The Creative Circle

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the creative circle

A D I G I TA L M AG A Z I N E FOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

annadower.com

the things you are passionate about are not random, they are your calling

THE CRE ATIVE CIRCLE EDITORS LETER

Hello to my fellow creatives. I am so proud to bring you this free digital magazine created specifically for graphic designer bosses.

The magazine is filled to the brim with inspo and tips to help make your creative business run smoothly and successfully.

I am also taking on a handful of new creative mentor students if you feel like you are ready to step up and bring those big-ass biz dreams to life. You can read all about my mentoring services here.

In the meantime enjoy the mag and let me know what you think!

Keep creating,

ANNA DOWER

founder / editor / fellow creative hello@annadower.com

Anna Dower is an art director, graphic designer, and the creative force behind Design With Style.

With more than 20 years industry experience, she’s infused her visual alchemy into heart-fuelled businesses and brands from all corners of the globe. As well as gorgeous design, Anna is passionate about empowering women in business. She is the founder of ROOOAR, the digital magazine that’s redefining the landscape for female entrepreneurs. She’s also a business mentor, using her hard-won wisdom and expert insights to help her clients bring their big-ass biz dreams to life.

THE CRE ATIVE CIRCLE CONTRIBUTORS

Emma Brownson is the founder of Soul Stirring Branding, a brand strategy and identity design business based in Brisbane. She works with small heart-centered businesses to get clarity on the heart and soul of their brand message and then find the most relevant, authentic, stylish way to translate that visually. She believes in a holistic, big picture, detailed approach, which, ensures consistency and layers brands with lots of love, deeper meaning and emotional connection. www.soulstirringbranding.com.au

Alyssa Martin is a copywriter, messaging coach & podcaster with a mission to help entrepreneurial women tell their stories & promote themselves with a loud, proud voice. Through working with her, Alyssa’s clients find the words to make their business more meaningful, memorable & profitable, which makes it a whole lot easier to get the attention & clients they deserve. Get to know Alyssa by listening to the Confessions of a Female Entrepreneur podcast on iTunes or find her at www.alyssamartin.com

Bianca McKenzie demystifies marketing technology for female entrepreneurs, big dreamers, movers and shakers so that they have more time to do what they love and be the change-makers they dream to be. An intuitive marketer, natural connector and qualified teacher, Bianca brings marketing strategy and technology together with ease.

She spends her time cuddling her two pups, zooming down the ski slopes and is an avid hiker with the Inca Trail in her back pocket. www.biancavanmeeuwen.com.au

Sarah Jensen is a sought after life coach, internationally published writer, creator of the award winning Rock Your Goals workshops and host of the iTunes New & Noteworthy Rock Your Goals podcast.

Sarah is a passionate advocate for empowering women to get clear, get inspired and live their dreams. She also loves exploring the world, getting lost in a good book and eating amazing food. www.sarahjensen.com.au

THE CRE ATIVE CIRCLE CONTRIBUTORS

Emma Morgan The Business Designer is a creative agency that specializes in creative branding and project management for overloaded designers and busy businesses. Emma has over 15 years design management and direction experience under her Pommy belt.The Business Designer works with creative thinkers – people who want something a little bit different without the hassle of having to micro manage the creative process. www.thebusinessdesigner.com.au

Natasha Vanzetti lives by the motto “Just because it doesn’t exist doesn’t mean we can’t create it”. As a Discovery Coach and Speaker, Natasha helps big-hearted entrepreneurs pin-point their business sweet spot.

By using her innate ability to see what people can’t see for themselves, Natasha helps her clients discover where their true value lies and what’s standing in their way. The result - people feel excited & energized by their work, and have the confidence to go after what they truly want. www.natashavanzetti.com

Kate White works with coaches, consultants and creative freelancers find their voice, unleash their full potential and replace their corporate income by giving their business dream a go and living the life they were meant to. Kate has a Communications Degree and is a qualified coach through the Beautiful You Coaching Academy, she is also a CTC Master Therapist certified in NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), EFT (emotional freedom technique), Reiki and Hypnotherapy. www.lifecollective.com.au

We know that not everyone thinks and creates the same way. We also know that there is often more than one right answer. So that is why at the creative circle we like to hear how a few experts about each topic that we tackle. Say hello to the expert panel.

CHOOSE CREATIVITY NOT FEAR WRITTEN BY SARAH JENSEN

If you’re in business, particularly online, it’s likely you’re feeding your fears (without even realising it) EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Tell me if this sounds familiar… You scroll through Instagram and see a new eBook launch or a glamorous re-brand whipped up with seeming ease by the designer of the minute. The nasty voice in your head starts shouting, “You’re not good enough”, “Your work’s not good enough”, “You SUCK!” You start to compare, worry, overthink and doubt everything about yourself and what you’re doing.

Suddenly the creative juice that was flowing out of you like a fountain has dried up like the outback during a drought.

You start to compare, worry, overthink and doubt everything about yourself and what

You feel stuck. Sick. And worse… You’ve got a deadline.

Fear is like kryptonite to creativity, so when you feel it slipping away, it’s time to create space from the noise and tune back into you. Here’s how: ONE – Disconnect to reconnect If you’re surrounded by the noise online, it’s time to tune out for a while. Stop reading blog posts and eBooks, turn off the podcasts and stay away from social media. If you need to post for your business then get in, post and get out again.

TWO – Create before you consume If you have to be on social media every day, and staying up to date with life online is part and parcel of being in business, then this tip is golden: create before you consume.

Set timers, use an app like Self Control, or remove apps from your phone altogether, but make it a priority to spend the first half of your day creating before you head for Instagram.

THREE – Nurture your creativity Find ways to create space from the ‘busy’ in life so you can give your creativity room to breathe. Whether it’s going for a walk, doing yoga or meditating, journaling or having a Netflix Binge, find the things you love to do and make time for them. You could even tap into creative outlets like painting, dancing, drawing or photography purely for fun.

It takes consistent effort to fuel your creativity rather than feed your fears, but don’t give up. And don’t be afraid to create a protective bubble around yourself during highly creative periods. It not only protects your energy and reduces the fear, it allows you to stay connected to your flow and that intuitive place inside you where the creative magic comes from.

WRIT TEN BY K ATE WHITE

CHOOSE CREATIVITY NOT FEAR Are you continuously agonising over what to charge your clients? Do you feel uncomfortable talking about money in your business?

Guess what, you’re not alone. Working out what to charge clients is one of the biggest roadblocks faced by creative entrepreneurs.

But it doesn’t have to be. The only thing holding you back from charging your worth

The next step is to understand how

is you. When your money mindset is driven

these thoughts make you feel when

by your fears, limiting beliefs, self-doubts

you think about or talk about your

and negative emotions, you’re subcon-

prices? Do you feel embarrassed,

sciously keeping yourself playing small.

anxious, undervalued, angry etc.

Your beliefs guide your actions, so it’s time to change your thoughts. To get you started, here are a few tips on how to free yourself from your money blocks.

Recognise your feelings and beliefs The first step is to understand your relationship with money and the beliefs that are driving your actions.

What thoughts come to mind when you think about money? For example: “I’m not good enough to charge that much” “Making money is meant to be hard” “I don’t deserve to earn good money” “No one will pay that much for my services” “I feel bad charging for something that comes so easily to me”

Finally, identify how you act out these feelings in your business. Do you find yourself apologizing for your prices? Do you fear missing out so you immediately discount your prices? Do you undervalue your worth so much that you simply give your services away for free? Are you keeping yourself small by undercharging?

Change your thoughts and actions Now that you recognise the thoughts and beliefs that are holding you back, you need to take action to change them. Because if you don’t value yourself, others won’t either.

Build your confidence by building credibility through social proof. Showcase your work on social media, start a blog, collaborate with other services your clients use, take part in interviews and ask for testimonials and referrals from past clients.

Part of valuing your worth is also learning how to lovingly say no and set your own boundaries. Get really clear about what’s important to you. Stop saying yes to clients and projects that don’t align to your values out simply out of fear.

Stop discounting or giving away your work! Instead package and price your services based on the outcomes you provide and think about where you can add value instead of taking it away.

Journal daily and use affirmations. Journaling helps you to recognise your thoughts and patterns, and affirmations help you to change your thoughts. Turn your negative beliefs into

positive statements. Repeat regularly, and the secret is to feel them rather than simply think them. Try these or write your own: I am the power in my world I am worthy of financial abundance and freedom I attract clients who value my work and pay me my worth There are enough clients for everyone and I can choose freely who I want to work with I receive money in a fun and joyful way I believe in the value I provide and my prices feel good to me

It’s not as hard as you think to educate your clients about how to work with you. The trick is to be clear, consistent and repeat the same message to them over and over. Repeat, repeat, repeat. If you’re ever worried that a client won’t remember what comes next or what the expectations are, repeat them again.

W R I T T E N BY A LY S S A M A R T I N

CLIENT BOUNDARIES Clients love clarity. It’s easy to worry that setting clear expectations and client boundaries will be seen as being mean or inflexible. But instead of hating our boundaries, clients are more likely to love them – as long as you’re clear and consistent from the beginning. Plus, client boundaries help you make sure that you enjoy running your business, instead of having to answer demanding client emails at 11pm while breastfeeding your newborn.

You deserve to have a business that is a joy to run & clients that adore working with you.

It’s not just about attracting the right clients, but educating your clients so that everything runs smoothly, you both enjoy working together & you’re primed to do your best work.

Your clients aren’t trying to be pains in the arse. It’s just that we all have incredibly short memories these days. They need you to remind them of what you need (and when you need it), every step of the way. The goal is to get on the same page and stay on the same page throughout your entire project.

So ask yourself: • What do you need from your clients (and when) to do your best work?

• Is there anything that your clients do that irritate you or make you resentful?

• What parts of your process do your clients get confused about or have a lot of questions about?

• Can you think of anything that you wish your clients already knew about working with you?

Once you have the answers to those questions, you can build them into your client communication process.

For example, let’s imagine that you have a clear, structured process with set dates that you need client feedback in order to keep things on track. You can educate them about that by: 1. Outlining your process on your sales page 2. Outlining it again in your project proposal 3. Reminding them of where the project is up to in the process every time you email them a project deliverable (including outlining the next steps).

It’s not as hard as you think to educate your clients about how to work with you. The trick is to be clear, consistent and repeat the same message to them over and over. Repeat, repeat, repeat. If you’re ever worried that a client won’t remember what comes next or what the expectations are, repeat them again.

When you do that, you’ll be surprised at how much positive feedback you get about your clear communication. Most importantly, they want to know how to help you do your best work because that’s how they’ll get exactly what they paid for — stellar results.

WRITTEN BY EMMA MORGAN

CLIENT BOUNDARIES You wouldn’t let someone come into your house – uninvited, help themselves to your food cupboard, take a bath and sleep in your bed.

Of course not, you have boundaries, and rules Running your business is the same, you have to set boundaries, ones that you’re happy with, and feel comfortable enforcing.

When you work for someone else they set your pay, work hours and rules to adhere to during the time you work for them, but when you work for yourself, the worlds your oyster, you can do anything you want It is hard when you start your own business to set boundaries, you feel as if you need to do everything for everyone…. immediately, for the fear of loosing a client, getting a bad testimonial or generating bad word of mouth.

But your business and customers need boundaries to feel safe and confident, so that they can trust and respect the work you do.

Here are the top boundaries you should implement

Feel confident that you

into your business as a bare minimum:

are worth the money

When do you work, or more importantly when don’t’ you work.

your charge. Don forget

Setting clear working hours and sticking to them is so important for both you and your customers.

If you say you don’t work on the weekend, don’t email your clients during this time. Set an out of hours automatic reply that says when you’ll be back.

If you don’t stick to it, it causes confusion and looks unprofessional. It may leave the client thinking – if you don’t stick to that rule what other elements of the business don’t you stick to?

customers feel confident when you act confident, and this means valuing the work you do.

How much do you charge?

Have you ever charged different rates depending on the client or job?

Most of us have at various times?

This is not a situation that you want to get into, set your hourly rate, quote with confidence and keep it consistent.

Feel confident that you are worth the money your charge.

Don forget customers feel confident when you act confident, and this means valuing the work you do.

Use a project management system and run everything through it.

I use Basecamp or Teamwork for all my clients, it means I can control the project and the client knows what is going on at any time.

Don’t slip into emailing, texting or sending feedback via Facebook, it is unprofessional and leads to miscommunication.

Be clear about the scope of work from the beginning.

Having everything documented in a professional document means that boundaries are set from the outset. Have a clear proposal that outlines the projects boundaries from the outset. Be clear about elements such as the number of revisions you’re prepared to do at any stage and how you split your payments.

The boundaries you choose to implement into your business have to work for you; boundaries should allow you and your customers to feel secure and safe within your business.

WRITTEN BY ANNA DOWER

FIVE THINGS A DESIGNER WOULD NEVER SAY I want to start with a massive disclaimer: I love my clients. Adore them. Worship the very ground they run their badass businesses on.

But, (and because I’m the type of woman that tries to keep it real), I’m going to be brutally honest with you: being a designer can be hard sometimes. Some would even say that the struggle is real.

Why? Well, because not only do we tend to exist in our own creative world half the time, but the way we think and work is often vastly different to way other people do. Which means that we have to spend a fair bit of time educating our clients about our own unique design process. And educating the - shall we term them ‘challenging’? - clients can definitely be a handful.

Which is why I know that even though we are all vastly different (creative geniuses), there are a few things we all have in common. For example, these five things that not one of us will ever be heard proclaiming: 1. “No, you don’t have to pay me to continue making changes to your project.”

After all, the five, six, ten plus hours I’ve now spent adjusting, tweaking and editing your design so it matches your vision perfectly is just cream on the entrepreneurial cake. Profit? Deadlines? Other projects awaiting my attention? Pfft, who cares. In fact, here, let me change that colour scheme for you one more time. Just for fun.

2. “Yes! Please ring me whenever you like – several times a day – about things you could easily send in an email.”

I love hearing your voice. And the sweet, melodic tones of a pedantic client is just the alarm I wanted to wake up to this morning. Mind reader, much? Oh, and weekends? Totally just another opportunity for me to connect with you about the Pinterest mood board you want to explain, in detail.

I’m going to be brutally honest with you: being a designer can be hard sometimes. Some would even say that the struggle is real.

3. “I adore it when you give me tips, tricks and directions on how to create your logo properly. “ No, you don’t have any graphic design experience. And yes, you have already given me a very thorough brief. But I hate flexing my creativity muscles and actually getting the chance craft an original and heart-fuelled vision for your branding. So here, let me pull up a chair for you and you can design it all yourself while I watch.

4. “When should you pay me? Oh, whenever. “ I’m actually a multi-millionaire in disguise who works just for the heck of it, so please don’t concern yourself with tedious, mundane things like paying your invoice by the ‘due by’ date. Besides, my local supermarket accepts friendly smiles as currency and my electricity provider is happy to swap hugs for power, so, really what do I need money for?

5. “I don’t need any new fonts.”

I’m more than happy to rotate the 100 or so fonts that came with my iMac. I don’t need the fun, handcrafted and sexy as heck fonts that just popped up on my Pinterest feed.

Who cares that they’re making my weep with their sheer beauty - all fonts really look the same anyway, right?

And in case you didn’t guess, I speak two languages fluently: English and Sarcasm. What about you? Do you have anything you want added to this list?

P.S. Looking for a community of women who understand your struggles and know just what to say to guide you on the path to success? Make sure you join my private Facebook group Designer Boss-Ladies here.

THE CRE ATIVE CIRCLE INTERVIE W : W W W. JENNAR AEDESIGNS .COM

JENNA-RAE HALLETT

Did you always know you wanted to be a designer? Tell us a bit about your journey...

No I didn’t … I found my love for branding and design 4 years ago when I was running my first business. I understood the importance of brand strategy and worked my butt off to create a strong brand for my online store. I soon found myself working and designing for other small businesses on the side and it has now grown from there to a full time business that I am head over heels in love with.

How do you keep the creativity flowing, when you’re not feeling it?

If I am having a creative block and just can’t seem to get my artistic mojo going I step away from my desk.

I understood the importance of brand strategy and worked my butt off to create a strong brand

Working from home allows me to head out with my

for my online store. I soon found

little ones grab a coffee and just hang out at the park

myself working and designing

and clear my mind. If I try to push through I usually get

for other small businesses on

more frustrated and end up becoming overwhelmed.

What is your favourite part of the design process?

the side and it has now grown

Nothing beats reading a well written design brief from your client haha.

I really love the design part. Putting together the colours and fonts and creating the art work. Seeing it all come together is exciting.

A lot of newbie designers struggle with knowing what to charge - what would your advice be to them?

This is always a hard one. For me it is believing in yourself and knowing that you are worth every cent. If you are struggling in this area I would suggest hiring an epic mentor who can work with you to get past your blocks around pricing.

How has your work evolved over the years? How do you keep up with technology & trends?

My design style has changed over the last few years to suit my ideal client who I am always tweaking and working on. To keep up to date with current trends and technology I have my fave groups and pages on social media that I enjoying hanging out on from social media, to business and design.

Tell us about one of those FEAR-filled moments in your career & how you overcame it?

For me it was doubling my prices. I had so much blocks around this because of confidence in myself as a designer. I had silly fears that I would lose clients and the world would come to an end. After working with my mentor who gave me the kick up the butt that I needed I doubled my prices. The world didn’t stop turning and I am still booking in jobs on a regular basis.

What is the best & the hardest part about working from home?

Working from home has given me the freedom to choose my own hours which allows me to spend more time with my family as well as keep up my martial arts training. Oh and I can work in my pj’s all day.

The not so fun side is that my kids (2 and 5 years) can drive me bat crazy some days and trying to design while screaming at the top of your lungs STOP FIGHTING can be kinda hard.

If you could pass on 3 tips to young designers, what would they be: 1. You are good enough 2. Never stop being a work in progress 3. Fake it till you make it baby!

FINISH THESE SENTENCES....

I am currently obsessed with… game of thones + coffee + MM A My muse is… running (all my good thinking happens then) You will find... coffee on my desk My chill-time consists of…running, gym time, martial arts training, cafe’s with the fam

1 : 1

M E N TO R I N G

FO R

C R E AT I V E S

Ready to go from rookie to rockin’ your graphic design business?

Craving more confidence and more clients, but feel like you’re not cutting it?

You’re a talented creative.

But let’s be honest – creativity won’t guarantee you success as a graphic designer! I’ve been there, done that, and discovered the secret to empowering yourself and watching your business SOAR. Are you ready to start making some serious profits? Do you want to finally be seen as a design pro and not just a freelancer?

Basically, a mentor is ESSENTIAL if you want to move ahead.

You need someone who’s walked the path before you to warn you about what’s coming up, equip you for the journey and help fast-track your progress. If you want to leapfrog the annoying intermediary stages, this is the way to go.

CLICK HERE & READ MORE

Fear will never leave you, but you can’t let it rule you. Elizabeth Gilbert says that ‘ fear and my creativity are basically conjoined twins – as evidenced by the fact that creativity cannot take a single step forward without fear marching right alongside it.’

It’s not about being fearless. It’s about being brave enough to follow your creative curiosity. Acknowledge the fear that’s there, and give it a high five for looking out for you. But continue to march down your creative path and see what comes to life.

HOW TO LOSE YOUR FEAR OF BEING WRONG WRIT TEN BY NATA S HA VA NZE T TI

Creativity is a gift given to each and every

But safe is boring. Safe is not how we grow.

one of us. For some it comes out in art,

Safe is not for a creative soul like you.

music, business, sport, but for most of us life.

As children we express ourselves freely. We

‘To live a creative life we must lose our fear of being wrong.’ Joseph Chilton Pearce

draw what we want, we play what we want and we imagine what we want. We have no limits to what we believe and no boundaries in place for what we want to create.

Making friends with fear Fear will never leave you, but you can’t let it rule you. Elizabeth Gilbert says that ‘fear

We create vast worlds out of nothing.

and my creativity are basically conjoined

We become kings and queens. We fly to

twins – as evidenced by the fact that

the moon and back in time for lunch.

creativity cannot take a single step forward

We know no limits.

without fear marching right alongside it.’

It’s not about being fearless. It’s about

But then life takes over and we start

being brave enough to follow your creative

to lose our curiosity. We spend so long

curiosity. Acknowledge the fear that’s there,

trying to fit into someone else’s idea of

and give it a high five for looking out for

what things should be. We start to lose

you. But continue to march down your

sight of who we are, what’s important to

creative path and see what comes to life.

us and what we can actually achieve.

‘An artist is an explorer.’ Henri Matisse

We start to doubt that we’re good enough.

We care way too much about what other

Your creativity is yours alone

people think. We’re scared that our work

What you create comes from within you. It’s

won’t be liked by everyone that sees it.

your perspective, experience and passion.

‘Don’t try to win over the haters. You are

It’s your idea, your iteration and something

not the jackass whisperer.’ Brené Brown

that can’t be matched by anyone else.

It’s all a lie

Embrace that. Harness the power that you hold to create something purely unique.

The doubts we have and the fear we feel is all a lie. This lie can be so deeply ingrained that it can

“It’s your road, and yours alone.

be hard to pick as it disguises itself in logic. It’s a

Others may walk it with you, but no

lie we’ve been taught to believe to keep us safe.

one can walk it for you.” Rumi

THE CRE ATIVE CIRCLE INTERVIE W:W W W. MARIEONEILLDESIGN .COM . AU

MARIE ONEILL Did you always know you wanted to be a designer? Tell us a bit about your journey...

No, in fact I’m still not sure I think of myself as a “real” designer. Drawing was a big part of my childhood. I recently found my primary school year book, and 11 year old me wanted to be an illustrator when I grew up. I took my art very seriously through high school and was strongly influenced by pop and comic art. When the time came to choose a university course, I was drawn to a design degree at the University of Western Sydney as it incorporated illustration and comic art as core subjects. I was lucky enough to study under some amazing lecturers who really inspired me and helped me shape my style. I pretty much ignored all the graphic design aspects of my degree (in fact, I don’t even recall using a computer much during my four years there!) and chose to focus on developing as an illustrator. I had no real clue of where that would take me when I finished uni, I was simply enjoying myself. After uni, I was still quite unsure of myself, so ended up working in retail

A lot of established

management for a number of years, choosing to create my

designers struggle

art in my spare time and sell at weekend markets around Sydney. I really did not find my way into design until after

knowing what to charge

the birth of my first child, when a uni friend offered me a

as well! Money is always

part time role helping out in her studio. Three years later,

a tricky question.

I’d relocated to Brisbane. As I was pregnant with my second child, I decided to set up a design business of my own, to allow me to work from home around the kids. I set up a Facebook page and joined a few networking groups, and the rest, as they say, is history!

A lot of newbie designers struggle with knowing what to charge - what would your advice be to them?

A lot of established designers struggle knowing what to charge as well! Money is always a tricky question. Over the years, I’ve learned that you need to be confident in your rates and know your worth. If you know you are delivering value, then you should be completely comfortable with every quote you put out there.

Your rates should reflect your skills, your experience and your knowledge. It’s also important to understand who your client is. If a potential client balks at your prices, then they are not your ideal client and that is no reflection on you.

THE CRE ATIVE CIRCLE INTERVIEW

How do you keep the creativity flowing, when you’re not feeling it?

I actually find it very hard to switch my brain off! My phone is full of notes and ideas and I usually carry a sketch book in my handbag. When I hit a creative block, I love to trawl through Pinterest (though it’s so easy to lose hours on there!) or head to my favourite cafe by the water to drink coffee and stare at clouds. Or I create memes for my page.

My memes started as a simple outlet for my odd sense of humour and have become a huge part of my brand.

What is your favourite part of the design process?

Definitely concept creation. I always get impatient to get Illustrator open and start putting the ideas together

When I hit a creative block, I love to trawl through Pinterest (though it’s so

once I’ve sketched them up. I adore digital illustra-

easy to lose hours on there!)

tion and playing with type. And I love putting colour

or head to my favourite

palettes together to make a design really pop.

cafe by the water to drink

How has your work evolved over the years? How

coffee and stare at clouds.

do you keep up with technology & trends?

My work has evolved so much over the last 6 years. Coming into graphic design in my 30’s and not having had years working in studios and agencies to shape my style, I think I was scared to follow my own instincts too much early on. I found myself trying to shape my work to fit the styles of other successful and popular designers. Funnily enough, it was when I started embracing my own style that I really found my niche.

My style now, is very much of a fusion of my art and design skills. It’s bold, bright and quite raw at times. I love rough edges, textures, and strong colour palettes. I would not say that I’m particularly concerned with technology and trends. My iMac is simply my digital paintbox, and so long as it allows me to create my art, I’m happy. I’m a designer that still loves to work in paint and pencil when I can, and that is a huge part of me.

I love social media and fairly much built my business through Facebook. Instagram is an amazing tool for any creative as well. I love to share my work, funny little daily thoughts and the things that inspire me, and love the instant connection it provides.

Tell us about one of those FEAR-filled moments in your career & how you overcame it?

A bit over a year ago, I was at a bit of a crossroads with my business and was not sure how to move forward. I felt like I was becoming too bogged down in the grind of graphic design and was losing touch with my creativity. I’ve always seen myself as an illustrator first and graphic designer second, and I felt like my work was losing it’s creative edge. I’d had an idea floating around in my head about creating illustrated family portraits, really fun, quirky pieces and decided to reach out to a bunch of high profile bloggers to see if they’d help me market my idea. I basically pitched my idea to them in an email, offering a family portrait in exchange

for them sharing it on social media. These people had no idea who I was and sending that email was terrifying! When one of the bigger names from my list replied with an instant yes, I was beyond excited!

Over the next week or so, I got more and more positive responses. Fast forward a year and I’ve created over 100 Pop Portraits for clients all over the world. Getting over that

initial fear and approaching

those people was hard, but continuing on an uninspiring path in my business would have been harder.

What is the best & the hardest part about working from home?

The best part of working from home is freedom. Freedom to choose your own hours. Freedom to be able to manage school pick ups, appointments and all the other commitments that come with parenthood. The hardest part is distraction and the fact that it can be really hard to switch off. I’m still trying to work that one out, so I’ll let you know when I do.

If you could pass on 3 tips to young designers, what would they be: 1. Be inspired by others but find your own style, perfect it and own it.

2. Don’t be afraid to say no to a client if you don’t feel you are the right fit.

3. Have an area of excellence and know your strengths.

FINISH THESE SENTENCES....

I am currently obsessed with… the work of Amercian graphic designer Saul Bass.

My muse is… Artist and designer Louise Olsen of Dinosaur Designs You will find empty coffee cups, pencils and lots of sketchbooks on my desk My chill-time consists of…..in reality, doing laundry. In my My chill-time consists of… in reality, doing laundry. In my dreams, reading, listening to music and going to galleries.

TALK NERDY TO ME LILA THEODOROS Fave font at the ‘mo? Futura LT Pro Medium. Futura for life! I adore this font and have loved seeing it pop up more and more, from web to publication design – Gentlewoman uses it masterfully.

Weapon of choice? (fave programme) Indesign.

Unless I’m working on a branding project, this is my go to for most design projects. Publishing design is where I started and Indesign feels like home.

Pantone Pick? Pantone 533 (a deep navy blue). I love the strength of this blue. Stand alone it is the new black and contrasts beautifully when paired with a ‘so hot right now’ peach.

Go-to file type? PDF. The humble PDF is a workhorse!

Perfect for logo files, an awesome eBook, ready to print press ready artwork, project proofs … everything! ohbabushka.com.au

E M M A TROY Fave font at the ‘mo? is Belastoria Script. I am obsessed with calligraphy and hand lettering at the moment so until I have mastered nib and ink skills, this font is my go to for jobs needing a romantic feel.

Weapon of choice? (fave programme) Illustrator is definitely my weapon of choice, I use it for almost every job. It’s great for the planning stages of design, if I am playing around with concepts or a look and feel in Illustrator I don’t have to have my sizing determined from the start. Being vector based it allows resizing to any scale without losing quality.

Pantone Pick? Rose Quartz is my Pantone pick! It is Pantone colour of the year for 2016 (along with Serenity) and it a gorgeous spring shade. I’m a huge fan of pink and pastels and Rose Quartz can add a little warmth to a palette.

Go-to file type? Since I’m Illustrator obsessed my go to file type is eps, for sure! www.emmatroy.com.au

fonts, file types, colours, oh my!

M E G A N H O R S FA L L Fave font at the ‘mo? Golly gosh... always so many fonts to choose from. At the moment, I am loving “Hello Beautiful” - It is a great mix of casual + professional - and it even sounds lovely!

Weapon of choice? (fave programme) is without a doubt Adobe Illustrator. Perfect for creating delicious vector artwork and custom illustrations.

Pantone Pick? Asking a designer to pick just one Pantone colour? - that’s like asking a mother to choose a favourite child! Hmm... if I have to narrow it down, it would have to be an aqua turquoisey colour - PMS319 Go-to file type? Ai... once I have that, I can do anything with it! w w w. ha p pys p latde sign .com . au

JACQUI GLEESON Fave font at the ‘mo? It changes SO often - there are so many beauties out there! But right at this moment, it would have to be Crystal Sky. Weapon of choice? (fave programme) I LOVE the trio of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign. But I don’t think I could ever go past Photoshop.

Pantone Pick? I’m loving the corals at the moment so PANTONE 7418 C has got to be a real fav. It’s got a really nice soft feel to it.

Go-to file type? It really depends on what I’m doing but I seem to be working with a lot of PDF’s lately for eBook and Mags. w w w.w h i t e d e e r. c o m . a u

Find your tribe. Connect with others treading the same path as you. Lean on them for support & guidance, and give back.

THE CRE ATIVE CIRCLE I N T E R V I E W : W W W. I N K L I N G D E S I G N . C O M . A U

INGA CAMPBELL Did you always know you wanted to be a designer? Tell us a bit about your journey…

I was always into art and drawing even from a very early age, my father is an artist so I guess it is in the genes. To answer the question about knowing I wanted to be a designer, I think I figured this out when I was in about year 11 at school and so all my studies from then on went in that direction. Throughout my university degree I always thought I would go into advertising until I did two weeks work experience at Girlfriend Magazine and from that moment on I knew magazines were where I wanted to be. I stayed in Magazines for about 12 years working on titles such as Girlfriend, Cosmopolitan, Grazia and White, it was an amazing time and I still yearn for my days in magazines but having my own design business is super rewarding ad allows me to be flexible with my time.

A lot of newbie designers struggle with knowing what to charge - what would your advice be to them?

Oh this is such a tricky one as it often comes down to your experience which is so hard to put a price on. If you are working for a company they will most likely have set hourly

Hone in on your individual

freelance rates (I know magazines do) so you just need to

style. This is what will set

decide if you are happy with that price. I don’t think I can be

you apart, get you work,

specific with numbers but a piece of advice that was beneficial

and raise your profile in

to me when I was first going out on my own was to charge per job rather than hourly. This way both you and the client

the industry.

know the exact price for what they are wanting you to deliver and you can complete the project without worrying about time constraints. Built into the quote you make sure you list the amount of changes allowed so it doesn’t get too crazy.

How do you keep the creativity flowing, when you’re not feeling it?

My solution to this one (working for myself) is to get up and go outside for a walk and leave the project alone for a little bit. If time allows for it I will come back to it the folioing morning when I am my peak for creativeness and often the answer will be so clear and I can’t believe I had been struggling. If I force it and keep at it I get really frustrated with myself and the job so before this happens I give it some space.

THE CRE ATIVE CIRCLE INTERVIEW

What is your favourite part of the design process?

Oh the design process…ha! Only kidding, it can play mind games with me sometimes.

I can get scared to start a project because what if I don’t have a good idea?! Yes, I know after so long doing this I still have these moments, but the best part is once I get stuck into it and an idea evolves that I am really happy with, its almost like a little adrenaline rush. Then the… I LOVE IT! from the client….cannot beat that feeling!

How has your work evolved over the years? How do you keep up with technology & trends?

So I am not a big technology person, I update programs when I have too and like to stick with the tools I know to get the job done. I like to think that with my work its the mix of hand created with computerised that make it unique. In terms of trends I love to look at Pinterest and instagram to see where things are going or for a spark of inspiration.

Tell us about one of those FEAR-filled moments in your career & how you overcame it?

I think my biggest fear filled moment was later in my magazine career when I moved over from the editorial side of design to being an Advertising Art Director. I knew this was going to be a high pressure gig and I would be predominantly alone without a design department as such. I lasted 6 months in this role, I did it and I learned so much but the pressure and budgets were too much stress for me. I think it is so great to challenge yourself and do things that scare you, in the long term it makes you better, stronger and more creative. I was just deeply drawn back to being on the editorial side of things so when and opportunity came up I jumped back onto that side of magazines again.

What is the best & the hardest part about working from home?

I get so much done! I have no distractions but at the same time that is the hard thing, I don’t have other people around me to bounce ideas off. The flexibility with time is second to none, I can work when I am feeling it.

If you could pass on 3 tips to young designers, what would they be: 1. Learn and listen to those around you, they have been doing this for a while. Even though you are fresh and have great ideas, you will get nuggets of vital tips that will stay with you for the rest of your career.

2. Sometimes the mundane tasks that you may have to do when first starting out might frustrate you, but these are all building blocks for the creativeness that will come as you move into greater roles.

3. Believe in yourself! Self doubt is in all of us, but try to push through it. I still have to work on this now.

FINISH THESE SENTENCES....

I am currently obsessed with… florals. I think if I wasn’t a designer I would be doing something with flowers.

My muse is… Grace Coddington, not a designer but a creative visionary!

You will find very little on my desk I thrive on white space.

My chill-time consists of… the ocean, nothing rests my mind like being near the sea.

WRITTEN BY ANNA DOWER

WHAT IT REALLY COSTS TO SET UP YOUR OWN DESIGN BUSINESS Hurrah – you’ve finally completed your studies and you’re ready to say adios amigos and quit working for the nine-to-five (wo)man! … Now what?

Well after you’ve finished your jig of joy, I have a suggestion for you: why not become your own boss? Freedom, flexibility and an abundance of only-the-sky-is-the-limit opportunities. What more could a woman what?

But before we get ahead of ourselves, I have to be honest with you: setting up your own design business does have some initial set up costs. However (and this is where you might recommence jigging for joy), the costs probably aren’t as considerable as you’d think.

Here’s what I recommend you need to set up your own design business: + An Apple iMac Cost: Approx. $2,299.00 It’s no secret that shopping at Apple makes me a very happy creative boss lady. All those pretty, shiny oh-so-clever devices lined up in a row? Heaven, my friends. And if you’re going to be churning out the creative work, you need to choose your heavenly weapon of choice wisely.

Personally, I prefer designing on a desktop computer rather than a laptop. Not only is it more ergonomic, but the screen is larger and it allows me to set a space for my work (rather than carrying it around with me everywhere). If you’re like me, I’d recommend checking out one of these bad boys.

Tip: Pay a little bit extra for a faster Mac. Your sanity is worth it! Plus, the Apple Store even offers 0% interest finance options … so why not splurge? + A comfortable desk and chair Cost: Approx. $450 Now that you have your shiny, happy weapon of choice, it’s time to give that baby a home! And after the computer itself, buying a desk and a chair that you can (and will) happily work in for hours is the most important part of setting up your design business.

My suggestion is to look for something that’s ergonomic (desks that can be lowered and raised to suit your specific height are great) and that feels natural and comfy. And yes, I give you total permission to waste an entire day at Ikea trying out their office set ups. Don’t forget to grab some of their brownies while you’re there; they’re delish. + Internet connection Cost: Approx. $40 - $100 per month I’m going to be real with you: recommending an internet provider is a little like playing Russian roulette – you never know what you’re gonna get.

So my advice is to do a quick search on what fellow Googlers recommend for your local area, buy the connection and pray it’s fast. + Adobe Creative Cloud Cost: Approx. $49.99 per month Ready to start designing? The first thing you’ll need on your bad-ass new iMac is Creative Cloud. This clever offering gives you the world’s best creative apps like InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator at a monthly price you can afford.

Best of all, they’re always up to date, so you can turn your brightest ideas into your greatest work across your desktop and mobile devices!

Once you’re out on your own, you’re going to need a community to keep you sane and support you in your entrepreneurial adventure + Website & hosting Cost: Approx. $10 - $50 per month for hosting + website set-up costs And now for the pièce de résistance: your very own (irresistible) website to keep those clients rolling in! And the good news is that you’ve got all the skills you need to design it yourself, you creative minx!

Oh, and don’t let anyone tell you that your first website has to cost you a bomb. Check out divi; this site allows you to easily create a website that doesn’t look DIY. + Support Cost: FREE Finally, once you’re out on your own, you’re going to need a community to keep you sane and support you in your entrepreneurial adventures. And whaddya know, I have just the place for you.

My private facebook group ‘Designer Boss-Ladies’ is a collection of creative and business geniuses who are there to support, guide and listen to you during this exciting adventure. You can can join the group here.

So, what’s the final cost? Well, on average your initial set up costs should come in under $4,000.

Not as bad as you thought, huh? And considering your new design business gives you opportunity to earn upwards of six figures a year, it’s really not a bad return on investment!

FREE RESOURCES FOR DESIGNER BOSS-LADIES WWW.ANNADOWER.COM

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CHARGE YOUR WORTH Let’s be honest here, it doesn’t matter if you’re at day 1 or year 3 of your freelance career, I’m pretty sure pricing is still this big ugly beast we have to wrestle with. It always inflicts the same emotions and sensations for me: my heart starts beating, my brain gets foggy and fear and indecision sets in.

So when our lovely editor Anna gave me the topic of charging what you’re worth to write about almost a month ago, naturally, I procrastinated writing it right until the last week! Thoughts like “Who am I to write this” floated around in my head. I’m certainly not the queen of talking about money, but then I realized that there is one system I implemented which completely alleviated some of my pricing fears, that just might help you too…

Here’s a common scenario that played out in my early freelance years. See if this sounds familiar to you: Step 1: You have a website, but frankly it’s more like a portfolio with a contact page, so it doesn’t give clients a lot of information upfront.

Step 2: A potential client nonetheless likes what they see in your portfolio and asks for a quote for a particular project.

Step 3: You look them up online and get overly excited about the idea of working with them.

They seem like a good fit for you and you start dreaming up the amazing experience you’re going to have and how great the project will turn out.

Step 3: You spend hours researching their business so you sound like you know what you’re talking about when you meet them in person or talk to them on Skype. Then you grill them with a bunch of questions so you can put a brief together to give them an accurate quote, but you don’t really tell them much about your process or why you’re unique in the meeting.

Step 4: After the meeting, you painstakingly put together a totally customised quote based on their specific needs and keep checking your emails to see if they’ve responded.

AND THEN…

AS A DESIGNER

WRITTEN BY EMMA BROWNSON

Step 5: You hear back from them and they thank you for your time but reveal that they can’t afford you and you’re out of their budget.

Step 6: You feel dismayed that you lost so much time for nothing.

Step 7: You wonder if your pricing is too high.

Step 8: You start questioning your self worth and wonder if you’re good enough.

Step 9: You spiral into a depression and drown your sorrows in an overdose of chocolate, red wine and Netflix. You feel all hope is lost and maybe this freelance thing isn’t for you after all.

Okay so let’s face it, the above scenario is not fun. It’s not how you want to feel and it doesn’t have to be.

Here are the main problems: 1. The potential client didn’t know what to expect and wasn’t pre-qualified. A simple portfolio website is not enough. You don’t just want any client, you want your ideal client who sees the value in what you offer. So use your website as a platform tell them your process, tell them your pricing, them about yourself and your personality, and let me them qualify themselves, without even having to have the 1:1 conversation. Not only will you get better quality leads that actually convert, but you’ll be positioned as an expert. And best of all, you won’t even know those clients who can’t afford you even exist, let alone having to have the awkward pricing conversation with them. Let your website do the hard work for you!

2. Clients probably find asking our pricing just as awkward as us telling them it. No one likes having to say they can’t afford something. Sometimes the lack of information about the price (even a ballpark can help), causes clients to lose confidence and not have the motivation to email you. Think of all the work you might be missing.

3. All that custom quoting wastes time and is causing you to work harder not smarter. Set up packages based around the kind of services you want to offer, like a branding package or a web design package for example. That way you set up a streamlined system and clients can come to you if they fit into that category, rather than you having to get a brief from them, write up a custom quote and hope it fits in their budget. It takes a bit of time to set up sales pages and templates, but then it’s smooth sailing from there.

So I would encourage you to work ON your business, not just IN it. You do not need to reinvent the wheel each and every time. Set up packages and pre-determined pricing and don’t be afraid of putting it on your website. Let your website have the awkward pricing conversation for you, while positioning your expertise at the same time. That way that big ugly pricing beast gets a little smaller and a little less ugly!

WRITTEN BY BIANCA MCKENZIE

Marketing. Often this one word brings out a deep sigh in many entrepreneurs.

Yet another cost. Something that may or may

MARKETING DOESN’T HAVE

not give me a return on investment.

Marketing is often seen as the necessary evil.

As a marketer, this makes me sad.

TO COST

I think marketing is often misunderstood and

A THING

and, in my opinion, neither of them are evil

confused with sales. The two are very different

Marketing doesn’t have to add to the expense side of your balance sheet. In fact, marketing done well is often completely free. The way I see marketing is as story telling. It tells the story of you, your business and your product or service to your future clients.

Telling your story is completely free and telling your story to the world can be free too. You don’t need to have big budgets to be heard or seen, all you need to be is strategic.

1. Formulate your story Your first step is to sit down with a cuppa and write down your story.

This can be tricky, but ask yourself why you started your business, what makes you so passionate about this, what makes you the right person to help your clients and what is your big dream.

If you have an interesting background story or a ‘this is my journey’ story, definitely add that too.

Your story doesn’t have to be a hero story, or a rags to riches story, it can be an ‘everyday’ story like mine. I’m simply someone who fell in love with marketing, studied it and want to help other business owners with my gift.

2. Tell your story Once you have your story, you need to tell it to the world. Don’t hide it away!

Start with a website (I know this often isn’t free but most businesses have one anyway) or a blog so that you’re building a home for your business.

Create a social media profile on Facebook, if you don’t already have one, and start interacting in groups where your future client spends time. Set up a Facebook page and an Instagram account and start sharing your story.

Ask others to share it for you as well, but not until you have built a bit of a relationship with them. Make an effort to connect with as many people as possible.

3. Sell your story Now that you’ve gotten the word out, it’s time to take your story further and use it to sell yourself.

• What in particular makes you the right person to help someone?

• What sets you apart from others who provide the same product or service?

• What results does your product or service give your clients? In particular, will it give them more time, more money, better relationships, better health, etc?

Show your audience what’s in it for them when they decide to work with you!

Show them, through storytelling, why they absolutely can’t say no!

Make them fall in love with you, through words, images or other narrative!

Talking about your business and sharing your story is what we call marketing.

Sharing your story doesn’t have to cost you a cent, so I suggest you start talking!

WHY YOU NEED TO HAVE A DESIGN NICHE WRITTEN BY ANNA DOWER

Do you know what the most popular ice-cream flavour is? Go on, have a guess. In fact, I even want you to write down what you think it is. Or, even better, write down what your favourite flavour is.

All done? Perfect. And if, like me, you’ve written down something like double choc brownie or choc-chip cookie dough, then I must congratulate you: you’re wrong.

BUT, you’re wrong in a good way. Stick with me.

You see, the way I think about vanilla ice-cream is that it’s not exactly a flavour that inspires radical loyalty or raving passion. It’s vanilla. It tastes good, sure, and I don’t know a person alive that hates vanilla ice-cream.

But the people that choose vanilla – over all of the other flavours available – well, they’re the type of humans that have ice-cream every now and then. Once in a blue moon, even.

They choose it because the taste isn’t too strong, it’s universally acceptable and it satisfies their sweet tooth in the moment. And they eat their ice-cream, probably enjoy it, and walk away feeling satisfied.

BUT, they never think about it again. They don’t crave vanilla ice-cream. They don’t have sweet, sweet dreams of devouring its smooth, creamy taste.

Oh no, that type of sultry action is left to the other, bolder, more niche ice-creams like mocha melt and candy crush carnival (I don’t know if those are flavours but if not, they should be).

Why you shouldn’t build a vanilla business You see where I’m going with this? Because even though I’ve probably just given you a mean hankering for ice-cream, what we’re really talking about is business.

So if you are a designer with a passion for fashion and would love to combine the two, remember to cultivate that passion and make it obvious in your brand.

Your business.

And I’m here to tell you that serving up cones of popular vanilla ice-cream is the equivalent of waddling around without a niche.

So if you are a designer with a passion for fashion and would love to combine the two, remember to cultivate that passion and make it obvious in your brand. Your passion may not seem like a money making machine

Sure, you might not piss anyone off. But spreading

now, but always keep the fire burning and

your net too widely means you probably

keep it as your CORE of everything you do

won’t end up with the diehard devoted fans

(remember that authentic voice shiz) and

that you’ve been dreaming about either.

it will attract like-minded people to you.

But wait – doesn’t a niche limit

And last but not least …

my potential customers?

Okay, let’s dive into this part of the (ice)cream pie.

And I’ll be the first to admit that narrowing down your audience can – and likely will - bring up some fear.

But if I alienate a certain group from my audience, won’t I be missing out on potential sales?

Won’t I make more money if I appeal to everyone?

I hear you. It can be scary making bold decisions. But in the end, this is what helps

A niche illuminates what you’re good at This is business Yoda signing in to tell you: always play to your strengths.

And the reason is simple: what you are good at is probably what you love doing the most.

We spend time refining and honing the areas of our business and skillset that light us up, so it makes sense to target these areas when we’re thinking about our niche too.

take you from being a boring run-of- the-mill

So are you ready to ditch the vanilla

brand, to a brand that people RAVE about.

and start harnessing the power

A lack of variety is good Ever stood in a supermarket aisle and been literally frozen with indecision due to the excess of muchof-a-muchness brands and product options? By creating a niche for your business, you can guide your audience by giving them a limited number of options.

This may feel like you are cutting down your pool of possibilities BUT in actual fact it is helping you get rid of all the jobs you hate doing and is honing in on the people you DO want to work with.

of niche to attract fiercely loyal customers that love what you do?

the creative circle

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