"How to Market Yourself," with Toolbox Creative!

Picture yourself in a new building space; filled with art and sculpture, inspirational design/art books everywhere, vibrant green and yellow walls, lounge and kitchen areas lit up by contemporary light fixtures, and the latest 27 inch IMACs at desks all facing each other in a circle and you have the interior of Toolbox Creative. Right when you walk in you get a welcoming sense of warmth and creativity and you can tell that it's a great environment to work in. The evening’s discussion was, “How to Market Yourself,” and we got right to it.

We talked about some of the legal aspects in the graphic design business and what to look out for and what to be mindful of. Like how important it is to define your business relationships in the beginning and also understanding the paperwork and making sure your client is on the same page. We discussed some of the dos and don’ts when it comes to interviews, portfolios, and choosing/working with clients. There are a lot of little details when it comes to marketing and selling your work and we got to listen to a handful of their stories and experiences, both good and bad. Non-profit organizations also came up because they can typically be a good place to start if you are looking for work and looking to build up your portfolio. You may work for free for a while but the experiences, the networking, and the practice is what’s important. Really, you can’t get out there unless you actually get out there. It’s a tough industry right now but some of the most important things you can bring to the table as far as marketing yourself goes, is your soft skills and the networking you do (because designing is only half the battle). I think our team had great questions and I think it’s safe to say we are all more knowledgeable from our visit to Toolbox Creative.

Thanks again, Lee, Dawn, and Tom!

Submitted by: Lane Leazer