We recently connected with Meredith Hines and have shared our conversation below.
Meredith, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
This may surprise those still working a “day job” but I think about what it would be like to have a that “regular” job just about every day. Don’t get me wrong, I am happiest when I am creating and I have always been an artist, but there is something about the ability to leave your work “at work.” It’s been well over a year since I created something just for the fun of it. I have done freelance projects on the side for years, but have been full time for the last 2. I thought I would have more time to do what I loved once my 9-5 was out of the way… but the reality has been the opposite – I have never created less! Since I’ve been running a full time business, I have had to focus far more on the unattractive side of things (taxes, marketing, creating content, outreach, etc). There seems to be so much more pressure when you’re full time, and it’s much more difficult to maintain healthy boundaries around creative work when the lines are so blurred.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Like many creatives out there, I feel like I have taken an unconventional route to get where I am today! When I was in college, I began studying fine art, then switched to study interior design after 2 years. Since then, I’ve worked for 3 different commercial architecture firms including corporate, small healthcare, retail, hospitality, and education work, etc. In that time, I ended up doing a good amount of branding and graphic design work as well, which led into freelancing on the side of every job I’ve had post-grad. The tiny liberal arts school I was sort of forced to attend didn’t offer illustration, so I didn’t even know it was a possible career path until 2019.
That being said, ever since I got my first iPad, I have been immersing myself in all things illustration. I am a voracious reader who loves to learn, so my education has been puzzle pieced together through YouTube, Skillshare, books, conferences, webinars, and any kind human who will tell me how they got to what they’re doing.
While I have a small retail and wholesale business selling illustrated paper goods (greeting cards, prints, stickers, and wrapping paper), I also license my greeting cards and surface designs, and work with a variety of clients. I come from a design background, so I love solving problems and really looking at the whole picture to provide a business with the most creative solution. My favorite personal work has to be illustrated maps which combine my love of travel and years of experience drawing up sets of plans for the firms I worked for.
It’s hard to personally say what sets me apart and makes me most proud, because I have struggled with anxiety and depression for years. My inner critic is tougher than most clients, so I have a hard time being satisfied with anything I create. That being said, what’s sets my work apart is me! I do whatever it takes to get a job done, and I am not afraid of a challenge. I am resilient, efficient, a problem solver, and I do everything with a little bit of humor.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One of the hardest lessons I have had to learn in business and adulthood is that no one cares about you or your business as much as you. Like not even kind of. I have unfortunately paid thousands of dollars for programs / “coaches” / “advisors” who offered empty promises of getting me where I wanted / needed to be in my business (most of which didn’t consider my starting point). There are a lot of people out there offering quick solutions and one-size-fits-all programs which you should be wary of. That being said, if you are lucky enough to find a mentor or someone in your industry who is willing to walk with you through the incredibly isolating and challenging work of being an entrepreneur, don’t let go!
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
There are 2 things that have been game changers in my business. First is the book “Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines”. This industry standard is massive and worth every penny – it contains examples of any type of contract you could ever need to get started and examples of all types of graphic / illustrative compensation. I use it every time I price out a new project for a client!
Finally, Hannah Cole’s company “Sunlight Tax” offers prime education and resources if you are a freelance creative. Her podcast is full of gold, and she is just a delightful individual. Most of us in the states have had zero tax education, and as creatives, we haven’t had the business / economic education we should since we are running full-fledged businesses! I have never had more confidence about doing my taxes since being introduced to Hannah. She is a painter AND accountant AND incredible teacher.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.meredithann.com
- Instagram: @meredithannillustration