20 years freelancing as Ben The Illustrator
As Ben O'Brien marks 20 years freelancing as ‘Ben The Illustrator’, it’s time to find out how it's going. Since he was first on the podcast in 2018 a lot has happened for his freelancer business. Covid took away all his work overnight but he pivoted, diversified and sounds stronger than ever.
Being Freelance · Ben O'Brien, Steve Folland
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Show Notes
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ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Ben O’Brien, known to many as Ben The Illustrator, returns to share how his freelance journey has evolved since his first Being Freelance appearance back in 2018.
From losing all his travel industry clients overnight in 2020, to discovering new income streams through lockdown listening parties, to launching a creative studio with his wife, and literally building a studio with his friends. Ben’s path of adaptation has been found by following his curiosity, being more open that ever to opportunities.
Now 25 years into his self-employed life and 20 years as ‘Ben The Illustrator’, there’s a lot of experience for Ben to draw from (making no apologies for the pun).
- Finding clients through word of mouth (and why you can’t force it)
- Running a print shop… and knowing when to shut it
- The joy of building your own studio from scratch (literally)
- What AI can’t do (and how human illustrators can stay ahead)
- Why sharing your work (not just your services) really matters
Ben seems to be a really happy place creatively and with work life balance.
And he's rediscovered the joy of doing what he always loved.
Available as a video podcast too - Watch Ben here on the site, on YouTube, or Spotify.
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