Working for free, a scary thought when you are trying to build your business or start a career. It consumes time which could be used as billable hours, and here is a secret, it is not necessary to ever work for free. It can be useful however to collaborate and build partnerships with pro bono work.
So how do you know whether a free projects is right for you? I have split up my advice into seperate sections because I have a lot to say on the topic. You can read it all or just find the heading which best suits you. Let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments below.
I have recently had birthday. Another journey around the sun and it has made me quite reflective on how I got to where I am in my life. To an outsider I am successful, I have a strong professional presence in design, illustration and performance, a good social life, loving husband and positive outlook for the future. People describe me as “lucky”, but luck has nothing to do with where I am or any accomplishment I may have made. Everything I have was built through constant learning, trial and error and lots and lots of work (and it was nurtured by the love and support of those I chose to surround myself with).
Luck, in my opinion is the hope of the lazy, for if luck exists, what is the need for hard work. I am not going to lie to you and say that if you sit just as you are some day your prince will come, your life will change, that some one will hand you the keys to the kingdom and as if by magic you will have everything you have desired. Unfortunately, this is not the case. If you have goals, passions and desires then my only suggestion to you is to work hard and be diligent and this will give you the greatest chance to be successful in your endeavours.
Now this is a pretty vague piece of advice, ‘work hard and you will be rewarded’. However it has never failed me, even when the ‘reward’ came in a form which was completely unexpected or planned.
So below I have listed some steps you can take to grow your talents, and make your own ‘luck.
