Comments on: Never Undervalue Yourself

By: Ivan Tolmachev

Ivan Tolmachev — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:58:30 +0000

Thank you. I try not to ;) :) .-= Ivan Tolmachev´s last blog ..Flickr Wandering. Flowers Macro Shots =-.

By: links for 2009-11-17 | AndySowards.com :: Professional Web Design, Development, Programming Freelancer, Hacks, Downloads, Math and being a Web 2.0 Hipster?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:15:50 +0000

[...] Colorburned | Never Undervalue Yourself Good read on Pursuing your goals and keeping your Value as a Designer! [...]

By: BC

BC — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:30:40 +0000

Certainly every designer must make a living, but there is more to life than money. I’ve worked as a freelancer for more than a decade. During that time I have taken work for money and worked for free when I choose. In going so I have had a much wider range of projects and had the opportunity to try out different directions. I’ve helped out good causes and various communities with free or low cost work, but I wouldn’t have been able to choose to do that if I’d not sorted out the “bread and butter” paid work, much of which has become predicable and therefore dull.

It’s a trade off. There is nothing wrong with doing work for free per-se, nor in taking uninteresting work to pay the bills. IME the most interesting and rewarding work isn’t linked to money; sometimes is pays the best rates and sometimes nothing. Most work however, is just that, work, but it’s up to you to set the price for that work not the client.

IMO a worse con is the contests where you win the right to give a months work away for a 100 buck prize and the off chance that you’ll be called for paid work later (since they now have a bag full of royalty free work to choose from don’t expect _that_ call any-time soon).

By: Drake

Drake — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:52:44 +0000

yes that's really inspiring. Specially in the web industry such as web developer, web banner design, programming and etc.., Many think that way so they must see articles like this.

By: Angela

Angela — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:07:54 +0000

This is so true. We are always harder on ourselves than anybody else would be :)

By: Ladyexpat

Ladyexpat — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:53:36 +0000

Good article, and I think this is true of any creative endeavor. We are usually our worst critics. It’s often what is going on in our heads that stops us short of taking our creative projects through to the final stages.

By: Gordon Cindric

Gordon Cindric — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:14:54 +0000

I’m glad you wrote this. This happens to me a lot. I tend to undervalue my work and charge clients very little for it. Then I come across a company that does the same work only with less quality. I realize they charge 3 or 4 times more than I did.

That’s when I woke up and smelled the design paint ;)
.-= Gordon Cindric´s last blog ..CSS For Absolute Beginners =-.

By: Roberto Blake

Roberto Blake — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:22:58 +0000

Truly inspiring post, this has re-invigorated me, thank you! .-= Roberto Blake´s last blog ..40 Stunning Digital Paintings =-.

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:55:34 +0000

Thank you for posting this!

By: paul

paul — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:58:51 +0000

what do you think about sites such as crowdspring and odesk for getting gigs?