We recently connected with Shawn Murphy and have shared our conversation below.
Shawn, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
I have been making a full time living as a freelance graphics designer for 25 years now, and 12 years before that as a staff designer at various companies. I moved to Oklahoma City to take a graphic design position at a screen printer, and after less than a year, got laid off. This began a rough patch, which I refer to as the year of 7 W-2s! So I took up bar tending to help make ends meet. After a few years, I realized tending bar was not something I wanted to do for very much longer, so I applied for another position as a graphic designer in town and was hired on. I kept my bar tending as well as the two jobs didn’t seem to interfere with each other, and it provided extra money. Actually the bar tending paid the bills, so the graphics position was the “extra money”. This company jobbed out a lot of it’s screen printing to partner companies in the OKC area, and over a short period of time, I got acquainted with many of the owners. They were mostly typical “mom & pop” shops, but a couple were actually pretty good sized. Before long, I started to notice this new employer was beginning to struggle with the same kind of financial issues that lead to my first lay off. I had always wanted to have my own business, and was never quite happy having a 9-5, and figured I’d probably loose this job before long any way, so I quite the design job, bought a computer system for myself, printed up some brochures, flyers, cards, (you name it), and hit the streets. I talked with many of the owners of the screen printing companies I had been getting to know, and was surprised at the amount of business that had to offer a freelancer, or knew someone who was looking for a freelancer. I also went through the phone book and just showed up at one business after another. After not long, I was getting calls from people who wanted to talk and maybe do some business. After about 2 years of doing this, I was making enough money that I was able to quit bar tending. That was summer of 2000, and the rest is history as they say. Through those contacts, and others that have come over time, I’ve never looked back. It’s been challenging, and frustrating at times, but I cannot imagine myself ever giving it up, and getting a “normal” job again.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
SMart Studio has been serving the OK community since 1998. We specialize in all types of graphic design and illustration, with quality and reliable service you can count on. In addition, our friendly and professional staff is here to answer any questions you may have about how we can help you with your design needs
Whether you need layouts for advertisements, logo development, product packaging design, illustration, screen print artwork, and on and on, we have what you need at prices you can afford. At SMart Studio, our goal is to provide you with courteous, expedient, professional service of the highest caliber.
At SMart Studio, the customer always comes first.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Being your own boss. I don’t have the money of a millionaire, but I sometimes have the schedule and free time of one.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Yes. I, (designer/artist), can’t read your mind. I am constantly dealing with clients that say they don’t know what they want so they leave it to me, and after several processes of revisions, finally tell me what they’ve actually wanted the whole time. When I ask about this, the number one answer is always “I wanted to see what you’d come up with.” That’s infuriating to a designer! NO YOU DIDN’T! I showed you several iterations of what “I’d come up with”, and you rejected them all, only to finally tell me what you actually wanted way at the end! If it’s a job based on an hourly rate, then that’s fine. But when it’s a quoted job, I add hourly rate charges for exorbitant revisions. I think sometimes clients think that because you use a computer, it’s very easy and fast to do everything, so what’s the big deal? It actually takes hours to do this work sometimes, especially illustrations.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.smartstudio.net