Adrienne Gelardi says quit your day job

It’s hard out here for an artist (or anyone) living in a capitalist society that values production over quality. Creative types looking to make the switch to self-employment perhaps struggle the most, owing to lack of guidance on topics such as basic business-to-business marketing strategies or how to file taxes. For that, one must rely on the wisdom of those who have crossed over before them.

Illustrator and muralist Adrienne Gelardi,33, had Big City dreams that led her from her home town of Canton, Michigan, to Columbia College in Chicago, where she studied traditional animation. She is known in greater Lansing for bringing cheery murals with flowers and geometric patterns to almost 40 home exteriors in the area. However, this never would’ve happened if she had not left her job a graphic designer at Dart Container to become a full-time artist in 2017.

“I’m not good at dealing with social situations that I’m not happy with,” Gelardi said. “Being fake happy, which is something I felt like I had to do there, can be draining. There was no energy to pursue what I actually loved doing.”

For five years, Gelardi overpowered the corporate blues by creating electric-colored designs for plates and cups, which were widely distributed in supermarkets such as Walmart and Meijer. She keeps unopened stacks of Solo plates in her basement and proudly pointed out her abstract vulva design. The fact the layered, geometric design was picked up by a client and coincided with a release of a Star Wars film still amuses her.

However, with the birth of any stroke of genius come the pains of responsibility of maintaining the purity of your craft while pleasing patrons.

For commercial artists just starting to get their feet wet, Gelardi recommends a few basic tips to make the transition smoother.

#1 Have something to fall back on

Gelardi emphasized the need to have a cushion of savings loaded up before rage quitting a fulltime gig. She sees her steady years slanging paper plate designs as her key to stocking stacks.

With some peace of mind stored in the bank, Gelardi dived head first into working on projects that had gotten away from her as a corporate designer.

“When I first left, I was busy full time doing all these paintings,” she said. “On top of that, more people were able to see me online.”

#2 A necessary evil

One element of being a freelance artist that has been daunting for Gelardi is understanding taxes.

“I have to do my taxes five times a year, It’s outrageous,” she said. “When you work for an employer, they pay a portion of your employment tax. But when you are working for yourself you have to pay it yourself, and they expect you to pay it throughout the year.”

Yes, the all and powerful “they” throw another hurdle into the journey for self-sufficency. Gelardi recommends keeping track of business expenses (she uses Google spreadsheet) and hiring a specialist to help file your taxes.

“You are pretty much at their mercy. Either you wing it and likely get it wrong, or just go to someone,” she said.

The second part of grappling with the money monster is finding ways to monetize passion projects.

“I know that I could pump out cheesy stuff that people would buy, but I’m trying not to do that,” said Gelardi.

She said keeping a balance between her projects for clients and her projects “for funsies” often tilts to the side where there are more dollars to be had. However, she is nowhere short of creative ideas, which pushes her to find ways to bring them into fruition.

“I like really weird stuff. I want to do something really cutesy with demons. Kind of like a Lisa Frank style,” Gelardi said.

#3 Perseverance in making plans

Gelardi said January to March tend to be slower months, which requires her to plan to ensure financial stability, but also opens a new window of time she can dedicate to building her online presence and passion projects.

Gelardi credits her time spent making bold patterns for paper plates to her latest enterprise of painting door murals. Less than two winters ago during a lull in business, she got the idea to cover the front door of her home in yellow chrysanthemums. Since then she’s brought blasts of color and whimsical designs to nearly 40 doors in the Greater Lansing area and beyond.

“Passion projects are what furthers your style,” she said. “Painting my front door was a passion project that became my whole income because I did so well. So you need that time to generate new ideas. It’s like a scientist working on a new theory. That’s what creates innovation."

#4 Standing up for your art

As Gelardi’s business began picking up steam and new customers came pouring in, so did the headaches. She said most of her clients are a dream to work with, but every so often you run into the person that is never pleased. Gelardi said it’s not natural for her to be patient with the customer who routinely sends her back to the drawing board, but she has developed a few strategies to finish the job.

“I always explain how and why I’m making my choices,” she said. “I always plan the materials I use. I think some people think we just show up day of and start painting whatever.”

Gelardi added that in most cases a verbal agreement and sharing sources of inspiration usually results in a happy customer, but creating sketches and stating your purpose for materials and design elements can help put a client’s mind at ease.

In addition to taking steps to ensure you won’t have to compromise your vision based on a misunderstanding with a client, Gelardi’s biggest tip of all is to never work for free.

Regardless if an artist is working part-time, helping out an acquaintance or making their living from their craft, she said taking a job purely “for exposure” is the greatest farce in the art world.

“A lot of younger, up-and-coming artists will work for free for exposure, but it makes it harder for everyone else,” she said. “Bigger picture, it devalues art and I don’t think people always see that.”