Wordcamp Chicago 2016 -

1. THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY
OF FREELANCING
Lisa Ghisolf, Gizmo Creative Factory, @gizmodesign

5. WE ARE NOT
FREELANCERS
We are qualified independent professionals.

6. “The famous Pablo Picasso was at a party. A woman
recognized him and approached the Master. She asked,
“Will you create a sketch for me?” Picasso agreed, and, as
he pulled out his sketchpad, asked her for a subject. “A bird
in a tree will do,” she responded. So Picasso spent about a
five minutes doing what Picasso does on the sketchpad.
Finished, he ripped the sketch off the pad, handed it to the
woman and said, “That will be $10,000.” The woman was
floored. “Ten thousand dollars! Why, it only took you five
minutes to draw that sketch!” To which, Picasso replied,
“No, madam. That sketch took me a lifetime.”

7. IMPOSTER SYNDROME

8. DEPRESSION

9. BUILD YOUR SUPPORT
➤ Identify a network of people
you can go to for venting,
referrals, advice, etc.
➤ Find others you can work
with, share work, support
➤ Get help if you need it
➤ Know you’re not alone

10. REALITY CHECK
➤ Don’t spread yourself too thin & don’t
get complacent either
➤ Don’t forget that you don’t have a boss
anymore—you have many
➤ Multitasking is BS
➤ Don’t fall victim to the 80/20 rule—it
definitely exists
➤ Save, and get to know your bottom line
intimately
➤ Get out from behind the computer
➤ Shut up about your work/life balance
and just do it!
➤ Value your time—and that of others
➤ Take care of your health—you’re the star

11. HOW TO GET (LOUSY) CLIENTS
➤ Don’t trust your instincts
➤ Be cheap and easy
➤ Spend all your time on their
work, and not on the good
clients
➤ Don’t establish your authority
➤ Pick your battles
➤ You’ll know them by the dread
in opening your email box

12. HOW TO BE A (LOUSY) FREELANCER
➤ Don’t scope your projects
➤ Stay locked in your office
➤ Agree to everything, have no
opinions
➤ Take responsibility for nothing
➤ Disappear
➤ Slag on your fellow freelancers

13. CONTRACTS
➤ Always, always, always.
➤ Did I say always?

14. DISCUSSING MONEY
➤ Don’t be afraid to stand by
your numbers
➤ Less $ = less functionality,
less design work
➤ Deposits
➤ Publish rates?

15. GETTING PAID
➤ Your contract is your best
friend
➤ Deposits
➤ Reasonable terms
➤ A good lawyer letter w/drafted
motion is worth its weight in
gold... Or your paycheck

16. THANK YOU!
Lisa Ghisolf
Gizmo Creative Factory
@gizmodesign