Every once in a while, we come across an artist who gives us the feels. In this case, it’s the freelancer feels. Vijaya Aswani, young, freelancing and honestly funny about it. We fell in love with her art style and were surprised we didn’t know about her earlier. She tagged us in her Brushstroke Battles entry and that was the spark that did it.
After stalking her Instagram profile for a while (fine… it was more than a while but let’s not get too caught up on that), we realised that it’s her ability to give us those amazing feels that kept us hooked and coming back for more.
The cherry on this talented cake of a profile was the series of illustrations she did about life when freelancing. If you’ve freelanced, you know what people think of it and what it’s actually about. Now, let your spirit go free and enjoy the wonderful comics she has created.
When You Start, They’re All Positive
You Learn How To Balance
You’re in Charge, Right?
Rise And Try To Shine
Survival And Sustenance
Bright Side
We got in touch and asked her a few questions and this is what she had to say:
What attitude would you suggest that freelancers cultivate to avoid discouragement?
It took me a while to find the right balance, A huge role was played by the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I think everyone should pick up a copy & do the 12-week course.
> Know your worth.
You will be surprised by the number of people out there who expect artists to work for nothing or next to nothing in the name of exposure. In fact, the biggest of companies realised this loophole & have begun to ask for the same. Exposure shall come out of how much work you put out there, not out of working unprofessionally and upsetting the overall culture of freelancing in this country. I did the same when I started out. I then realised it doesn’t just degrade my value but hurts other freelancers by encouraging this behaviour.
> Life Jackets!
Talk to a CA, talk to a lawyer, talk to fellow artists and have all your papers intact. Know how taxes work, have a contract in place, make sure you know what your client is talking about.
> Focus on the fun, too!
You quit your 9 to 5 or didn’t opt to take one because you love your freedom & like the idea of going to the bookstore in the middle of the day. We often get so overwhelmed with projects & life, we forget to fuel ourselves to keep the creative juices flowing.
> Show up
I’m sure all of the above is not new information to any aspiring freelancer. We often are lazy to get shit done. I found the most effective way to kick myself in the butt every day. SHOW UP. As soon as I wake up in the morning, I write three long hand written pages of my thoughts. What I need to do for the day, how I’m feeling, what are my plans ahead. I have a dream board next to my bed to know where I need to get to. I just get dressed & try my best to show up even though indoors feel very lovely. (I’m a total house cat)
When people talk/think about you and your work, what are you hoping for them to say/think?
Whatever they wish too! All my personal work is purely self-expression or some new art style/ colour palette I want to try out. Some people relate to it, some people consume it as a visual treat. I’d like them to see them as they would see a painting, just taking it in as it comes to them.
What do you think about IndieFolio and what we do?
I think IndieFolio is playing a massive role in getting artists of the country together, not just giving them a platform to showcase but also cultivating a sense of order and professionalism in the way we’d like to be approached. Just recently I was advised personally by one of the team at Indiefolio to fix a problem with one of my projects. I think all artists of the country need a support system to do what we do & Indiefolio is making it happen!
What’s your opinion on the current state of creativity in our country?
We are all getting more connected and closer, sharing experiences & growing together. I love how the creative communities greet each other with tight hugs & not a sense of competition, cuz we do what we do out of love. I feel there is a good balance of commercialism & free styling amongst the creators. I absolutely love how this huddle is ever growing with fresh talent and is very welcomed by all. 🙂
Thank you so much, Vijaya, for letting us cover your art and giving more freelancers out there the realisation that they aren’t alone. We, at IndieFolio, are always going to be looking out for more of your work. Also, if you wanted to know what she made for the Brushstroke Battles illustration contest, here.
From Colours
This blog can be addictive. We know you must be craving more so here’s more:
