Illustrator Levi Jacobs
About this episode…
Illustrator Levi Jacobs
Levi left art school with no job, but worse, no love of art.
Eventually he started creating and experimenting. Finding his style, he also found an art director and his lucky break. Going from flipping burgers to turning over big meaty clients.
Still Levi has worked hard to keep the ‘play’ of art in his life. Joining a studio and forming a collective. He’s not going to let getting paid to create detroy his love for it.
Read the highlights in the next tab.
Feeling like a machine
Although Levi was building a fantastic client base, he didn’t always have time to get creative with his own projects.
“If you're in this zone working all the time, then I don't know anymore what I'm doing. The clients are still satisfied, but I feel I'm in this machine, and I don't have time to play with creativeness.“
Maintaining That Work/CREATIVE BALANCE
Levi didn’t have an easy start to freelance life. Although he’s now in the fortunate position of having worked for huge companies such as Netflix and Apple, he also makes sure he finds time to work on his own projects…
“It's something I want to do. I don't want to work everyday for clients, so I force myself to have at least one day working on my personal stuff.”
Finding Creativeness in Collaboration
Although Levi see’s himself as an introvert, his love for collaboration lead him to start his own art collective, broadening his horizons and re-igniting his creativeness.
“I started this collective with my friends, and now we’re doing these collaborations with our own print publishing, things like these zines and prints. We also go to these zine events and markets and that's a whole new scene for me, a different scene than I'm doing my client work in. I feel more like that's getting my creativeness on point again.”
Working alone doesn’t have to be a lonely experience
The creation of his art collective meant more to Levi than working with other illustrators. It also opened the door to meeting new people…
“Illustrators are all a bit like loners because you always work alone. I do have a lot of friends who experience the same. It's hard to collaborate if we are all these control freaks, but if we are having this collective, we can still inspire each other and publish stuff together. And it's also a bit social, we're going to these events and it's not actually about selling our work - for me, it's more about meeting other people, other artists.”
Getting Your work out there as an introvert
In an increasingly virtual world, Levi uses the power of social media to showcase his work to the world without having to go through the awkwardness of networking.
“Nowadays you see that illustrators or other artists are becoming these social media personalities or influencers. But I'm a pretty introvert guy. And for me, that's why I started posting, because that was an easy way to get my work out in the world. You don't have to go to these networking things or go with your portfolio to art directors. Nowadays, you can easily just throw your work online and then it's in the world. And for me, that was really a nice thing.”
Staying out of the limelight
As a self-proclaimed introvert, Levi uses social media to focus on his work, choosing to stay behind the camera, letting his work do the talking.
“I think I'm from a different generation. I'm from the time when there was no internet, and when Facebook just started, I thought that's so weird that people just threw their whole lives online, you know? I sometimes post a photo, like work in progress or if I'm working on a mural or anything, or people make photos of you and then maybe I will share it. But I don't really like to post photos of myself. So I focus more on my work.”
“Every job you're doing for clients…
is a collaboration,"
Illustrator Levi Jacobs
More from levi jacobs
Transcript of the Being Freelance podcast with Steve Folland and Freelance Illustrator Levi Jacobs
Steve Folland:
So we're off to Rotterdam and we've got Levi Jacobs. Hey Levi.
Levi Jacobs:
Hey,
Steve Folland:
<Laugh>. As ever, how about we get started hearing how you got started being freelance?
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah, that's like a whole story.
Steve Folland:
I hope so. <Laugh>
Levi Jacobs:
I studied graphic design for four years and when I finished I was still pretty young and not ready to go into the big, bad world. So I thought, I need to stay in school as long as possible. Then I studied four years illustration at art school, then money and time ran out, so I have to start working eventually. And if you are studying in art school, then they teach you maybe something about art, if you're lucky, then you're graduating and you want to start working. And then freelancing is an evil necessity <Laugh> You don't want to, but for an illustrator, it has to be freelancing and I didn't have a clue how to do that. And when I graduated, I didn't have an easy time in school, so I was a bit demotivated <laugh> I didn't want to draw anymore.
Levi Jacobs:
And that was the reason why when I started doing this study, because I loved drawing, that was the thing I liked most in the world. And then I finished art school and I didn't like it at all anymore. I needed some time to figure out what I really wanted to do. And in the meantime, I was still living as a student. I got into drinking and partying and I didn't have money coming in. I lived pretty cheap anti-squatting. Eventually I thought, just fuck it. I want to become an illustrator and I'm trying to focus on it, so I need to regain some confidence. I started to draw again and I told myself I'm going to do it my way. So I forgot all the things the teachers made me insecure with, I just started drawing the things I want to do.
Levi Jacobs:
But that's still a big step from loving drawing again, to getting jobs. And I still didn't have a clue how to do that. And I also couldn't even find a side job. Finding a freelance job was also impossible. I didn't know how to approach it because when I was still in school we had to do an internship and the internship was also to work as a freelancer. I sent out 30 emails to possible clients and art directors, and I got only one response and it was, 'oh, sorry, we don't have anything for you'. So I thought, okay, that's not the way, but in the meantime, trying to become a freelancer, I also had to find a way to live and pay my rent and all these things. Eventually I had to leave my house. So I couldn't live there anymore.
Levi Jacobs:
They started to tear the building down, so everybody had to go away, soI moved to another city that's Rotterdam, where I still live. It felt like a fresh new start. And I got a side job. I started working at a burger restaurant. I had to lie about my resume to get in, but I got a job. And so I had income. And I did this part-time, and then the other days I did an internship with a guy who did photography and had his own gallery. So it was not really something I wanted to do. But at least he gave me some more insights in how the art world works.
Levi Jacobs:
And he also connected me with this art director. And this art director gave me the opportunity to get my first assignment. And that was a gofer for a Dutch magazine. And so when I got this job, I saw it as an opportunity and I worked really hard on it to do my best. And eventually the magazine gave me a weekly column illustration, just something really small, but I got a weekly assignment. And that was really nice because I had something to publish every week and it gave me some training also to develop my style a little bit better. So when I did this job, I started to get a little bit of momentum. I also got other small clients and that started to set everything off.
Levi Jacobs:
But I still had the side job and it was bit hard to make the leap from full freelance, because, you don't earn enough with your freelancing, but if you are having this side job, it also takes a lot of time from the freelancing. It's kind of this leap of faith and it was a bit hard to make for me. Eventually I sabotaged my side job and got fired and then I didn't have a choice. So then I was finally a freelancer. And when I got in this momentum, it only went upwards, so that started my career.
Steve Folland:
Wow. There's a few things. First of all, I'm glad you got your love of illustration back, because it's really sad that it got knocked out of you, but when you got that side job at the burger restaurant and you are doing the internship, how were you putting yourself out into the world? Did you have anything to show? Did you have a website? Did you have some sort of other online portfolio? What was there of you then?
Levi Jacobs:
When I didn't have any jobs, this period took maybe three years, maybe even more, but I didn't have assignments, but when I found my love for illustrating come back, I just thought these four years of art school were a waste of time. Like not really, but I felt I didn't have any work I'm proud of, so I need to build up a portfolio. My strategy was just to make as much as possible, but just for myself, without an assignment that also trains yourself and helps to develop a style. And for me, if you don't have a client, it feels like your work is never published, but with social media I just post my finished work on social media and then it still felt like it's published, you know, it's out in the world.
Levi Jacobs:
So it feels like you are your own client. So that really helps me to make stuff. So, yeah, social media. And then I already had a website, that was the thing we had to do in school. And so I updated my website with newer work. And that was also what I could show this art director. So I think for me it was, the work was already there and the motivation was there, only I didn't know how to reach out to possible clients.
Steve Folland:
So you're saying that it was a three year period when you were working at the restaurant and doing the internship?
Levi Jacobs:
No, no. These three years, I didn't have any side job. I didn't do anything. Well I was just really poor <laugh>.
Steve Folland:
That was the three years when you were living as a student as you put it?
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah. After graduation.
Steve Folland:
So then how long was the period when you moved to Rotterdam and were working one job whilst trying to develop?
Levi Jacobs:
Two years, I think.
Steve Folland:
So, to be fair, you were used to living with quite low overheads, when you decided to sabotage, some people might resign, you decided to sabotage one job, so that you'd have that leap of faith. How did you then go about getting more work?
Levi Jacobs:
I had this one week thing, so every week an illustration. From there, I got some other small editorial illustrations, so I kind of became an editorial illustrator and I still don't know how these clients found me because I didn't do anything for it. The work I finished, I put it on my social media, and I guess they found me through that, or maybe people saw my weekly illustration in the magazine, and it felt like I just had a way into this world. And then if you are in, they find you more easily. I still don't know how.
Steve Folland:
So really, it just started ticking over from there. You didn't do anything different. It's just that the work was coming?
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah. I think if I look back to it, I think I just worked hard. I made a lot and it took a long time that people discovered my work in a sense. So I was already working hard, only I didn't have clients. So that's the only thing that changed over time.
Steve Folland:
And to put things in perspective, how many years ago are we talking about since you got that regular work?
Levi Jacobs:
I graduated in 2010. Then five years struggle. Kind of working then maybe seven years as a freelancer. I'm not a person who thinks back. I always try to think in the moment and try to look forward. <laugh>
Steve Folland:
Nice. I'm forcing you to look back.
Levi Jacobs:
<Laugh>. Yeah, exactly.
Steve Folland:
Which is interesting though, because that means it was about 2015 then that you really went freelance, right?
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah. Yeah. Could be
Steve Folland:
Because when I was checking out your website, I remember seeing that you'd won awards in say 2015, 2017, that sort of time.
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah. Then I was still working at the burger restaurant. That's also a good story actually. That was a point where I was thinking what am I doing here because we made this animation video where I made the drawings and another guy I was collaborating with made the animation and all the rest, and he told me 'Oh we are participating at this award show'. And it was in two stages. And he said, 'Can you also come to this award show? Because we are in the running for this'. And I thought, okay, I have to work <laugh> I have to flip burgers, I don't have time. And I was also not thinking that we were winning anything because I'm not an animator, I'm more of an illustrator and we were in the running for an animation prize. So I thought, okay we are not winning anyway because we are not even proper animators. And then he was calling me like 'Yeah we won, I was on the stage, we got this award' and stuff. And I was in the sweaty hot kitchen stressing to finish all these burgers for the dining service. So I thought, okay, yeah, I'm doing something wrong here. <Laugh>
Steve Folland:
<Laugh> So that was through a collaboration. Have collaborations been important to you? Have you done lots?
Levi Jacobs:
I think every job you're doing for clients is in a way a collaboration, because it's not your whole free work. You work with a briefing, so these are all collaborations. And I think the best result is when you have a good connection with the art director or when you have a lot of freedom. So yeah, it could work well, but not always, of course.
Steve Folland:
And does that mean with the various art directors or editors that you build those relationships with them? Would it be common that you might get rehired by particular people?
Levi Jacobs:
Almost every job I get is kind of a new job. Only for editorial stuff or newspapers I have continuous work for them. And then you have this relation with the art director. But most things I'm doing is just a one time job only within the editorial world. If you work for the same magazine, then usually it's the same art director.
Steve Folland:
So without pushing yourself too much, work kept coming in. But if I look at some of the clients that you've worked with from your website, be it Netflix or Nike or Apple. There's some big names on this list. How did you end up working with clients of that nature?
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah. I'm also amazed by it sometimes. The only way people can reach out to me is through my email. And I found the email, 'Hey, we want to work with you'. And that can be big clients or smaller clients. And I'm now in a luxury position that I can choose the fun things to do. But like I said, I had a long struggle where I didn't have any client, so I'm happy with everything I can do. And if there was a formula or a strategy to get some kind of clients you know, I would do it, but I don't know. They just reach out to me and sometimes it's super interesting and sometimes it's nothing. So yeah, it's a bit lucky. I think that's also the hard thing for me as a freelancer is you can be super motivated or working really hard, but you're still being a little bit dependent of a favour factor or something, of the client reaching out to you, because if they don't, then you don't have work. So that's also, a bit of insecurity, everything can be over tomorrow. You never know.
Steve Folland:
But so far all of those tomorrows have brought you new opportunities. How have you found working with those bigger clients? Like, you had no training in the business side of things, how have you got on with it?
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah, I think it's a bit of trial & error. You're just doing things on intuition. It doesn't really matter if you work with an art director or representing a big client or a smaller one. Maybe the personal click you have with someone and the briefing. It's a lot of variables. It doesn't mean that working for a bigger client is so much different than working for a local newspaper or something. It's kind of the same, only maybe some more contracts, especially American clients.
Steve Folland:
Why, what happens with American clients?
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah. They always have a lot of more rules and contracts and these kind of things. And here in Europe, I feel it's more based on trust. That's my experience.
Steve Folland:
Obviously part of you refining your love was by doing your own work. You didn't have client briefs to work to, you were doing your own thing. Do you still do your own thing?
Levi Jacobs:
That's a good question actually, because in the last two years with Corona, I was thinking a little bit about that because when I eventually got the momentum and started doing a lot of jobs, it felt like something really nice. Finally, I can work and then you want to do a lot and everything could be over tomorrow, so you want to do it now. And then if this period of getting a lot of work stays going on for a few years, the more time you work for clients, the less time you work for your own projects, your free stuff. And in the beginning, it was the other way around. I made so many things free work for myself. So in the beginning it was also really hard to work for clients.
Levi Jacobs:
My first cover for this magazine, it took me three days to just think about what I want to make. Now I'm so comfortable in working for clients that when I'm doing something for myself, I don't know what to do. So I was really worried because you live in this kind of flow, and you work so much that you don't stand still with what you're actually doing. It's your creative level, because in this flow, you also don't have time to be insecure or overthink things. And so I thought I need to take time to start getting more into the free work. So I work from my home that's just better for me focusing.
Levi Jacobs:
But I thought, okay, I'm also missing a little bit of the social aspect. So I'm hiring a studio together with other artists and I'm there one or two days a week. And when I'm there, I'm only doing free work. So that helps me to focus more on the creative part. And I also brought a visa printer. I don't know if you know what it is, but it's this all printing machine. And it's a great way to print art, publish your own zines or your own posters and you can sell them. But it was for me more to focus a bit more on the creative part, the free work. And I also started a collective with illustrator friends. So now I'm starting up this whole site that distracts me a little bit from my client work, but for me it feels that I'm now a little bit more balanced. I'm still figuring how to balance these two. But yeah, for me, that's a new project I'm doing, like experiment.
Steve Folland:
Nice. So it's a good distraction from your client work?
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah, it's something I want to do. I don't want to work everyday for clients, so I force myself to have at least one day working on my personal stuff. And by going to the studio, there is no client work. I'm only working with this visa printer and making my own work.
Steve Folland:
I love that so much. And is there a community around that studio, as in you get to mix with other people?
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah. I share a space with three other artists and I also started this collective with my friends. And now we are doing these collaboration things with our own print publishing, things like these zines and prints. And we also go to these zine events and markets and that's a whole new scene for me, a different scene than I'm doing my client work in. I feel more like that's getting my creativeness on point again.
Steve Folland:
So good. But then that creative freedom, does that then feed back into your client work?
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah, that's what I want, because if you're in this zone working all the time, then I don't know anymore what I'm doing. The clients are still satisfied, but I feel I'm in this machine, I don't have time to play with creativeness.
Steve Folland:
Tell me a bit more about the collective that you started.
Levi Jacobs:
Basically, illustrators are all a bit like loners I think, if I talk for myself, because you always work alone. You work with clients, but most of my clients are digital. I don't see these in reality. And I do have a lot of friends, illustrators also, who experience the same. It's hard to collaborate if we are all these control freaks, but if we are having this collective, we can still inspire each other and publish stuff together. And it's also a bit social, we're going to these events and it's not actually about selling our work for me that much, but it's more about meeting other people, other artists. And yeah, for me, that really really works. It's just a nice different thing than what I'm usually doing with my work.
Steve Folland:
That's so good. I love the fact that you're separating, like you've got your home work days, you've got your studio days, but how do you find separating work life or the work life balance thing in general?
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah, that's hard, especially because I work at home <laugh> and if you're at home, there's also a lot of distraction. But when I used to work in a studio before, I was so distracted when I came home I didn't even get any work done. So this works really well for me, but still, you know I used to feel really guilty if I was relaxing or doing fun things, and I didn't have my work finished, because I think as an artist or creative, you're always working, even if it's in your mind, you're thinking about things all the time, but now I figured a way out to tell myself that doing fun things is important also for your work, because it gets creativity. And so now I can do fun things or relax without feeling guilt too much, but yeah, it is difficult. It used to be really difficult for me.
Steve Folland:
Do you manage to take holidays/vacations?
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah sure. But you know, even if I'm on a holiday, I still check my email because I think maybe I missed this big opportunity, you know? And yeah, it's still hard. I can never fully stop working, but I think it's easy to be a workaholic if you're doing something you love. So I also don't mind that much.
Steve Folland:
And you mentioned creating your own work in prints that you could sell though, even if it's not about that. Basically what I'm getting at here Levi, is that I was looking on your website and they're all sold out. So I'm just wondering when there might be a new one. <Laugh> How often might you create something new?
Levi Jacobs:
You know, this whole site thing, having this studio and having this printer and publishing and having this collective, this is already getting out of hand a little bit, because I feel like I'm investing a little bit of time in this side thing. But you know, this also grows a little bit, so we are already getting exhibitions with the collective we just started, and also these prints, I only make things in limited edition and I have this web shop and if I put them on there, they're like sold out really quick. If I go to the markets, they don't sell this quick <laugh>. But it's a bit strange how it works. It's also a lot of work if you have to go everyday to the Post Office with all these prints and stuff, it could be, if you take this more serious, it could be a full-time thing maybe, but this is also not my ambition. It needs to be fun. I don't want this part to feel as work again. You know what I mean? <Laugh>
Steve Folland:
Yeah, Yeah
Levi Jacobs:
So, they're sold out and people ask me when are you going to make a new print? And I don't know, just when I feel like it <laugh>.
Steve Folland:
And so you say they sell out quickly. Is that purely from your Instagram audience, for example?
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah, I think so. I think Instagram is for me, like a good connection with the outside world. And if I post something on Instagram, you have an audience who sees that you sell something and then it goes faster. Yeah, definitely. That works.
Steve Folland:
Yeah. I love them very much. You of course can go to BeingFreelance.com, we put links through as we do for all of our guests, so you can find Levi's work and check out what, hey, by the time you listen to this and you click on it, you never know in years to come, there might be another print sitting there after all. How often do you post to Instagram out of interest? Once upon a time, it was something that you were doing very regularly.
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah. I have quite a few followers on Instagram and I was lucky that when I started with Instagram, there were not these stupid algorithms. Then it was easier to gain a following I think, now it's a bit harder. I don't care too much about it anymore. I just post something when I finish something. Could be once a week or once in two weeks, or it could be three times a week. I don't have a strategy or anything like that.
Steve Folland:
And what I noticed, correct me if I'm wrong, is that you seem to let your work, and maybe this helps because obviously you work in a visual medium, but you let your work speak for you. As in, you don't seem to have so much of your personality or your face for sure. You're a mystery man. You don't seem to put yourself out online in that way.
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah, exactly. That's also something I chose to do. You know nowadays you see that illustrators or other artists are becoming these media personalities or influencers. But I'm a pretty introvert guy. And for me, that's also why I start posting, because that was an easy way to get your work out in the world. You don't have to go to these networking things or go with your portfolio to art directors. Nowadays, you can easily just throw your work online and then it's in the world. And for me, that was really a nice thing. And I also don't like to be on photos and I also don't like to post them, I think if I was not an illustrator artist, then I wouldn't even have an Instagram or social media.
Levi Jacobs:
I think I'm from a different generation. I'm from the time that was not even internet, and when Facebook just started, I thought that's so weird that people just threw their whole lives online, you know? I sometimes post a photo, like work in progress or if I'm working on a mural or anything, or people make photos of you and then maybe I will share it. But I don't really like to post photos of myself. So I focus more on my work.
Steve Folland:
It goes to show that you don't have to be doing that. You're having the success the way you want it without feeling like you have to do that.
Levi Jacobs:
Yeah. I don't know, maybe that's why everything went so slow in my career because I'm not really like this person who's doing acquisition or getting out there or presenting their work really well or talking about the work. That's just not me. But you know, eventually even I can make it work. I think it just takes a lot more time, I guess.
Steve Folland:
Now, if you could tell your younger self one thing about being freelance, what would that be?
Levi Jacobs:
Even if it's really hard and you're struggling, just keep believing in yourself. And it's really important to just get going because eventually it's all worth it.
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