PK 104: Are you Ready to go Freelance? Why Steve Riederer Quit a Full-time Career for art

Ready to go freelance? Steve Riederer gave up his career as a counsellor to become an artist, and explains how you can make the change too

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“I always refer to that voice in my head as the anti-artist – the voice that’s saying ‘this is stupid’ or ‘you should be going back to work’. I always tell myself I can’t listen to that right now. I don’t have time to listen to negativity.

~ Steve Riederer

Are you ready to go freelance?

Steve Riederer had a career as a counsellor, but he found his day job left him feeling drained and unfulfilled.

However, at night when he spent time working on his art, he’d feel full of energy and much happier.

So this got him thinking… what if…

What if I made the change?

In this week’s podcast, you’ll learn how Steve developed the right mindset for going freelance and we’ll also cover everything you need to consider before making the leap yourself…

How Steve Riederer Knew he was Ready to go Freelance

Steve Riederer has just moved to Colorado to start an illustration program at a local art school, but his life was very different just a few months ago.

As a full-time counsellor, he’d often find himself getting back home after an 8-hour day feeling drained. And it was only when he spent a few hours drawing or painting that he started to feel brighter.

So this got him thinking about a change of career. Sure, it was a risky move giving up a reliable wage and the security of a full-time job, but Steve felt like the time was right.

He says: “It was almost like a night and day difference between the enjoyment I got from my job and the enjoyment I got from drawing.

“So I wanted to make this like something I could really get my teeth into, rather than just do in my spare time as a hobby. And I’ve heard the more terrified you are of a new idea, the better it is!”

“When I weighed up the pros and cons, it felt like something I could no longer pass up on.”

How to Get Your Freelance Career Started

 

If you feel like you’re ready to go freelance but are worried about taking the plunge, Steve has got lots of great advice from his personal experiences.

He says: “If you feel like you’re stuck in a career, but are worried about leaving it behind completely, then my advice is to start small.

“It can be overwhelming to think about starting something new, but just spending an hour or so each day drawing or giving yourself a chance to sell your work can really help.

“Then, if you decide that being an artist really is something you’re interested in, you can weigh up all the options before making the change.”

Here are some of the questions we asked Steve Riederer about becoming an artist in this week’s podcast:

  1. What can you do if you feel stuck in your routine?
  2. How do you take the steps towards becoming an artist?
  3. How do you find time to practice your art skills?
  4. How do you deal with self-doubt and anxiety?
  5. Why is talking to other artists such a good idea?

So, if you’re wondering if you’re ready to go freelance, we hope you’ll find lots of useful advice in this week’s podcast.

And, if you enjoyed it, why not leave us a comment below?

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Thanks for listening to our show! We’ll be back next Wednesday morning 8AM EST.

Cheers,

Mitch

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