We recently connected with Jason Borbet *(I typically go by Borbay, no first/last) and have shared our conversation below.
Jason, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
Fortune! Fame! Freedom! All fabulous, all difficult to come by. I’ve been painting full-time since July 2, 2009 — a privilege earned through discipline and hard work. From day one, I committed to a traditional business development plan, and a traditional schedule.
The former included developing a standard form of contract, collecting/commission protocols, annual price increase standards, accounting relationships; developing a strong website, identity, marketing ethos, social media persona; curating different styles, long-term series and establishing time to experiment, grow and develop creatively; and committing to a consistent, 9-5, 5-6 day per week work schedule.
The first years were ‘wake up in a cold sweat’ terrifying, as I went from a six-figure advertising executive, to $37,000 in sales my first year. Over time, by adhering to the principles outlined above — I was able to grow, evolve, and eventually find security.
Folks always ask for advice… I offer this… create, create, create… and study business. I could switch out paintings for paper clips and thrive with my current model… and that’s the cold, hard truth of being a full-time creative. It’s a business.
Jason, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
From the moment my Mom put a paintbrush in my hands at two years old — I knew what I wanted to be. However, I didn’t achieve that reality until I was 28, with a BFA in Graphic Design from Boston University; and a diverse, seven year professional career spanning design, sales, real estate development, legal work, recruiting and advertising.
I was extremely fortunate to receive a full athletic scholarship, and secure a BFA at BU. That said, if a young creative is positive they want to be an artist — I would advise them to forego college, and find an internship/entry level job in the business or legal fields. Spending 1-2 years as a paralegal, and working as a business associate, will provide the greatest framework for living your dream. Create on the side, learn on the job.
So many young folks enter the world as a creative with almost zero business understanding. What awaits is a world of freelance work, complicated contracts, and no understanding about taxes and accounting. If you make $50k as a freelancer, nobody is withholding taxes for you… the shock of April 15th is to be avoided at all costs.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Teach creatives business, contracts, accounting and financial planning. Period. End of discussion. Creative evolution is endless, and a true creative will never stop searching for answers. Whenever I guest lecture at schools, I don’t provide creative feedback — I ask how each artist might package, promote and sell their work.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Perhaps the greatest resource for creatives is the ‘Graphic Artist Guild Handbook, Pricing and Ethical Guidelines’. This book assists creatives in understanding contracts, engaging clients, executing projects — and, most importantly, how to successfully get paid.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.borbay.com
- Instagram: Borbay
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/borbay/
- Twitter: Borbay
Image Credits
Photo of the Artist: Photographer: Camrin Dengel