5 Technology Hacks For Designers And Artists To Market Themselves During A Lockdown.

Where do you see your ‘art business’ in the next year? 

Especially when the end of the Covid-19 pandemic seems indefinite.  

Galleries, art centres, exhibitions, events, art schools are forced to close their doors to curb the spread of COVID-19. This has brought a storm of uncertainty to creatives where their livelihoods and incomes are heavily dependent on these platforms for their success. 

Perhaps you feel stuck creatively as you are stuck at home, anxious about what your future holds. 

It doesn't matter if you're an artist, illustrator, designer, writer or creative. We’ve all been there. You want to show your work off to the world, but you can’t make it out into physical gallery spaces, meet new people and see the likelihood of landing a new job amidst this Covid-19 chaos. So, what are we left with? Technology. 

In so many ways, digital access has given us a lot of tools in reaching out to new opportunities, even getting some great paying gigs (both international and local!) without leaving home. The internet has shrunk the world and there are plenty of resources on the web to help talented creators like you to get seen, find jobs, improve yourself and connect with clients who need some stuff done.

In this blog post, we will outline some of our favourite easy-to-use digital tools where you can grow opportunities exponentially and build your creative empire online!  

1. Behance.net

Behance is one of the most popular and user-friendly international social networks for artists to showcase their skills. It works like an online portfolio that concerns itself more with the design industry via categories such as graphic design, photography, illustration, UI/UX, architecture, product design, fashion, advertising, fine arts, crafts, game designs etc. The platform isn't limited to just artworks or photos but also offers resources on full-time opportunities, freelance gigs, and internships within the industry’s leading organizations, so you never miss out on what’s next. Besides that, this is also a place where you can get inspiration from other creatives, by saving the works you see to your ‘Moodboard’ for future references, you like a specific art that you love and even follow artists who inspire you. This is the place you come to if you are looking for commercialised work. 

2. Deviant Art

Fine art lovers, while Behance is more for the design industry, Deviant Art is primarily dedicated to art for art’s sake. Create a free account and artists can explore other people's art and get inspiration from what they see as well. They are also able to follow users, download each other’s works, comment on posts, or even award a badge in appreciation if someone had particularly inspired them with something that they created themselves! Artists can indicate their availability for work, link to their online stores, participate in contests and point fans to a Patreon account where people have exclusive access to all sorts of extras such as tutorials that artists create themselves!

If you’re a person who loves fine art and animation, then this platform fits you perfectly!

3. St!ve Asia 

This is a tailor-made platform for Malaysian creatives like you. Whether you’re from the art, design, music or writing background, as long as you belong to the creative scene, you can benefit wildly from this platform. Here, you can monetise your creations easily by creating your passive income stream with up to 50% licensing commission. Just upload your designing templates, original illustrations, photos, music tracks, and earn whenever someone purchases your work through our platform. As compared to other international platforms, it is also easier for your work to get noticed by brands and stand a higher chance to collaborate with them. Above these all, you can also achieve growth here as training classes are offered to help you improve and move forward! There will be professionals to guide you on how you can build your brand from scratch or improve the current one that has already existed.   

Check this full article out about how St!ve Asia can bring significant change to your creative work in Malaysia, at the same time turn it into a passive income stream. 

4. Social Media 

It's been said time and again that social media has made the world a smaller place and lucky for us creatives, has made it less effortful to make our work seen by the world. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok - all these platforms are a boon to artists who want everyone else in the world to see what they do best. Social media allows you not only to show your portfolio, your process, but also connect with fans or buyers while expressing yourself in an authentic way! 

Besides, you can also connect with other creatives from all around the world, get ideas from their work, and improve your content creation process that your audiences would love to see. You never know who you will impress, inspire or how many hearts you’d touch if you work. If you are feeling a little lost on how to grow your presence on Instagram, this article will give you wonderful tips on how to grow your following, attract attention and turn followers into clients.   
 

5. Freelance Platforms

You may have heard of freelancing- the act of working as an independent professional where you take on a project, complete it for your client and receive payment. This sounds like something that interests you but you’re not sure how and where you can start. To help you with that, we have compiled the five best freelance international and local websites to get client servicing and commercialised work in 2021. 

1. Fiverr - Fiverr is a marketplace for professional services, where you can find gigs and ongoing projects that fit your skills. It has over 200 different categories and ongoing projects for every profession you can imagine, such as graphic designers, developers, writers, musicians, etc. To get started, all you need to do is sign up on Fiverr and list your services according to what type it falls under in terms of pricing. Upon completion of the job, you are paid immediately and Fiverr takes 20% from the total of the price.

1. Upwork - Similar to Fiverr, you will also need to start a profile and list your skills and rates on Upwork, then employers can engage you for your services provided. The main difference is the service fee that is based on the tier model. To put it simple, the higher your billings per client, the less they take from you. 

1. Freelancer - Another reliable source for freelance work is freelancer which functions very similarly to Fiverr and Upwork. Difference is, freelancers are able to bid on projects posted by employers and the employer chooses which freelancer they want. As a free user, you are given 8 free bids per month and you can choose to upgrade your bid with highlights or a top spot which cost anywhere between US$2 to US$50.

1. Rtist Creative Platform - This is a Malaysian based, award-winning creative job platform that helps to connect businesses and local creative talents on-demand. They focus mainly in 10 creative fields, including web design, interior design, multimedia, copywriting, videography, photography and more. 

1. Crazy Ants - If you’re not a fan of searching and dealing with clients, this one’s perfect. Also locally based, Crazy Ants is a curated community of freelancers. To join, just send in your portfolio and Crazy Ants will do the marketing and price negotiation for you so you can focus on your work. If you’re new, this is the place where you can grow as you will receive 1-on-1 coaching to build your portfolio to get paid clients!
    

Conclusion

Now, more than ever, building a strong online presence can help you to secure a new job, gain freelance clients or creative collaborators, as well as build your professional reputation.  

Even if we have to live with this pandemic for a long time, with the aid of technology, you can still give your artworks a life while in quarantine, bring your exhibitions online, keep your skills updated and still stand a chance to unlock new clients and potential buyers. 

There are a lot of great platforms that can help you do so- but only if you take that first step!

If you have any other platforms we should know about, feel free to let us know by dropping a comment in the box below.