I’ve been a freelance artist in Metro Manila since 2001. Doing work from illustration, graphic & web design and even to interactive design and animation.
I’m from a Chinese family but contrary to popular conclusions, ours did not own any businesses (at least after I was conscious that we sold all of them.) In fact, I was not taught business by my family or by my schools and left in the dark as to family finances. But by the time I was around 26 I started to realize just how important it was to get financially savvy – because money in our family was being squandered.
I believe it takes just as much time to become financially savvy as it takes to become a skilled artist. And as all artists know – you never stop learning.
For artists however, it is only natural to focus on the craft. We can’t all shine like a National artist, or even one that constantly sells his/her artwork for tens of thousands of pesos to faithful patrons. We can’t all have rich parents who pay for all the bills. For most of us, life is a struggle.
My hope is that within these pages in my blog, freelance artists living in Metro Manila will be free to creatively discuss matters on business, finance, and investing – and thereby educate ourselves on how best an artist can be wealthy.
I hear ya! I am just starting to work again as a graphic designer and illustrator. Very difficult thing to do in Manila. It is a lot easier, though, compared to my real vocation/calling: sculpture. I refuse to give up so I am still plodding on, doing the best I can to feed myself and appease the creative beast residing in the basement of my head.
Nice blog and great stuff!
PS. Found your site through Illustration Friday. Good to know there are a lot of Filipino participants!
hi … bitin ang article!
kala ko pa naman may tips on freelancing in manila
anyways, nice blog and see you around
medyo nakakabitin din lol, but….
internet’s a way to be rich too…
and I could see that you’re placing google ads too..
having a site dedicated to art that provides an “almost passive” income does sounds nice..
take dA as an example, they earn lots by putting lots of annoying ads on the site that makes the site slow, they also earn from the money they have collected from people who paid to avoid getting annoyed by the slow ads or to brag about a different symbol and ‘friendster-ish profiles”, also earned from greedy commissions from artists who successfully sold their work but doesn’t have a print account thing, also collected money from people who wants a nice commission share by getting a premium prints account.
*phew*
now that rant gives me a nice idea for a strip…
alright, I lied, dA isn’t really a good example, how about onemanga