Andy Bolton
Public ArtistCould you give a brief overview of what your various working roles are?
Designing and making work, running community workshops that contribute to the design and making, fundraising and other admin work, networking and publicity (keeping websites up to date etc). Also everything else that comes up over the course of the day – I nearly always work alone.
How secure are you, or do you feel, in the way you work?
I have always made my living from my work. There have always been busy times and quiet times. However, I still worry when the quiet times hit me. Things have got a bit harder in the current recession and I have had to travel further for work, but it looks as though my current business year will turn out to be an average one, not really bad.
If you juggle more than one role, what is it like?
Having several jobs on the go at once is hard, but in my kind of work everybody does it. I really don’t think it would be possible to do anything else. You have to be very organised about keeping your ideas, materials and especially your time separate for each job. You can’t let them overlap too much.
What was the first freelance job you got?
I really can’t remember. Probably either running art workshops in some kind of community setting or a small commission for a hospital or other NHS building (I had some placements in hospital art as a student).
When you first started out, what was the first step you took? Was it deliberately thought out?
I registered as an adult education teacher with my local council, searched for artists’ registers to get my name on, phoned youth clubs and schools asking if they wanted art projects. It took a lot of time, but I did get some work through it and this led on to other things. I think I actually got more work at that time through friends and friends of friends. Networks are really important.
How do you deal with the practicalities- how did you find out what to do about things like tax…?
It’s easy to get free small business advice through local councils and chambers of commerce. That was where I learned about tax. I used to have an accountant to do my tax return, but for several years now I’ve done it myself. I also do my own accounts – I try to do it once a month to keep up to date - I like feeling in control of my own affairs.
If you had to pick out one good bit and one bad bit of what you do, what would they be?
Good – choosing what I want to do and when (as long as I can make a living!).
Bad – a lot of unpaid time spent on submissions for jobs etc that don’t come off.
Would you have any advice for someone considering working freelance?
It’s great to have the freedom. I really can’t imagine working for someone else. But you’ve got to be really disciplined about doing the work on time. (I’ve never once missed a deadline, regardless of whether I was ill or whatever, in over twenty years of self-employment). You never really get away from work, so you’ve got to love it or there’d be no point.
