Written by: Courtlyn Jones, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
“I love my job. I just don’t always love my clients.” These are the struggles of a Creative.
If you’re new to the creative industry, listen up because you’re in for a treat!
Having a creative job can make you feel special because of how lucky you are to have talent, vision, and an eye for detail. It can feel almost empowering to know that you have a gift that makes you unique and can actually be used to build a career that you truly love.
These are some of the wonderful pros for being a Creative, however it’s not always super liberating.
One of the biggest struggles with being a Creative is dealing with clients that make you want to pull your hair out.
Working with a difficult client is one of the biggest downfalls. Most of us have been taught to deal with people who are stubborn, lazy, cheap, and/or rude. Sometimes, if we’re extra lucky, there are people who are all four. How fun! If you’ve lived in New York your whole life like me, you can definitely relate.
Creatives are usually hired by people who are more strategic than creative. They have an idea in their mind about what they want, but they may not have the talent, skills, or time to bring their vision to life. Unfortunately, a lot of strategic thinkers who lack creativity, never truly understand the value of a Creative or how much time certain projects can take. When dealing with a difficult client, it’s always important to know your worth, and give them your pricing before you start the project.
Why is this so crucial?
Creatives are constantly ripped off for their services. Some clients even wind up with free work because the Creative made the mistake of giving the client the work before settling on a price or without watermarking their work.
Pro-tip: ALWAYS watermark your work when sharing drafts with your clients. Only remove the watermark when you are sending the final work after you have received your payment.
How to prevent this?
Ask the client for a project scope before you start working. If you can, schedule an in-person or virtual meeting and ask the client to explain the project fully in detail. Take notes during this meeting and ask them for a deadline. Try to estimate how much time you think this project will take for YOU to actually complete it, based on previous experience. If you don’t have any other work experience, think back to school projects or base it off of how well you know your own schedule and work ethic. When you figure this out, give the client your desired pricing. Design projects can range from $45hr—$150/hr based on talent and experience. Do your research and always know your worth.
If you need help or advice, The Design Database was designed specifically for moments like this. This platform is a community and support system for Creatives that allows artists and designers to connect and ask for advice. This is especially helpful for new freelancers who are just starting out or recent graduates from art universities or programs who will need the most guidance and support as they navigate their way into this competitive industry.
Another common issue with dealing with a difficult client is being able to agree on a vision. Some clients are great and they know exactly what they want and you’ll have great synergy with them. These are the best clients because you can practically read their minds and since you’re both on the same page, it makes execution run smoothly.
Then, you’ll have the opposite. Welcome to every Creative’s nightmare! I’ve dealt with all types of difficult clients, but let’s start off with the most common.
Let me introduce you to the client that doesn’t know what he/she wants, can’t articulate any thoughts, but hates all of your ideas. This particular client will surely drive you insane. They’re also the ones they will either have no boundaries and will try to contact you at all hours of the day or night, whenever a new idea pops up in their head, or they’ll ghost you without any explanation. This is the client you will always want to avoid.
How to spot this client?
During the initial meeting, whether it is via phone or email, make sure you ask a lot of questions so you get an idea of what the project is about. If they can’t answer basic questions about what the company/product/brand is about, that’s a big red flag. If after speaking with them, you realize they have no idea what message they want to convey or what they’re representing, move on. This means the client is not ready for the design phase and they will only waste your time.
Up next, we have the client who has horrible taste. Yes, they hired you to make a beautiful design for them that is visually-appealing. Yes, you did in fact create a stunning design for them that is super clean and engaging. But no, they want you to change it. They want you to take all of your beautiful colors that complement one another and use colors that clash and burn the eyes instead.
What do you do in this situation?
First, you have to remember that the client is the one paying for the job to be done their way. It is your job to make the client happy. BUT, you were also hired to give them the best design to appeal to their audience. Sometimes, you may need to push your ideas and sway the client to reconsider your vision and explain it. If you think their idea for red and orange will clash, speak up. Do it professionally, of course, but don’t be afraid to fight back a little.
They hired you because they don’t have the creative vision that you do. But also be prepared to lose some of these battles, because the client is always right. No matter how much it pains you, they’re the one paying you. Always be respectful, but remember if you hate it, don’t put it in your portfolio because if you’re not proud of it, you’re not going to be able to defend it when you have your next job interview.
Moral of the story is: Being a Creative is not always fun and it’s definitely not easy, but this is why we are so important. We turn people’s dreams into reality and we do what a lot of people are unable to do themselves.
Check out my next articles for more tips about surviving the creative industry and visit The Design Database to connect with other Creatives that are going through the same struggles as you.
If you’re a graphic designer specifically, you may also want to check out the podcast The Struggle of a Graphic Designer by Lodesigns Studio.
Courtlyn Jones, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Courtlyn Jones is a graphic designer and creative entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Founder of The Design Database, a new online platform and community designed to be a support system for Creatives (artists, designers, illustrators, photographers, writers, and more). With her platform, Creatives can connect with clients who are looking to hire now, connect with other Creatives in the community to form partnerships, gain inspiration, and make new friends, and also host and sell their work. She has partnered up with other amazing businesses who share the same mission as her to support Creatives by providing tools and resources to help these independent workers be successful in their careers. Her mission is to help create change in the creative community and bring people together because she believes that when Creatives come together, true magic happens!
