How to find & grow community as a freelancer

As freelancers, we often miss out on the team building and community that people in companies and studios have. There’s so much we can learn from each other, but miss out on because we are off on our own. I know this is something I’ve experienced. Today, we’re diving into the topic of how to build those connections and how it will support you in your work.

Jorge Canedo also known as JR.canest is a freelance animator and creative director in Vancouver, Canada and the Founder of Wine After Coffee and Blend Festival, which I’m sure you have heard of! Before setting out on his own, Jorge worked for some big studios like Giant Ant and Buck. He has a lot of insight to share on making the transition from working for a company to doing it in your own and building his own studio.

He also shares with us how and why he started Blend and Wine After Coffee. In this episode, we discuss how to work well with other people, a skill that is often overlooked in this industry. Jorge reminds us of why teamwork is an indispensable skill to practice, even if you spend most of your time working on your own.

How do you build your professional relationships as a freelancer? Leave a comment and let us know!

In this episode

• The advantages of working with others
• Why you need to be an effective communicator as an animator
• How Jorge started a Festival and why it’s important to build communities
• Tips and tricks on managing your time when it comes to side-projects
• How to manage your work/life balance.

Quotes

“It helps you grow immensely. When you’re freelancing, a lot of the times you’re on your own. I’ve found that the best way to grow is by having someone next to you, even if just to quickly glance at what you’re doing.”  [8:44]

“Communication is so big because you can be an incredible animator and have all the ideas in your head and be able to do it all, but that only goes so far if you can’t communicate that properly.”  [13:52]

“We need to be mindful that there’s a certain amount of good pressure to do good work and there’s a fine line between that and focussing more on work than on life.” [35:38]

Related links

• Find Jorge Online
• Follow Jorge on Twitter | Vimeo
• Wine After Coffee
• Blend Festival
• Giant Ant
• Buck

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