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Getting Support

Lesson 6 from: How to Become a Freelance Photographer

Isaac Johnston

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Lesson Info

6. Getting Support

Becoming a full-time freelancer is not an easy process. So it's imperative that you build a network of support around you: family, friends, loved ones. Isaac shares how the people surrounding him made it possible for him to make the jump to freelance.

Lesson Info

Getting Support

When I first started thinking about becoming a full-time freelancer, I knew the first person I needed to be okay with it was my wife Meg. Her life, the life of my two daughters was gonna change. And Meg always has my back. And I knew that I couldn't promise her that this was gonna work, because I didn't know myself. And so I thought, the best way to do this is to have her support me was to be vulnerable with her, share my dreams and my aspirations with this, and make a pros/cons list with her. So we sat down and we talked about all of the things that we wanted, all the things that were on our goals list, and we realized that none of them included a big house or buying more things or having a certain amount of money in the bank, but it did include traveling and riding more motorcycles together and spending more time with the kids. But the goal here was to ultimately envision a future together. And it was my responsibility to make sure that it did work, but she would be supporting me and...

ultimately know why we were risking it and what we were risking. I was 30 years old when I started freelancing, so I didn't have parental expectations on my life, but maybe you do. And I do a similar strategy I do with my wife or with anybody you're partnering with. Yeah, take this course, here's a couple things I would consider. So talk to your parents or your partner and tell them that you want to do this new course in life. Phrase it as an experiment and that it's not unfixable if it doesn't work. Explain that this is your passion and that you wanna give it a serious try. It's important that they will support you and you're more afraid of what they will think if you failed than you are of actually failing. So then ask for their support regardless, whether you fail or succeed. Finally, I'd explain to them that you thought about both the risks and the rewards, and that this is only gonna be a three to six month setback, if it fails. If it's true to you, tell them that if you don't try, that you're afraid that you might regret this the rest of your life. You just have to try it. Okay, now make sure that you start doing the work, that you keep them informed of what you are doing. Oftentimes when I haven't had the support of my family, it's because I just started doing something wild and crazy without giving the logic as to why I was doing it and what I expected the outcome to be. It'd be like if you just moved away to become a movie star and you hadn't actually told people what you were gonna do. When they find out, they're probably gonna think this is a crazy idea and they're gonna be skeptical. Another benefit is that by telling people that you want to be part of this in your life, you're gonna be accountable to those people. And it'll give you a little bit of positive external pressure to actually go out and do what you say you're gonna do. You're not gonna be able to back out now. The biggest takeaway here is that when things get rough or when you start doubting yourself, having the doubt of others that are important in your life is like a weight around your ankles. But if you communicate with them and share with them your progress, your ups and your downs, it's like an extra boost. It's like wind in your sails. You're really gonna be able to go further and have more creative ideas and be able to really focus on the work a lot better without the distraction of wondering if you're letting people down. The transition that you're about to make can be really scary, so I'd encourage you to just take some time and invest in some communication with the people you love.

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with Purchase

Workshop PDF
How To Build A Proposal - Pitch Deck Example
Idea Asset List Template
Story Creation Sheet Template

Ratings and Reviews

Ken Neubecker
 

A great course/workshop, one of the best I've seen with CreativeLive. While at 71 I'm not looking at starting a full new carrier in freelance photography or video work, doing the work helps keep me off the street. It has given me inspiration to do a stoty about what I am going through now as a full time caretaker for my wife, who has been suffering the declining pains of Alzheimer's for a few years now. No one with Alzheimer's travels that final journey alone. In a sence it is an adventure, mostly for those close to the one with the disease. While it's not like the travels I did 50 years ago when what today is called "adventure" (canyoneering, something we used to simply call a hike in the desert...). I spent a lot of my life running rivers and working as a wilderness wanderer and guide/instructor. Now my travels are pretty well limited to long walk with the dog and occasional fishing outings with my wife who used to be a guide herself. Maybe thats not all that interesting or exciting as say going over a cliff with a bike and a parachute, but for many older folks it is the new story, the new adventure as their later years unfold. This in itself will be an adventure, at least for me.

Ryan David
 

Practical yet fun Great workshop and worth the time/money. Isaac is an easy to watch presenter and the various modules were each concise and practical. Time well spent!

asieh harati
 

honest advice from an adventure photographer who went through career transition I think a lot of us are mulling over the idea of transitioning to become a photographer. It's not easy. There are lots of fears and hesitations. It's a change that could affect our life. I'm at this decision branch for the second time in my life, and I still fear. Isaac shares with us how he overcame those very same hurdles and fears. He is genuine, practical and proves that you don't need expensive gear to start or even continue to become good enough. The pitch deck example, the starting up a conversation with a prospective client, the way to deal with blockers, all are real. I cannot wait to put them in place and start my first pitch. Thanks Isaac for sharing your journey!

Student Work

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