In this new chapter of my illustration career, I'm trying to be more open about the process of being a freelance illustrator. I want to talk about waiting, the agony that sometimes comes with the job. As a freelancer, there are days and weeks when drowned with work, but there are also moments of anticipation when one or more projects are about to pop up, and I'm stuck waiting for the client to decide when to begin.
At the moment, I'm waiting for a client to say the final YES. From experience, I never start a project without receiving a down payment. No matter how excited I am to start, or how many image references are already swirling in my head, I've learned the hard way.
So, what should I do during this excruciating waiting time? Should I relax because hard work is coming? Should I work on personal projects that are always the last to be remembered? Or should I spend time with my daughter knowing that I won't have the same amount of time in the coming weeks?
I understand that clients have their own things to figure out, but when I'm already imagining the story in my head, waiting for them to say the final OK, I get really frustrated. I'm hoping that this project, which I'm excited about, will begin in the next few days.