Author Archives: Laurel Black

About Laurel Black

After receiving a BA in art at California State University at Long Beach, I came to the Northwest and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Oregon. For several years, I held design positions in Eugene and Seattle. In 1980, I established my practice on the Olympic Peninsula. I work from a studio in the foothills of the Olympic Peninsula, on five acres of large trees. Clients love to sit in my conference room and watch the deer stroll across the lawn.

A Time Management System That Never Crashes

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Laurel Black

Laurel Black shares her paper-based time management system that prevents her from over-booking and never crashes. Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, Freelancers Union, Freelancing, Inspiration, Time Management, Work/Life Balance | Tagged | 9 Comments

Crowdsourcing: Are Clients Getting Ripped Off?

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Laurel Black

Not only do some clients assume that $100 graphic doodads are equal in value to professional, strategic designs, they assume that those doodads will deliver the same results. If we professionals don't tell them the difference, how will they know? Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, Designers, Freelancers Union, Freelancing | Tagged | 20 Comments

Is crowdsourcing good for some?

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Laurel Black

Laurel Black continues the conversation about crowdsourcing when a company's crowdsourced design is found to have been stolen! Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, Designers, Freelancing | Tagged | 5 Comments

Crowdsourcing in My Face

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Laurel Black

A client who had hired me to create a logo stumbled onto a crowdsourcing site and sent me a very unhappy email. She appeared to think that I had way overcharged her. I responded with an explanation of crowdsourcing and was able to move it to a good outcome (after a lot of heartburn). Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs, Designers, Featured, Freelancers Union, Freelancing | Tagged | 8 Comments

How to get paid for volunteering (part 2)

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Laurel Black

In Part 1 last week, Laurel talked about how to choose which projects to do "pro bono" and how to do them in a professional manner. In part 2, she talks about how to train a non-profit to be a good client, and answers some questions from last week's commenters, such as, "How exactly do you invoice?" and "What kind of guidelines should be put in place?" Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, Client Relations, Designers, Freelancing, Marketing, Photographers, Writers | Tagged , | 2 Comments

How to Get "Paid" for Volunteering (part 1)

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Laurel Black

There are two things to consider in choosing how to volunteer. One, of course, is to pick a cause that reflects your personal values. The other consideration is strategic.... Continue reading →

Posted in Designers, Featured, Freelancing, Growing Your Business, Illustrators, Marketing, Photographers, Pricing, Writers | Tagged | 9 Comments

Too old to be a designer?

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Laurel Black

The design profession seems to have a youth bias that is not working in my favor. Do you have thoughts about this? What strategies have you identified for being able to work as long as you want to? Continue reading →

Posted in Designers, Featured, Freelancing, Illustrators, Work/Life Balance | Tagged , , | 134 Comments

Throwing Your Ego Under The Bus (part 4)

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Laurel Black

It’s your job to criticize the criticism, and your inner Analyzer will be more than happy to help you sort out the good, the bad and the dreck. Continue reading →

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Throwing Your Ego Under the Bus (Part 3)

Posted on October 14, 2010 by Laurel Black

I think of defensiveness as a form of deafness because it keeps me from hearing things I may need to know. The Protector is not always my friend. Continue reading →

Posted in Client Relations, Communicating, Designers, Illustrators, Photographers, Writers | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Throwing Your Ego Under the Bus (Part 2)

Posted on October 13, 2010 by Laurel Black

So their responsibility is to give me clear feedback. My responsibility is to hear it with calm objectivity. They are not criticizing me; they are telling me what I need to know so I can do good work. That will only happen if I bear in mind the difference between my worth and my work’s worth. Continue reading →

Posted in Client Relations, Designers, Illustrators, Photographers, Writers | Tagged , | 2 Comments