A Life By Design - Toorak College Mount Eliza

Kate Pullen Discusses The Joys And Challenges Of Building A Freelancing Career In Visual Arts And Design

Can you please introduce yourself and briefly describe what freelance work looks like for you?

Hello! I am Kate, and I call myself a freelance letterer and illustrator. What this looks like can change from day to day: Monday might see me spending time opening emails requesting quotes for new jobs, that I would then pass onto my agent; Tuesday could see me visiting the site of an upcoming mural, taking measurements and mentally preparing for the gig; and then maybe I finish the week by sitting at my desk, creating digital pieces on my iPad. The variety of this profession is one of the things I love most as it is continually evolving and I never know what brief might be just around the corner.

What made you decide to pursue Visual Arts as a career?

Back in school I did not realise a job like mine existed and, even though I decided to take Visual Communication as one of my electives, in all honesty, it was not until years later that I truly began to consider design as a potential career path. My eventual choice to study a Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication) at Monash University four years after finishing VCE was not part of some grand plan, nor did I feel an undeniable pull or calling toward this path. Looking back, even though I had always been creative in some way (whether that be music, dance, or visual arts), my decision to apply to Monash was more along the lines of, ‘I have no idea what to do, but I do know I get enjoyment out of being creative, so let’s give this a whirl.’ To my delight, I absolutely loved it.

Describe your time at Monash University and how this tertiary experience informed your career?

This degree was three years spent at Monash’s Caulfield campus, where I would learn a collection of typography, illustration, print production, and design strategy. What I enjoyed most about my time here was spending it in the company of other students who loved similar things to myself; there is a lot to be said about finding people you connect with, who in my case understood the excitement around a specific typeface or colour palette.

However, my journey was still not complete, because even though many of my classmates went on to create brilliant graphic design work inside some truly impressive studios, that road did not feel like the right fit for me. Similar to my decision to pursue design initially, this choice was not born out of a burning desire or passion, but more of an inkling that I maybe, perhaps, might like to think about illustration. At this point, you might suspect that I am a somewhat risk-averse and indecisive person, in which case, you would be 100 percent correct.

How have you managed to build a successful freelancing pathway for yourself?

After graduating from Monash University in 2012, I have been slowly, slowly building up my freelancing career. During all of that time I have carried on a ‘day job,’ often in a non-creative space, that gives me the stability and financial security that a creative profession cannot always provide. But in return, I have the privilege of drawing, painting, animating and brainstorming a wonderful range of fun, silly and joyful creations.

It has not always been easy and at times it can be challenging convincing people the value of your skills, and being the sole owner of a small business means that ultimately all decisions fall on you. However, I continue to navigate these obstacles because I do indeed love the work. Drawing and creating provide me with a way to understand the world, they allow me to both navigate complex feelings and thoughts, as well as highlight and celebrate the seemingly mundane of the everyday.

Now, 10 years into freelancing, I often wonder, ‘What’s next?’ And the truth is, I still do not know what the next steps are in this journey. I have a few inklings–a few possibilities, but either way, I am excited and grateful to be able to use the skills I have developed to continue creating my way through this particular adventure.

What advice would you share?

Nothing amazing happens without consistent practice, no matter how quickly we want to improve. I have also learnt that not everything that you do or create has to end up on social media. We don’t need to be pressured by the fast-paced nature of Instagram or Tik-Tok, but I think we are all happier when the race we decide to focus on is our own.

What project are you most proud of?

Smiling Mind Creates is a series that promotes the wonderful intersection of mindfulness and creativity. In my tutorial, I ask you to think about what makes you unique in a fun activity that combines sketching, colour and imagination to help ground yourself in the present moment.