Jul 23, 2019

Deccan Herald : The many perks of being a freelancer

Bengaluru-based illustrator Alicia Souza is thankful she gets to work from home and still make a living

Anila Kurian, DH News Service, Bengaluru, JUL 23 2019

When I was young, I used to read Garfield comics in the newspaper. There was a new comic strip every single day. I used to think how horrible it must be for the creator to come up with an idea every single day without fail or they wouldn’t have a job.

Funnily enough, that’s exactly what I do for a living now and it’s the best. When I completed university in Melbourne, I wanted to become a full-time illustrator. I remember contacting a lot of companies for a job but they had only part-time offers.

It always works on a contract basis there. Starting my career as a freelancer wasn’t an option as I had bills to pay. I had already decided to not become a graphic designer. I didn’t want to get stuck in that field. If I was going to be in the art field, it will be to illustrate or do something completely different.

That’s when I met my friend Bill Wood who is a freelance illustrator. Watching him work made me realise that being a freelancer is equally hard as...