It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but as I’m sure everyone knows, life has a funny way of taking you on detours you didn’t really expect. Nothing bad or detrimental or anything, but just a detour that makes you change focus for a little while.
If you’ve ever seen the movie “The Rookie” with Dennis Quaid, there’s a quote that’s repeated every so often in the film. “You can think about what you want to do until it’s time for you to do what you were meant to do.” I often think about that quote and how it applies to my life and my work. Right now, with the exception of doing the renders used to promote the “Cowboys and Aliens” Nationwide car, everything’s dead quiet for C2C Racing Designs. It’s been a little over a year since I had a car of my own on the track, and as of July 19th, I haven’t heard a peep from anyone I spoke with at Daytona.
I’ve been tempted to question whether or not I’m supposed to be doing this sort of thing. I don’t think it’s a lack of desire or determination, but rather a lack of direction. What do I do next? Who do I go to? Is C2C a design firm consisting of multiple artists, or is it better off being a name for my own work? Should I consider working for an established decal company, and should I continue to freelance in the meantime?
After doing this for about a year and a half, I can tell you freelancing is ridiculously tough, particularly in this economy. The amount one has to pay is more important than the quality – and while I completely understand that, it’s hard to make something work. On one hand you want to compromise and come down from the asking price so you gain the client and get the work, but on the other hand, you’re losing half of the profit while still putting in 100% of the effort, and that doesn’t pay the bills. So I’ve been re-evaluating my position and I’ve come to the conclusion that I have to be in this for myself, because I am first and foremost an artist, not necessarily a business owner. And my direction has to change, not from establishing C2C as a business, but as a brand – my brand. I do not want to be viewed by other companies as a competitor, but as a commodity, someone who can be hired and utilized to meet their clients’ needs at a reasonable price with exceptional quality, whether that be as a freelance artist or an employee on their payroll.
In time, I hope I can be the go-to artist for a company or a team, or both, for their design needs. In the meantime, I’m focusing on things close to home, and focusing on becoming better at what I do. I’m developing my skills as an illustrator, not just a layout artist or someone who can create a logo. I’m setting out to be a full-spectrum artist in every sense of the word.
Keep an eye on the page with my work, and check out C2C’s Facebook page. I’m thinking about what direction I want to take this blog as well. I want to see where I’m heading before I make a final decision on that, though. People have been looking intently at this blog and that is a fact that I haven’t ignored.
The last thing I want to say is thank you to everyone who’s stuck with me for the last year and a half. I’ve been receiving a lot of support and it means the world to me to know people do care about what I’m doing here and what I’m trying to accomplish. I’m thankful to God that I have the opportunity to even try, and to share that experience with others. No matter how hard it may be, whether it’s famine or feast, I am thankful.
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