Do your tax: advice from creatives to set you on your way
The month of June means crips winter mornings and cold nights. The idea of bunkering down with a glass of wine or hot chocolate and doing something homely in my spare time is oh so enticing and alluring. However June also means…. tax time is looming.
Image: Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
The month of June means crips winter mornings and cold nights. The idea of bunkering down with a glass of wine or hot chocolate and doing something homely in my spare time is oh so enticing and alluring. However June also means…. tax time is looming.
If you’re anything like me, tax is something that is subject to extreme procrastination because it’s not particularly fun, and I admit numbers send my eyes into a glaze. However, as a creative with a small business and several side hustles on the go its imperative that it’s done right.
So, with June 30 looming, I’ve dived into the trusty CWC blog archives to help whip myself into gear and found some gems from over the years. Here are some useful blog posts which will hopefully set me on the right track, and help you out too.
Tax Basics for small creative businesses
by Jes Egan.
Just want to be creative and not think about your tax? So do most of us, however there are many administrative tasks to running a small business and sometimes they can get in the way of being creative and doing what you love. Unfortunately, most of these tasks are important and avoiding them can land you in trouble. Here are some tips to help you prepare for your tax. Read more here.
Organise me - it’s tax time
by Andrea McArthur
Tax time. Time to get serious. The count down to June 30 is on and we only have 5 days left. Now is definitely the time to start thing about your Tax. Below are some ideas to get you thinking about your Tax this year. Read more here.
My Advice: Staying on top of admin
By Lizzie Stafford
We asked three organised business owners how they stay on top of the books without going insane. In the wise words of potter Ilona Topolcsanyi: “Admin is like a leg wax: if you move quickly, the pain is minimal and the results are pretty damn sexy.” Read more here.
Meet Cindee Smith, owner and creative behind VIOLET HARTLEY
My business is VIOLET HARTLEY, I create hand screen printed textiles, predominantly scarves. Hand etched (onto a zinc plate) and hand printed etchings, often hand coloured with water colour pencils.
BOWDO SCARF....ORANGE TASSLES....SWALLOW PRINT IN ORANGE
4 min read
My business is VIOLET HARTLEY, I create hand screen printed textiles, predominantly scarves. Hand etched (onto a zinc plate) and hand printed etchings, often hand coloured with water colour pencils.
I initially studied screen printing in WA (many years ago) and more recently completed a Diploma in Visual Arts in Melbourne. I have worked in the fashion industry most of my career in some way shape or form.
I feel very lucky to have a grown son and daughter and two fantastic grandchildren (who love to help me with drawing and creating).
I have a love of nature & colour and am particularly inspired by birds, trees, animals and my love of textiles and embellishment, which is reflected in my work.
What do you have on your work space at the moment?
At the moment I’m working on a new shipment of large silk/cotton scarves adorned with gorgeous coloured tassels. I am hand printing five new hand drawn designs onto these.
I also have samples and prototypes of art work on large canvas carry bags and silk velvet jackets with artwork on the back.
BOWDO SCARF....CIRCLE OF TREES PRINT IN KHAKI ...GREEN TASSLES
How would you describe your career so far and how did you get into this industry?
My career/business as an artist is really just blooming in the last decade as I have had the time to dedicate to it seriously.
I feel like I have been all my life practicing for it and experimenting with different products (clothing, cushions, etchings and painting) and different avenues of selling from to shops to selected artisan markets. When my daughter was very young I wanted to get out of the house for a few hours a week and learn something new (and talk to adults). Having always loved art in many forms and textiles, when I found something that combined the two…Screen Printing, I enrolled immediately and fell in love with the technique and process instantly.
What are some of the most important/ topical issues you tackle in your work?
It is extremely important to me to keep centuries old artisan skills alive and acknowledged for the skill they are.
I’d like people to understand and appreciate the work, time, experience and dedication that is involved with HAND MADE.
Mass produced, machine generated products don’t require skill and have no uniqueness. Tens of thousands of people can have exactly the same item when it is factory produced from a production line. I think it would be wonderful if people bought one beautiful unique item that has been made with love and with time honoured techniques and to know that no-one else has exactly the same item.
RED, NATURAL, GREEN, COTTON CHECK WITH WHITE FOLKBIRD PRINT
What are some things you learnt on your job that you didn’t expect to learn?
I was surprised to learn that if you give people too much choice with a product such as different styles, colours, fabrics, prints and size it will often cause confusion and because they can’t decide…they buy nothing!
Because I am very decisive and instantly like something, I thought people that loved handmade beautiful items would be the same.
Do you have a typical workday?
Normally…(not at the moment because of the Coronavirus) I rise early and travel to my daughters house to take my fabulous grandchildren to school. I love doing this because it makes me start the day early and by 9.15 I am up dressed, feeling fresh, happy at starting the day with a laugh with my grandchildren and back in my studio ready and eager to go.
From there, it could be designing new scarves or prints or actually printing, drying and heat pressing scarves.
I often have loud music on when I work, it makes me relaxed and happy and content.
What have been some of the biggest challenges in your career?
I always have a million things I want to do and create — so sticking to and concentrating on even a couple of projects is hard for me.
Money! Always a challenge as you need to invest in fabric, inks, screens etc. and it's all very expensive and it might be several months before any return on your investment.
Computer stuff…anything to do with a computer! It doesn’t come naturally and I prefer to use my hands and make something than spend the time to work it out.
BOWDO SCARF…BLUE TASSLES…
What do you do in your ‘down time’ (and do you have a guilty pleasure)?
I love what I do so my “down time” is often doing the same things.
I read books, I’ve just read and loved Phosphorescence by Julia Baird.
Visiting art galleries and fabric stores.
Sitting on the verandah with my husband in late afternoon/evening and drinking Negronis.
What are some of the things which inspire you?
Nature - trees, birds, animals and flowers.
Colour - can be in nature or in a fabric store or what someone is wearing.
Music - puts me in a relaxed mood to create.
How do you balance work/ life?
As my studio/workspace is at home my husband usually makes me balance work/life. When he comes home from work tired, hungry and wanting to talk, I know that this is the end of my working day. When he is away l'll often work late into the evening, then I get tired and hungry and start making mistakes.
Best creative memory?
I often travel to India to work with weavers and textile artisans to create my scarves and when my first delivery of scarves arrived from India I was so excited I couldn't even wait to take the boxes inside to open them. I stood on my verandah tearing open the boxes. The smell of the natural freshly woven silk and cotton, the vision of hundreds of colourful tassels and the feel of the natural fabric against my skin was overwhelmingly euphoric.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to break into the industry you are in?
LOVE WHAT YOU DO! If you love what you do you will find a way to make it happen.
Find your tribe - the people/customers that understand, appreciate and also love what you do.
Have a little chuckle to yourself if anyone ever says “ I can do that, it's easy”. They probably won’t!
Find the people that give you energy, support, belief in yourself and love and surround yourself with them.
Website www.violethartley.com
Instagram www.instagram.com/violethartley
Meet Trudy Rice, artist and textile designer
Hi I’m Trudy Rice, I am an artist and I live in Port Melbourne, Victoria. I also frequent the coastal town of Lorne on the iconic Great Ocean Road where much of my inspiration comes from. I work primarily with works on paper and enjoy depicting our native flora and fauna. I also dabble in abstract painting.
Trudy in her Studio. Photography Annette O'Brien and Styling Alana Langan
3 min read
Hi I’m Trudy Rice, I am an artist and I live in Port Melbourne, Victoria. I also frequent the coastal town of Lorne on the iconic Great Ocean Road where much of my inspiration comes from. I work primarily with works on paper and enjoy depicting our native flora and fauna. I also dabble in abstract painting.
My range of textile designs on 100% linen are a transference of my work from paper to fabric. I hope my work brings a sense of peace, calmness and connectivity with the natural world we live in.
What do you have on your work space at the moment?
It has been in my sites for some time to create an online workshop and our current global situation has given me a push to make it happen. I have been filming my second online workshop. The first one is up and running! Here is an introduction to the first workshop https://youtu.be/SVQv6LddXaU
I have also set up a small painting studio at home so I feel I’m being creative whilst helping my son to be motivated about online learning.
How would you describe your career so far and how did you get into this industry?
I’ve always been creative in some way, working with fashion designers as a model in my younger years, making jewellery, I tried my hand at being a makeup artist, going back to study art and falling in love with printmaking. I was told very early on that my work looked like it was printed on fabric so it was almost a natural progression from my works on paper.
I am now also working on some larger projects like murals and wallpaper design.
What are some of the most important/ topical issues you tackle in your work?
I am all about preserving our environment. Showing it’s beauty in my drawings and artworks, using all non-toxic materials in my studio and manufacturing locally in Australia as much as possible.
What are some things you learnt on your job that you didn’t expect to learn?
I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to technology but I never thought I’d be setting up my own website and running social media campaigns. You become a bit of a jack of all trades running your own arts business. I have slowly outsourced and this has been really important for me to keep being creative.
Last year I hired my sister who is a talented photographer and is now taking images of my homewares and writing for my social media outlets.
I have also engaged a PR agency. Once I started having more of a flow of incoming work, I really needed the help.
Do you have a typical workday?
I am much more in my creative zone in the afternoons, so I know that I’m better doing paperwork in the morning and then making art in the afternoon.
What have been some of the biggest challenges in your career?
Working out how to manage working with galleries, pricing my work, pricing larger projects and the biggest challenge has been how to pivot my business to manage through our current global situation.
Trudy drawing in the studio with some of her homewares. Photography Annette O'Brien and Styling Alana Langan
What do you do in your ‘down time’ (and do you have a guilty pleasure)?
My down-time is generally staying at home with my family, cuddled up on the couch and drinking a glass of good red wine with some stinky cheese! I am Dutch after all.
What are some of the things which inspire you?
Getting out into nature is definitely inspiring. Whether that’s in my local park or hiking in the bush.
How do you balance work/ life?
I try to keep a good diary and finish working, especially on the computer by 5pm. I like to be home to cook the dinner, have that glass of red and spend time with my family.
Best creative memory?
Gosh… there have been so many highlights, from features in a magazine, large projects coming to fruition. I love seeing my art go to a good home. Its like sending off one of your children.
I do love when I have an ah ha moment in the studio. When you hand pull a print from the printing press and you are pleasantly surprised at what has come out.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to break into the industry you are in?
Find what makes you passionate and keep making decisions whether business or pleasure that help to fuel that passion.
Meet Lilian Tran of ISĒ
Lilian Tran is the founder of ISĒ, and organic Belgian linen company which crafts timeless pieces that are crisp, luxurious and sustainable. Read about how Lilian got to do what she does, what makes her tick, and how she has cultivated her creative career.
Image: ISĒ
5 min read
Lilian Tran is the founder of ISĒ, and organic Belgian linen company which crafts timeless pieces that are crisp, luxurious and sustainable. Read about how Lilian got to do what she does, what makes her tick, and how she has cultivated her creative career.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
When I was younger, I wanted to be a fashion designer because I loved making my own clothes. I eventually studied at the Whitehouse Institute of Design and went on to work in fashion. My career was spent working in Australia for the majority of my early years, and later working in fashion capitals like London and New York, which have been some of the best years of my life career-wise and in terms of personal development.
With a busy lifestyle, I try to maintain a comfortable balance in my life. For my mental and physical health, I take pilates reformer sessions through the week, which I thoroughly enjoy. I see my family every Sunday for dinner and I make sure I have time for my partner and my friends. My weeks are busy but I stay organised and make it work.
What is your current business/creative pursuit/job?
I started ISĒ, in 2019 with the hope to create an honest business, built on an uncompromising quality standard with ethics and sustainability at the forefront.
I had been feeling disillusioned by the fashion industry since the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse and it made me question the ethics and sustainability of the fashion world I was so drawn to. This was a big part of my why. I chose to make products for the home because I came to realise how important sleep is for your well-being.
My life is pretty demanding so I place importance on maintaining a balance, recharging and sleeping well to stay healthy.
Image: ISĒ
How would you describe your career so far and how did you get into this industry?
I feel fortunate to have the opportunities I have had. Though, I also believe that it doesn’t come handed to you but is received through hard work, and maybe a little bit of luck.
My career in fashion gave me the expertise to understand the manufacturing industry well. I have been able to gain experience in small businesses, where I was able to get hands on with a lot of different areas, and larger businesses, to specialise in what I did.
When I landed my job in London, I was given the luxury of travel to meet with suppliers, go on sourcing and inspiration trips around the world on a regular basis to make my designs come to life. The skills I gained in London allowed me to specialise in what I did and gave me creative freedom.
Once my time was up in London, I made my way to Berlin to work on my portfolio and then headed to New York and landed a job there. New York was a different kind of beast that really challenged me in many ways. Upon my return to Sydney, I decided I was ready for my next challenge, to create a story of my own grounded in values I felt strongly about.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
I typically arrange my week in advance, in order of tasks of importance. I’ve learnt too well in the past that I am not productive when I have too many little things to do in the day as I lose focus. My week consists of emails, meetings, marketing, liaising with our suppliers, and admin for the most part.
Image: ISĒ linen
Image: ISĒ leather throw
What is the most important aspect of your job/ creative pursuit?
I have a responsibility to maintain the health of the business and the planet. My vision is to uphold the company’s vision and values at a high level. Every partner we take on and every employee we hire believes in our vision and values.
What have been some of the biggest challenges in your career?
Presentations were probably my biggest fear in my early days. I am more comfortable with it now, but I won’t lie, it still makes me nervous to present my work. Its definitely a great skill to have and a skill worth mastering as it’s an important part of showcasing the work you have been working on and sharing it with the people in front of you. It’s exciting but at the same time a little daunting.
Understanding how to organise your time is also very important. I find it’s great to sit down on a Sunday evening and plan for the week ahead so you know exactly what needs to be accomplished. Things don’t always go as planned, but at least you have a framework to start with.
What do you do in your ‘down time’ (and do you have a guilty pleasure)?
I enjoy my self care routine. It’s something that I have placed a focus on over the last 5 years. I have a weakness for Thai massages. It always leaves me feeling de-stressed and refreshed.
Image: ISĒ
What are some of the things which inspires you?
I am a big believer that you can be inspired by absolutely anything around you. I take inspiration from talks that I attend, galleries, travel, magazines and people.
Patti Smith continues to inspire me with her prose and her authenticity. My mentor, Gabrielle, inspires me everyday with the knowledge she shares on absolutely everything. My copywriter, Rossella, is quite possibly the kindest, most generous and humble human I know. Melinda Tually and Clare Press were the main people I turned to in the early days to learn about sustainability when it was all very new to the world many years ago. Instagram is a great source of inspiration also. Our suppliers persistence and dedication to sustainability inspires me to work with them to make a change for the world.
Best creative memory?
I was in year 5 working on a project on the planet Saturn. It was an exciting project because I was able to work on a large piece of black cardboard, write my findings in metallic coloured pens and create a work of art with silver and gold glitter. It was probably my proudest work.
What would you tell your younger self?
There is no such thing as a negative experience. Everything in life happens for a reason, so find the positive in the every bad situation and learn from this.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to break into the industry you are in?
Do your research and make sure you enter it with a lot of persistence, passion and drive. It’s the only thing that I believe will make you successful, because you’ll realise that it may take a little bit longer than you think to get to where you want to be and there’s probably not going to be a lot of money coming your way for a little while. The only way is to be realistic with your expectations. Keep it real.
Image: ISĒ
Social media check-up for your business
What exactly had happened? I had been so inspired, so committed, so diligent! An active social media user, a devotee to producing beautiful content and engaging with my audience. I suppose the romance wore off, or I burnt myself out? Over time my enthusiasm lessened, my focus shifted elsewhere and I realised I was simply taking social media for granted. Accounts that once received daily attention were now gathering virtual dust. I had fallen out of love with my businesses social media accounts.
What exactly had happened? I had been so inspired, so committed, so diligent! An active social media user, a devotee to producing beautiful content and engaging with my audience. I suppose the romance wore off, or I burnt myself out? Over time my enthusiasm lessened, my focus shifted elsewhere and I realised I was simply taking social media for granted. Accounts that once received daily attention were now gathering virtual dust. I had fallen out of love with my businesses social media accounts.
When was the last time you gave your social media accounts a check up? Are you guilty of a set and forget approach too? I couldn’t remember when I had last fine tuned each platform. Yet these platforms had grown my email list, brought me numerous clients, made most of my sales and offered up unexpected opportunities like collaborations and speaking events. All rather good reasons to reengage with the online corners of my business. The only thing for it was to make myself a to do list and make it a priority.
Whatever your platform/s of choice, use these steps to service your online presence and refresh your virtual image. My online business presence consists of a website with a shop and blog, a Facebook page and Instagram feed. I generally access these from my phone or tablet, however I find a tune up is best achieved with a laptop, a cuppa, notepaper and pen.
1. Update
Whatever platforms you use and whatever your device of choice, ensure your software is updated to the latest version so you aren’t missing out on any functionality or resolved glitches.
2. Compare
Open all your sites in tabs and compare them. Are the aesthetics consistent across each site? Are they speaking the same visual language? Is your branding strong? Make note - what do you like, what do you want to change?
3. Delete
Be ruthless and give your sites a good pruning. Old sales posts on IG, images that don’t fit in with your look, items that flopped. Delete, delete, delete. Give new customers the very best impression by letting go of anything you wouldn’t happily repost.
4. Refresh
An updated bio, a new head shot, seasonal banners, there are lots of simple ways to refresh your social media feeds to reengage interest and generate more clicks. Perhaps a new blog theme or some professional product shots will get you excited about spending time in your online spaces.
5. Check links
Click around on each site and check for broken or outdated links. Ask a friend to send you a message on your Contact form. Test your mailing list sign up forms.
6. Research
Take a look at your competition, are they doing anything new or interesting? Choose a few of your current customers and see what hashtags they are using. Use google to check the top hashtags in your niche. Fall down the rabbit hole and make note of new hashtags to trial.
7. Plan
Create a realistic plan going forward so as to keep the cobwebs at bay. One Instagram post a day shared to Facebook? One blog post a week? Two newsletters a month? Then schedule days to create content to fulfil your plan. Batch photography, editing and writing, then schedule your posts.
8. Engage
Remember, it isn’t social media if you’re not being social! Engage with your audience. Like, follow, comment. Leave meaningful comments. Reply to direct messages in a timely way. I have found it to be true that the number of followers are not as important as the kind of followers you have. 100 genuinely engaged supporters of your business are more important than 1,000 luke-warm followers, or 10,000 purchased followers.
Christina Lowry is a designer and jeweller who makes fine jewellery for creatives. Her work is featured in several Australian galleries, as well as in her online store. Christina fell in love with jewellery making while studying a Bachelor of Fine Art/Visual Art. Each piece is lovingly made by hand in her Brisbane workshop, incorporating precious metals and gemstones, using traditional metalworking techniques.
How to stay "Instasafe" as a creative
I love Instagram. It lets me communicate to the world what I'm about (nourishing food, natural light and comfortable shoes wherever possible, and preventative health in life, law and business!), and has allowed me to connect with so many like-minded clients...
Photo via Pexels
I love Instagram. It lets me communicate to the world what I'm about (nourishing food, natural light and comfortable shoes wherever possible, and preventative health in life, law and business!), and has allowed me to connect with so many like-minded clients through my page @thelawyerslunchbox.
And I know many of my clients loving using it for their own businesses.
But we all need to make sure we stay legally safe on Instagram. This means not falling foul of Insta's terms and conditions, using the right images and not saying or doing anything illegal.
Here are some tips...
Types of images
Instagram has the right to remove, edit, block, and monitor accounts containing content that Instagram determines violates their terms of use.
To avoid problems, you must not post violent, nude, discriminatory, unlawful, infringing, hateful, pornographic or sexually suggestive photos. This term is interpreted sensibly, for example if your business is in fashion, intimate apparel, swimwear, music, celebrity, modelling etc, photos may be quite sexual without causing any trouble. But nudity, or pornographic inference (even if digitally-created), will not be okay. Use common sense when thinking about what Instagram and its diverse audience may find offensive. Nudity in photos of drawings, paintings and sculptures will be acceptable, as will photos of mastectomy scarring and breastfeeding women.
If your business is related to children or you like to share photos of your own family, be mindful of the broad audience that they may be open to. Photos of nude or partially nude children may be removed, even if they seem innocent and are being shared with the best intention. Instagram’s aim here is to ensure that they don’t fall into the wrong hands.
Copyright
You can only use images that do not infringe others’ intellectual property rights. If you are posting authentic images created by you or your business (such as your own photos, photoshoots, illustrations, videos, or graphics) then this is not an issue. But if you want to post an image found online, then you must be vigilant. There are millions of high-quality graphics and photos online available for free commercial use. Many websites curate images in the public domain, and you are free to use them in any way. In most cases, you do not have to provide attribution. But check the terms of the site to make sure. If attribution is
required, check what format.
It is best to assume every image you find online is copyrighted – a copyright notice is not legally required as notification of copyright, so the absence of a © or watermark isn’t a sign that no copyright exists. If an image is covered by copyright, the copyright holder may agree to some uses but not others. You must check this before using the image.
If you alter a copyrighted image, it does not relieve you from potential liability. If you repeatedly infringe other people’s intellectual property rights, Instagram will disable your account.
On Instagram, you are liable for what you upload. This means you are legally responsible for copyright violations even if you hire a social media professional who chose and used the offending image. It is important to ask your social media manager where they source their images from. You should contractually ensure that if an image they use is found to violate copyright and you are required to pay, that they will indemnify you.
Music is covered in the same way as images, and you are not allowed to use music that you don’t own the rights to, for any commercial or non-personal use. This includes music in videos uploaded to your feed as well as Instagram lives and IGTV, and can extend to music playing in the background of videos.
Photo via Pexels
What you can legally say
Don't copy any other person's written work in your Instagram posts. This may infringe their copyright.
And don't post unwanted comments, likes or other forms of commercial or harassing communication (spam) to Instagram users. This includes repeatedly contacting people for commercial purposes without their consent.
Further, online cyber bullying is a crime in Australia. You must not threaten, harass, or offend someone, stalk someone, access others’ Instagram accounts without permission or defame someone on Instagram.
How to deal with trolls
A troll is a member of an online community who deliberately tries to disrupt that community by posting inflammatory content.
How should you deal with trolls commenting on your business page?
Use Instagram’s built-in reporting option. Instagram will quickly remove content that does not meet community guidelines.
Unfollow or block the person who posted the comment. And delete the trolls’ comment on your post.
Sometimes ignoring a troll is best. If they are looking for a reaction, they may lose interest when you give them nothing.
If the troll is a customer with a complaint, take notice and try to help. Humour can be used to effectively engage unhappy customers and turn them into advocates for your business. Acknowledge yet make light of the situation, and apologise for the customer’s experience.
If the troll is spreading rumours or misinformation, address the issue head-on and retaliate with the truth.
If the troll points out a mistake, look into it, make the proper corrections and admit that you were wrong.
Instagram has the right to modify or terminate your account for any reason, without notice,
and at any time. So stay the right side of their terms and the law.
Jessica Kerr is the director of Sinclair + May. Jessica set up Sinclair + May with a view to do law differently and make legal services accessible for small businesses. Sinclair + May operate on a fixed fee basis and offer retainer services for their clients. Sinclair + May is a female-led, boutique commercial law firm and work extensively with the creative industry. You can follow Jessica on instagram @thelawyerslunchbox for useful legal tips and see more about Sinclair + May at www.sinclairmay.com.au.
How to create art for businesses
In the last post on this series, we covered some basic tips for working on art commissions.
On this post, we’ll discuss in more detail things you can do when working on art commissions for businesses.
In the last post on this series, we covered some basic tips for working on art commissions.
On this post, we’ll discuss in more detail things you can do when working on art commissions for businesses.
Creating art for businesses is very different from creating commissions for individuals, because there will often be a lot more people involved in the process. Whereas some organisations (such as city councils) regularly commission artists and will have a clear process in place, others have never done so before. Because you might be working with feedback and expectations from a large team of people, communication can be even more challenging.
Keep in mind some of these tips to help you during the process:
Know who is making decisions and giving you feedback.
Even if you deal directly with only one individual in the organisation, they will often be the spokesperson for a group of people that all have a say in the artwork. Understand who is involved and what process they use to discuss your work and come to agreements. If someone is passing on the ideas between you and a larger team, do something so that they can be easily presented (such as a PDF explaining your concepts) or try to arrange a meeting to present them yourself.
Establish your creative context.
You need to understand from the start what they expect from you as an artist and how much your creative input will be valued and listened to. Some businesses will have a designer / creative team, and they might see you as a collaborator on the conceptual phase or merely want you to reproduce their ideas, as well as anything in between those two extremes. If there is an existing creative project in place (such as interior redesign or a rebrand of the company) try to speak to the designers to understand what your creative context is.
Always understand their brand and who you are creating for.
Even if you have complete creative freedom with your piece, make an effort to understand the company’s brand and values, as well as the audience of your artwork, so that you can sell your ideas. If you have to justify any creative choices, it’ll be much more effective to do so explaining how they are relevant to the company and the people involved with it.
Make art for the audience, not the boss.
Inevitably, sometimes you will receive feedback that is based on the personal taste of an authority in the company or the individuals working with you. Although their understanding of the organisation is essential, their personal taste should NOT determine the direction of the artwork. It is essential that the conversations about your piece centres around its audience, whether it's existing customers, prospects or staff. Be prepared to explain your creative decisions and stand your ground on important points.
Accept that some people will hate it.
The bigger the business, the smaller the chances that every single person in it will love your work. Do the best art you can in the context of the project and don't worry too much about individual opinions.
Follow Julia on instagram at @artofboth, and at her website artofboth.com.