Podcast appearances and mentions of brian steely

This week's featured artist is Brian Steely. We came to learn of Brian through our love of live music and the incredible concert posters he has made for bands like Phish, Mumford and Sons and Widespread Panic. When we learned that he was doing labels and there were for a local CT Brewery, Nod Hill we were beyond excited. Interviews like this are easy because we both had so much in common that we could have spoken for hours. Brian and I had a lot in common and it felt like we had known each other from seeing each other at different shows of our favorite bands. On top of that his story and how he got started working with Panic is pretty epic for a variety of reasons but I won't spoil the surprise for you yet. Music, beer, buds and bud make up his impressive portfolio and it's clear to see why people love working with him. As part of that journey and exploration Brian has developed a style that is truly his own and unique, a monoline style that draws inspiration from hieroglyphics to give it a timeless feel with a modern interpretation. Doing more with less in a sense. We talk about folks using his work for tattoos, how he gets his clients, what it was like working with Phish (guilty here as I love that band and hearing about their process) and his appreciation for a good beer. This episode would have been perfectly framed in person both of us on a couch listening to a little Cornell '77 or maybe my favorite Eyes from Without a Net. He has seen Panic way more than me and I have seen Phish more too, but it all made for an unspoken brotherhood in our love for music. While music is the soundtrack for him and his studio, he takes great pride in his craft and his ability to make each brand and project unique despite not depending on fancy tricks or extra layers. We discover his love of nature and animals and how they consistently appear in his works, which I love. From Minerva to Owls to Eagles and beyond the power of his work has a wonderful ability to do so much with so little, not to mention his comfort with empty space and framing of his work. All and all a great episode. We also talk about another CT Brewery, Hanging Hills and the work that he did with their relaunch and rebrand as well as Mocama too and their new labels. He's a busy dude and we can't wait to share this one with all of you.

The Atlanta Story podcast features meaningful stories of Atlanta's builders, creators, and entrepreneurs. In this episode Jon Birdsong sits down with Brian Steely, Founder of Steely Works.    His start in the professional design world began when he sent an unsolicited tour design poster to the manager of Widespread Panic. Their interest and his new found calling sparked Steely's love for what he's done for the past 22 years. Since then he's done design work for restaurants, record labels, and corporations. In this episode we talk about principles of design, how to find the soul of a brand, and the worst career advice he's ever received.     The Atlanta Story is put together by the folks at Atlanta Ventures -- and we can't wait to share some of the personalities behind the brand. Atlanta Ventures invests in entrepreneurs through community, content, and capital -- most notably through our Studio with companies like Greenzie and Intown Golf Club. We believe the best entrepreneurs learn from other great artists in different fields.   In this episode, we discuss… Brian discusses his Widespread Panic poster design and what spawned that inspiration and connection. (1:33) How does designing for a corporation like Salesforce vs. a record label or a spirit change in your mind? (10:37) How did you discover your monoline style…or how did it find you? (13:18) How does a designer balance their work and their own following? (17:17) What specifically in Hans Hofmann inspired Brian the most? (19:01) In Brian's Creative Mornings talk he shared how he used his free time to find your symmetry. He shares the underlying principles in that theory? (19:57) What percentage of design success is salesmanship / marketing vs. creating great design? (21:47) What's the worst piece of advice Brian ever received? (23:44)  How do you balance design and brand? Does the logo drive the brand or vice versa?  (25:57) How does Brian figure out corporations v. spirits v. restaurants on what “feels” right? (27:29) Is it true that Brian turned down payment for his design and instead they let him come to any show he wanted to on the tour? What else came from it? (29:26) Brian explains what his creative process and schedule look like. (31:24) What inspires you? (34:50) How does Atlanta's design community compare to other cities? Do we have a niche? (36:05)  Why Atlanta and what has Atlanta done for you? (37:45)   Resources discussed in this episode: Steely Works: https://www.steelyworks.com/ Creative Mornings ATL talk: https://creativemornings.com/talks/brian-steely   How you can get involved:  Visit atlantaventures.com/studio if you're interested in learning more about Atlanta Ventures and the Studio.    Where you can find us: Website: www.atlstory.com Twitter: @theatlantastory Instagram: @theatlantastory YouTube: Here Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Side Hustler's Series Part 2 of 4: 9 Benefits of Side Hustling The Dream You've Been Sold Most likely, you’re a listener/reader for two reasons: You’re ready to transform your hobbies into a side hustle You’re ready to take your current side hustle to the next level If so, you've tuned into the right place. I focus on the side hustle part because hustlin' is a habit, and it's all I know. Not everyone is fortunate enough to do their own thing full-time right out of the gates. In fact, I'd say the majority of people don't go this route. You were sold the dream of the traditional route of getting student loans to fund college, so you can land a good job. You then get married, get a mortgage, have kids, and do the same routine day-in and day-out. The goal is to pay your dues at your day job to help someone else’s dream come true in hopes of retiring around sixty. Supposedly, that's when your life begins? If you're like me, you've realized this isn't your dream at all. Something deep inside you craves to go against the grain and blaze your own path. I've had this internal craving since college where I was creating tattoos, logos, etc. to pay for video games and 30 packs of Busch Light. This craving has only grown stronger as I've spent over five years building Perspective-Collective outside my day job. Trust me when I say I've invested thousands of hours and two power plants worth of energy into finding ways to transform my hobbies into a monetized side hustle/side business—all outside a day job. I’ve figured out what works through A TON of trial and error (extra emphasis on the error part). No doubt, it's been a lot of work to navigate this ship to where it's sailing today. Regardless of the storms and choppy waters I've dealt with along the way, every ounce of effort I've invested in my dream has been worth it. Pursue Your Gift & Make an Impact If you’re not fully convinced nor confident that you’re ready to invest in the long haul, I have 9 super-convincing benefits of side hustling to share with ya. Before I begin, I feel it's important to note that there's nothing wrong with having a day job. You may have landed one that you love and have no desire to do your own thing full-time. That's totally cool! You also may be in a position where you'll be in your day job for a while due to personal situations like mine. That's cool too! This episode is solely fuel for satisfying that inner craving to do more with your gift. That's it! Without further ado, the following benefits are based on my experience, as well as anecdotal evidence from my juggernaut creative friends and podcast guests. #1. Find Your Purpose This is #1 for a reason because I know what it's like to feel like you have nothing to offer the world. If you go to bed each night without something to look forward to, something is wrong. It’s time to change that with a side hustle that feels like play. I'm jazzed to get up each day because of my side hustle of helping other creatives build their killer side hustles. I look forward to putting in the work and reapings these 9 benefits that come with it. Life is dull and unfulfilling when you lack a purpose—side hustles can change that. #2. Cultivate Killer Relationships You may have heard the phrases, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” or “Your network = your net worth.” I believe both of these are 100% true. I also believe in the quote from Jim Rhome, “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Relationships are everything. Your side hustle can help connect you with like-minded people who have similar goals, work ethics, and values. Two things to keep top of mind: Always focus on giving more than you take Create as many win-win scenarios as possible for both parties You’ll be surprised by the genuine and abundant friendships you’ll build through your side hustle over time. #3. Attract a Tribe of Like-Minded Freaks "Embracing your weird" seems to be the storyline of 2019 and I'm all for it—the weirder the better. Starting a side hustle or a passion project allows you to go deep on things that interest YOU. It's a playground to experiment and embrace the YOU in YOU-nique. Chances are you're not alone—your weird quirks and qualms are most certainly shared by other weirdos. When you publicly share and own your YOU-niquness, you increase the odds of attracting a like-minded tribe of freaks who vibe to your unique flavor of weird. Then you circle back to Benefit #2 and cultivate killer relationships—it's a win-win. #4. Add New Skills to Your Arsenal This one is obvious but important to stress. My side hustle has allowed me to learn skills that I’ve been able to leverage for raises at work, charge more in freelance, and attract more opportunities. Pursuing Perspective-Collective has taught me how to: become a better artist/designer advance my lettering/illustration skills market myself on social media grow my email list improve my writing through blogging edit audio and video through the podcast manage projects and my personal time attract an audience and community pitch, price, and present my ideas communicate and delegate I could keep going, but you get the picture. Whatever you want to learn, you can create a passion project around it. #5. Build Confidence & Overcome Fear I had little to no confidence in myself or my abilities for about the first 24-25 years of my life...until I started Perspective-Collective. I was able to find my groove when I shared my work consistently on Instagram. Facing the things I feared the most—like sharing my work, speaking in public, asking for what I wanted in life, or saying NO to people—has resulted in some incredible breakthroughs in my creative career. Leaning into this fear has helped me unlock confidence in my purpose, my creative abilities, and my mission. Side hustling builds confidence when you're persistently getting uncomfortable. Period. #6. Turn Your Work into Play Hobbies are fun and having fun = play. There are no set-in-stone requirements that you have to turn that hobby into a side hustle, especially if your play begins to feel like work. If your side hustle isn’t fun, it’s just another soul-sucking job. Keep your inner creative child alive and enjoy the messy process. However, when your work becomes play, your potential is unlimited. The passion and fun will fuel you during the low moments. #7. Make an Impact I used to chase the glory: more money, more followers, more engagement, etc. However, when I focused on serving people and the impact I had on them, I found a lot of these manifest as a byproduct. Creating for impact means contributing to something bigger than yourself—the greater whole. Making an impact leaves a legacy far after I'm buried six feet deep. I’m hoping the podcast and the Side Hustler's Coaching Program are things my son can be proud of and people can find value in for years to come. #8. Generate Extra Income Who doesn’t love to make a little extra money on the side? For me, money isn't the focus anymore, it's become a byproduct of Benefit #7 and serving people like you. I've learned that money and opportunities will come your way when you're ready and prepared for them. Here are multiple ways you can make supplemental income with your side hustle: freelancing, slanging merch, creating digital products, consulting, coaching, teaching, influencer marketing, social media marketing, content creation, affiliates, etc. For me, I’ve done a little bit of everything. The extra income I've generated over the years has helped me pay off credit cards, put a down payment on my wife's whip, cover emergency medical expenses, take vacations, donate to charities like Inch x Inch, and even buy special gifts for the lovely lady in my life. Even if extra income isn’t your intent with your side hustle, just know there's a good chance you could probably monetize what you’re doing. #9. Win Your Freedom Again, maybe you’re not looking to take your side hustle full-time, and that’s totally okay. I know tons of powerhouse creatives who still hold down a day job like Brian Steely and Nick Slater. If you're like me, you eventually strive to do your thing full-time. I have a game plan to get there, but I'm still a few years away from taking that leap. However, I’ve seen how side hustles and passion projects has unlocked financial and time freedom for my friends like Pandr Design, Lauren Hom, Musketon, and Elizabeth Gray of The Grayter Good. When they started to take their side hustle more seriously, they were able to evolve them into lucrative creative careers. Why can’t this be you and me too? Share Your Gift with the World Maybe you're ready to transform your hobby to a side hustle. Maybe you're ready to take your side hustle to the next level? Whatever it is, I hope you see the crazy benefits a side hustle can yield when you tap into your gifts and share it with the world. So what if you have a day job? Don't let that hold you back from building a side hustle. Leverage your day job to fuel your dream job, and have some fun in the process! Need Some Extra Help? Check out The Side Hustler's Coaching Program If you're finding that you want some extra hand-holding and accountability to take the next step, sign up for the Side Hustler's Coaching Program now to join the waitlist for September 16th's launch week. Shownotes Download your FREE Side Hustler’s War Chest Get your FREE audiobook download from Audible Join our Private Global Facebook Community of Creators Listener of the Week: Jasmine Designs of Australia Podcast Editor: Aine Brennan Shownotes Editor: Paige Garland Video Editor: Colton Bachar Podcast music: Blookah Want to Support the Show? Become a backer on Patreon Leave an Apple Podcast Rating and Review Share the show on social media or follow the Perspective Podcast Instagram Subscribe via your favorite podcast player: Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Play Music Overcast

How do you keep evolving a recognizable style that's in high demand? In this episode we sit down with designer Brian Steely, whose monoline work has distinguished clients ranging from Nike to the national parks. We discuss what it means to set boundaries, battle impostor syndrome, and refresh your craft while embracing your distinctive voice.For more on Brian Steely visit his website: www.steelyworks.comSpecial thanks to Matchstic: www.matchstic.comRecorded live at Constellations: www.constellations.communityHosted and produced by Blake HowardEdited by Michael Engelking For more on The Creative Rising visit our website: www.thecreativerising.com

Brian Steely chatted with us from his office in Atlanta! He is the man behind Steel Works and is known for his classic monoline style. He talked to us about how he got into the design world, life and a dad, growing his business, the scene in ATL, and his hair care routine!

Brian Steely gives a heap of helpful advice for aspiring designers, he talks about how he has gotten to where he is today, his design philosophy and so much more! Some links to things discussed in the episode can be found below. Website: www.steelyworks.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/briansteely

Play, Fuck Up & Experiment I pursue this podcast because I love it. I pursue drawing and creating because I love it. Being a creative, you got into this whole mess because you tried it, you loved it and you figured it out along the way. Sometimes along the way you forget why you loved it and you can steer of course for a season or even a few years. I’ve been there as it’s also easy to get wrapped up in the validation of creating for others on social media instead of creating what you’re vibing too. When you give yourself permission to play, fuck up and experiment, amazing things can happen. Brian Steely: Big Work, Chill Dude Queue today’s guest, Brian Steely of Steely Works. Brian is the most chill, down to earth rock stars in the creative game right now. He’s done work for big brands like Element, Toyota, Nike and big bands like Phish, Mumford & son and My Morning Jacket to name a few. However, he’s not too proud to throw down with your average Joe brand looking to make a splash. He’s made a name for himself with his monoline badge work that’s take the internet by storm. In this episode, we cover topics of: His illustration and branding process Not losing the love of why you do what you do Building others up over viewing the world as competition Having some grit and sticking it out And so much more He’s a rad dude, a great friend and he drops a goldmine of takeaways that light a much needed fire under your ass. If you find value in this episode, please give it a share via Instagram or Twitter and share the love. Shownotes Follow Brian Steely: Website  | Instagram | Dribbble Dose of Inspiration:  @graphicdesign79 Podcast editor: Aine Brennan Podcast music: Blookah Want to Support the Show? Become a backer on Patreon Leave an Apple Podcast Rating and Review Share the show on social media or follow the Perspective Podcast Instagram Crypto Donation Support Bitcoin: 1j5vE64PWgkJHGnGSrAiJK82bnfn7fBgu Ethereum: 0xFf60588C873E34235dE371450d58129d8d7cAC16 Litecoin: LerTFZfvtW4iH7qJM8vSE9mkdQA24yKmB6 Subscribe via your favorite podcast player: iTunes Spotify Google Play Radio Overcast Stitcher

Give it Time to Grow & Tilt the Scales in Your Favor This week on the show we have a very special guest who just got done hosting an amazing conference called Crop in Baton Rouge. Matt Dawson is a talented designer and connector who creates under the name Stay Gray Ponyboy in Atlanta. He is a shining example of someone who put in the work and used the power of side projects to build a name for himself. He’s not only an insanely talented individual but he’s grown into becoming a really good friend of mine and I can’t wait to share his story with you. Stumbling into Graphic Design Growing up, Matt was always involved with sports, music and drawing. As he approached college, he thought landscape architecture sounded appealing and was involved in that for 3.5 years out of the 5-year program. Outside of class, he found himself constantly using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to make band collateral like posters and merch. Little did he know he was getting started in a career of graphic design. It finally dawned on him that he wanted to switch directions and pursue graphic design. He was in a new relationship with the wonderful Ariadne at the time and he approached her saying they needed to have a talk. The funny thing is she thought he was going to break up with her when really he was just switching majors. Of course, she was 100% on board as he states she always is whatever he chooses to pursue. Over the last 4.5 years, he's been working under the moniker of Stay Gray Ponyboy and the business name of Studio Gray. His situation was like mine when I talk about Making a Name For Yourself in Episode 28, using his first name like Matt Dawson Design didn't fit so he went a more abstract route. There are a few reasons he chose this name because of the word gray: It is a family name and shortly after his daughter was born, everything he did was for her. It also happens to be his favorite color—he's all about overcast days and gray clothing. It pertains to having perspective in a situation. Finally, it was also inspired by the book The Outsiders with the phrase "Stay Gold Ponyboy." While he stumbled into graphic design and built a name for himself, Matt clearly is a workhouse and has put in the work behind the scenes. Give it Time to Grow Something that really stood out to me from Matt's interview is when he said, "Am I going to build something for myself or am I going to build something for someone else?" He's put in the grind at the day job of exchanging hours of his life for pay. He's been in positions where they worked him to the bone for 40-50 hours a week and he'd still find time to pour another 30 hours or so into building his side projects and freelance. When you start having ownership of something, the scale begins to tip in your favor and that was the case with his story. It's all about perception as the amount of work he was kicking out under Stay Gray Ponyboy appeared like he was doing his thing full-time and eventually, that grind paid off. Matt has now been working for himself full-time now for close to two months, and honestly it's all because of the time he invested into letting his side projects grow. Typography Nerd Let's face it, Matt is a typography nerd and I say this with the utmost respect. His love for type led him to have type talks as he worked for Lamar Advertising. His passion for type sparked an archive of typography combinations that he would help other designers use when they were in a pinch. Around the same time, he began using Instagram and sharing these combinations he built up under the catchy name of #TypeComboTuesday. He understood the power of consistency and kicked out Type Combos every Tuesday for 2 years! In 2017 he scaled it back and focuses on it once a month as his freelance career began to blossom. What's funny about speaking and seeing the behind scenes of these events held by Lamar is that it sparked one of his biggest ideas yet... Crop Conference Matt was inspired to take these talks from Lamar and grow them to a larger scale for people in and outside of Louisiana. A patio sessions with a few beers ended up spawning the name Crop. Think about it, cropping a photo is meant to bring out the best part of the composition into the frame and I feel this conference brings out the best part of us creatives. There were a few hurdles he's dealt with and still deals with today in building Crop: Not only was it tough to name but it was tough to design for as your designing for designers. Organizing and working on bringing in some of the biggest conference names like Draplin, Tad Carpenter, Morning Breath, Hoodzpah, Brian Steely, Jason Craig, etc. Getting sponsorships throughout the year. Having a diverse lineup especially within the talks. Getting people to believe in the conference and to convince them it's legit. If you ask me, I feel like he is crushing it in every category. The conference has been so successful that he is planning something special with it in between it's normal time in April. This November, he is doing a satellite event called a Crop Pop Up in November. It'll be a one day gig the Friday before MondoCon 2017. There will be a few workshops, speakers, a big party and plenty of fun with the Industry Print Shop fellas. I suggest you keep up to date on Matt's Instagram, Crop's Instagram or Cropbr.com if you think you want to attend...which I would recommend. Rapid Fire Questions Q. What' one piece of advice you would give to creatives starting a side / passion project or stuck in a creative funk? A. Having the patience to nurture your side project is important. You have to put in the time and give it time to grow. Q. Serif, San Serif or Script? A. San Serif Q. Who's your current favorite artist you're vibing to lately? A. Alvin Diec who is capitalizing on making new things look old. Q. What's your favorite kind of pizza? A. Pepperoni, mushroom, feta cheese and banana peppers at Peace Love and Pizza - Atlanta   Key Takeaways: Are you building for you or are you building for someone else? Start having ownership of something and the scales will start tilting in your favor. If you can get by and be happy, you need to try and figure out how the hell to do that. Have patience and nurture your side projects as you have to give it time to grow Don’t compare your start to someone else's middle Look ahead and try to see what this side project will accomplish for you—that’s the carrot you should keep chasing   Shownotes StayGrayPonyboy.com Stay Gray Ponyboy Instagram Type Combo Tuesday Crop Conference Instagram CropBR.com Stay Gray Ponygirl Industry Print Shop Pizza Drawings Only Lamar Advertising Alvin Diec - Artist's website Peace Love and Pizza - Atlanta Music by Blookah

The preface of this episode stems from some recent free work I was selected to create. I feel this could yield some value to you if you ever get stuck in the same situation. Recently, a local pizza joint, Urban Pie, opened up close to me and they put out a call to local creatives through Facebook. They asked for help in designing their massive chalkboard menu as well as their cornerstone quick bake pizza oven. By now you need to know that I’m weirdly passionate about pizza art so I figured why not inquire for more details. It came back as exposure work… If you’re like me then you’re not a fan of crowd sourcing artists and paying them in exposure. A lot of companies do this to try and position it as they are benefiting the artist when in reality; they are the ones who are winning. Before you go rolling your eyes I want you to hear me out. After consulting my mastermind group and asking the question, “When do you think it’s okay to do free work?” I got a ton of great responses. I thought packaging up their answers would make a great episode incase you ever got in this position yourself. Safe to say I took the job. I couldn’t be more excited about it because of several factors that I share in this episode that benefited me in doing free work. Free Work Can Lead to Bigger Breaks or Help Someone in Need I get it, you want to build a career of doing the work you love. Why would you ever want to do work for free? I’m at a point in my creative career where I’m making a big transition in taking my freelance game to the next level. There are plenty of bills and loans laying around that need paid and my time is sacred outside the day job. A part of me tells myself that I shouldn’t be donating any of my work for free as it’s not paying the bills. Then again, there is another part of me who sees the value you in it…depending on the situation of course. I’m not telling you to do free work all the time and get taken advantage of—I respect the creative hustle. Not everyone is going to agree with me on these and that’s alright. This is about the 7 ways free work may be in your best interest. I’m looking for the win-win scenarios here. When You’re Just Starting Off A great time where free work helps you out is when you’re just beginning to pursue your work seriously. During this time, you’re still developing a style and name for yourself. It’s rare that people are going to throw a lot of money at someone who doesn’t have a body of work showing what you’re capable of. You have no leverage. Doing projects for friends, family or other acquaintances can help you: decide quickly which type of work you do and don’t want to do more of. get familiar with the client process…even if they aren’t the best clients. learn how to handle situations like feedback, revisions and handing off work. develop your skills and get word of mouth for future jobs. You have to start somewhere, and that means doing free work in the beginning. When it’s Work You Create in Your Free Time If there is a specific style of work you’re already doing in your spare time, this could be a great opportunity to show what you’re made of in a more professional setting. For me, I already create pizza art on the regular and the project I took on gave me a chance to do this with more intention. When it Aligns With Your Goals This was a driving factor for why I chose to take on the project. I have a list of goals written down and it just so happens this projects hit 3 birds with one stone: to get my first pizza related client to do 1 of 5 murals to build a strong creative presence in my community When something aligns with your goals, I’d take the opportunity as you don’t know what it could lead to next. When it Could Lead to More of the Same Work But Paid This plays off #2 & #3. If you aspire to do something and you’re already doing it for yourself in your spare time, doing it for free could open the window to do more of this same work, but paid. Getting an opportunity to show off my pizza / mural skills in a highly trafficked public setting could lead to bigger pizza or mural projects (as of this writing, I’ve already received 4 local requests for murals and it has only been a week since I completed this project). For even larger reach, I highly recommend: documenting the process pushing it through social media adding it to your portfolio making a case study on your website This will dramatically improve your odds for attracting similar clients that will pay for this style. When You Have Complete Creative Freedom Sometimes having complete creative freedom can be a mind fuck. Restrictions have a way of breeding creativity, but sometimes having the freedom to do whatever you want within reason is amazing. It circles around to showcasing your skills that you’ve been crafting behind closed doors in your sketchbook. Now you can let your creativity explode on whatever canvas you’re asked to create on. In my case, this was a chalkboard and oven. When it’s for a Charity That Resonates With You There may be times where you believe in the cause that a charity or organization promotes. In this case, your work could serve a larger purpose that surpasses the value of money. A great example of this is my brother Terance Tang of Tinlun Studio. He donates his time and artwork to a local Chinese Youth Camp in Houston, Texas. Terance states, “The first year I volunteered at CYC, I immediately saw the enormous positive impact it has on the kids - personal growth, teamwork, leadership experience, social skill building, and most of all, unforgettable memories. I knew then and there that this is a special organization that truly makes the world a better place. I definitely want my kids to have the CYC experience.” Another great example of how artists donate their work for a larger, and in these case a smaller cause is with Inch x Inch. This is a monthly button club operated by Bob Ewing and Drew Hill that features well-known artist’s work. The duo believes small things (like buttons) can make a big difference. 65% of the proceeds of each monthly subscription go to funding youth art education programs. Some of the design juggernauts they’ve featured include Draplin, Allan Peters, Clark Orr, Brian Steely and Kendrick Kidd. What’s even better is that is that they recently donated $5,000 split between Art with a Heart (Indianapolis) and 826CHI (Chicago). Creating free work for a good cause makes a bigger impact than you think. When You Can Help Someone Out in a Pinch When you become a known design source, your friends and family will inevitably hit you up for work. You can’t help everyone—saying no is just as important as saying yes…unless it’s your mom asking then you have to say yes. However, sometimes you may be in a position to help someone get that break they deserve. A great example of this is Aaron Draplin of Draplin Design Co. and his logo design for Cobra Dogs. Cobra Dogs was a food cart that used a copyright logo and was on the verge of losing everything. DDC came in and created a new logo for them, helping the entrepreneur recover and do what he loves: selling dogs from his food cart. There will be random opportunities when you could doodle on a kids cast, create a logo for your little cousin in-law’s youtube channel or create some branding for your friend's music festival. Making time to lend your time and gift could be another person’s blessing. Conclusion You see, there are times where doing free work can be a win-win scenario. I feel when you look at an opportunity from this perspective, it can be worth doing it for free. Again, I’m not saying to do this for every project. You have bills to pay and exposure doesn’t put food on the table. As an artist, you have to pick and choose those right situations where it makes sense. Consult people close to you if you’re unsure like I did. It brought a lot of clarity which let me package this up and share with you if you get in this situation. Not all free work is created equally, but sometimes that exposure or person you’re helping out just may be worth it. Key Takeaways You can’t do every project for free, you have bills to pay and exposure doesn’t put food on the table. It’s rare that people are going to throw a lot of money at someone who doesn’t have a body of work showing what you’re capable of. You have no leverage. Doing something for free could lead to more of the same work but paid. Documenting and repurposing your free work can dramatically help attract clients that will pay for this style. Creating free work for a good cause makes a bigger impact than you think. You can’t help everyone—saying no is just as important as saying yes Making time to lend your time and gift could be another person’s blessing. Not all free work is created equally, but sometimes that exposure or person you’re helping out just may be worth it. Shownotes Urban Pie Terance Tang / Tinlun Studio Inch x Inch Bob Ewing Drew Hill Draplin Draplin Design Co. DDC  Cobra Dogs Blookah Music