher quality clients, delivering cooler and cooler results for the rest of your creative career.

Simple? Yes.

Easy to execute? Definitely not.

But consistency in these simple steps is the key to lasting self-employment.