The Quest for Drawing Attention: Freelance Illustrators on Image-Based Social Networks Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr

MA  New  Media  &  Digital  Culture

Graduate  School  of  Humanities  |  University  of  Amsterdam

_______________________________________________________________________

The  Quest  for  Drawing  Attention:  Freelance  Illustrators  on

Image-­‐Based  Social  Networks  Pinterest,  Instagram  and  Tumblr

Andreea  Mironiuc

MA  Thesis.  26  June  2015 MA  Thesis.  26  June  2015

Name:_{​ Andreea Mironiuc} Student Number:_{​ 10879072}

Address:_{​ Str. Dragos Voda nr.3, Piatra Neamt, Romania} Phone Number: _{​+40 740 056 793}

E-mail Address:_{​ andreea.mironiuc@yahoo.com}

Supervisor:_{​ Dr. Carolin Gerlitz} Second Reader: _{​Anne Helmond}

Program:_{​ MA New Media and Digital Culture, University of Amsterdam} Word Count:_{​ 22, 984}

Table of Contents

1.

Introduction

……….1

2. Methodology

……….……….………….4 2.1. The)Web)Survey………...………...…...5 2.2. The)Interviews………..………...………....………...5 2.3. The)Participants………..………...………....7

3. Medium Specific Features

……….………..……….…….10

3.1. Medium)Specific)Features)of)Instagram……….………..…..……….….12

3.2. Medium)Specific)Features)of)Pinterest……….…..……..….16

3.3. Medium)Specific)Features)of)Tumblr………...……...….19

3.4. Action)and)Interaction)on)Instagram,)Pinterest)and)Tumblr……...……...….22

4. Freelancing Work Patterns

………..……….……...….27

4.1. Insights)on)the)Freelance)Career………..…...….27 4.2. Work)Patterns………...………..………....….29 4.3. Average)Working)Day)Schedule)and)the)Use)of)Social)Media……..……...…….30

5. Branding

………..………....………....…….33 5.1. Reputation………..………...………....…...………..34 5.2. Authenticity………...………....…...……….35 5.3. The)Context)of)Brands………...………...………..……….37 5.4. SelfRBranding………...………..………....39 5.5. The)Audience………....…...………..………...42 5.6. Conclusion)of)the)Branding)Chapter………..………...44

6. Practices

……..………..………...………….……....…..……...46 6.1. The)Results)of)the)Web)Survey………....……..……....46 6.2. The)Responses)of)the)Interviews………....…...………...………...54 6.2.1. The)Importance)of)Social)Media………….………....…...…………...……...54) 6.2.2. Goals…….………....…...…………...………..56) 6.2.3. Strategies…………....…...………...……….56) 6.2.4. Practices)on)Instagram………...………...…………57) 6.2.5. Practices)on)Pinterest………...………..59) 6.2.6. Practices)on)Tumblr………...………..61) 6.3. Conclusion)of)the)Practices)Chapter………...……….63

7. Conclusion

..………..………...………...…...………...64

Bibliography

………..………...…………..………....…...………...66

Table of Figures

…..……….………..………..…....………...71

Appendix

………..………..………...73 1. The)Questions)of)the)Web)Survey………..…...73) 2. The)TextRField)Responses)of)the)Survey……….………...74) 3. The)Responses)of)ERmail)Interviews………...80) 4. The)Skype)Interviews)Transcriptions………..…..……...89) )

1. Introduction

The$definition$of$the$word$“artist”$has$been$changed$and$expanded$over$centuries,$but$one$thing$ stayed$the$same.$The$artists$were$individuals$who$would$dedicate$their$life$to$the$craft.$Some$of$ them$living$a$bohemian$lifestyle,$most$of$the$times$struggling$to$make$a$decent$living,$always$ pursuing$ the$ creation$ of$ art$ before$ anything$ else.$ For$ example,$ the$ exceptional$ Dutch$ PostB impressionist$ painter,$ Vincent$ van$ Gogh,$ sold$ only$ one$ painting$ during$ his$ lifetime.$ However,$ not$ too$ many$ years$ after$ his$ death,$ he$ was$ regarded$ as$ one$ of$ the$ greatest$ painters$ in$ the$ history1_{.$ In$ contrast$ to$ his$ example,$ the$ nowadays$ artists$ have$ an$ invaluable$ advantage:$ the$}

possibility$ to$ reach$ cheaply$ and$ instantly$ a$ very$ wide$ audience$ from$ all$ over$ the$ world$ (Marwick$ 2010).$ With$ the$ rise$ of$ internet$ and$ especially$ of$ social$ media$ networks,$ almost$ anyone,$ regardless$ art$ style$ or$ location,$ can$ find$ fans$ of$ his/her$ art$ and$ build$ a$ successful$ business$ from$ this$ craft.$ Nonetheless,$ in$ order$ to$ achieve$ this,$ the$ 2015$ artist$ has$ to$ face$ a$ competition$ that$ rose$ at$ values$ impossible$ to$ be$ foreseen$ in$ Van$ Gogh’s$ time.$ In$ an$ online$ environment$with$so$many$voices,$the$public’s$attention$became$a$scarce$resource$(Crogan$and$ Kinsley$ 2012).$ This$ makes$ being$ heard$ a$ very$ difficult$ quest.$ Learning$ to$ manage$ a$ freelance$ career,$implementing$a$consistent$branding$strategy$and$developing$a$strong$online$promotion$ are$just$a$few$things$a$creative$has$to$do$these$days,$beside$making$artwork,$of$course.

The$ objective$ of$ this$ paper$ is$ to$ investigate$ how$ illustrators$ use$ Instagram,$ Pinterest$ and$ Tumblr,$in$the$context$of$increasingly$common$freelance$work$patterns$(Mould$et$al.$2013).$The$ imageBbased$networks$align$perfectly$with$the$main$focus$of$this$group$of$artists,$the$visuals,$ and$ have$ seen$ a$ massive$ boost$ over$ the$ past$ few$ years,$ following$ the$ extensively$ textBbased$ services$by$introducing$images$as$their$main$building$blocks$(Mittal$et$al.,$2013).$$The$role$of$the$ platform$is$vital$in$this$equation,$because$it$represents$the$place$where$the$connection$between$ the$ artist,$ the$ brand$ and$ the$ potential$ client$ takes$ place.$ Therefore,$ on$ top$ of$ linking$ the$ freelance$concept$with$branding$and$online$practices,$I$also$want$to$have$a$look$at$the$medium$ specific$features.$Learning$what$these$platforms$are$capable$of$and$how$they$are$used$can$offer$ a$deeper$understanding$of$the$meaning$behind$the$actors’$actions$within$the$imageBbased$social$ media.$The$method$to$reach$the$objective$mentioned$above$consists$in$engaging$with$relevant$ theoretical$debates$throughout$all$the$chapters,$as$well$as$analysing$the$empirical$data$collected$ through$a$web$survey$and$inBdepth$interviews$with$professionals$in$the$field.$ 1_{$$Vincent$Van$Gogh$Museum,$After$Vincent’s$Death$} http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/vincentsBlifeBandBwork/vanBgoghsBlifeB18531890/afterBvincentsBdeath,$ http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/vincentsBlifeBandBwork/vanBgoghsBlifeB18531890/afterBvincentsBdeath,$ retrieved$25$May$2015$$

The$ relevance$ of$ this$ research$ can$ be$ easily$ observed$ by$ situating$ it$ in$ the$ wider$ academic$ context.$The$imageBbased$social$networks$have$been$examined$from$different$perspectives,$first$ as$new$objects$of$the$social$media$(Chang$et$al.$2014,$Mittal$et$al.$2013,$Zarro,$Hall$and$Forte$ 2013,$Linder$et$al.$2014),$then$through$the$gender$filter$(Ottoni$et$al.$2013)$and$based$on$the$ interest$ behind$ approaching$ the$ platform$ (Han$ et.$ al$ 2014).$ There$ are$ also$ many$ scholarly$ articles$ analysing$ various$ aspects$ and$ features$ of$ Instagram,$ Pinterest$ and$ Tumblr$ by$ using$ large$ data$ sets$ and$ statistical$ overviews$ (Totti$ et$ al.$ 2014,$ Gilbert$ et.$ al$ 2013,$ Hall$ and$ Zarro$ 2012,$Silva$et$al.$2013,$Highfield$and$Leaver$2015,$Hochman$and$Schwartz$2012,$Hillman$et$al.$ 2014).$ However,$ no$ qualitative$ study$ has$ been$ conducted$ so$ far$ on$ the$ importance$ of$ these$ networks$ for$ visual$ artists.$ I$ consider$ this$ particularly$ surprising,$ because$ their$ presence$ on$ imageBbased$networks$could$be$highly$relevant$in$the$wider$context$of$new$media,$taking$into$ account$that$their$type$of$content$relates$to$the$focus$of$the$platforms.$Moreover,$even$if$there$is$ plenty$ of$ literature$ on$ the$ challenges$ of$ a$ freelance$ career$ for$ creatives$ in$ general,$ and$ in$ particular$ musicians$ (Armstrong$ 2013),$ journalists$ (Massey$ and$ Elmore$ 2011),$ or$ film$ and$ television$professionals$(Mould,$Vorley$and$Liu$2012,$Ertel$et.$al$2005),$the$designers,$painters$ and$illustrators$are$often$neglected.$With$my$research,$I$want$to$fill$in$this$gap$by$coming$with$ valuable$ findings$ on$ how$ the$ freelance$ illustrators$ use$ imageBbased$ social$ media,$ taking$ advantage$of$a$primary$source$of$rich$qualitative$data:$the$artists$themselves.

Besides$ offering$ an$ overview$ of$ relevant$ practices$ on$ Instagram,$ Pinterest$ and$ Tumblr,$ this$ paper$also$locates$these$networks$in$the$myriad$of$social$media,$investigating$their$importance$ for$the$artists.$Each$of$them$provides$a$different$perspective$on$sharing$pictures:$on$Instagram$ users$ upload$ original$ content,$ Pinterest$ fosters$ social$ curation$ (Hall$ and$ Zarro$ 2012)$ and$ Tumblr$is$a$microBblogging$platform.$

In$ order$ to$ find$ out$ whether$ the$ artists$ have$ a$ specific$ online$ strategy,$ and$ if$ so,$ how$ they$ implement$it,$I$formulated$the$following$research$question:

How$do$freelance$illustrators$deploy$image5based$platforms$for$their$work$practices$and$ how$ do$ they$ engage$ with$ the$ medium$ specific$ features$ of$ Instagram,$ Pinterest$ and$ Tumblr? $ $ $ $ $

Furthermore,$for$an$inBdepth$analysis,$two$subBquestions$are$relevant: $ To$what$extent$can$the$freelance$work$patterns$be$related$to$the$use$of$social$media$in$the$ illustration$field?$ What$forms$of$branding$rise$on$image5based$social$networks? The$answer$of$the$main$question$will$be$developed$throughout$the$entire$paper,$while$the$subB questions$ will$ be$ explored,$ successively,$ in$ the$ Freelancing$ and$ Branding$ chapters.$ The$ thesis$ structure$will$follow$the$research$questions$and$will$be$along$these$lines:

I$will$start$with$the$methodology,$looking$into$the$process$of$developing$the$questions$for$both$ the$ survey$ and$ the$ interview.$ I$ will$ argue$ why$ these$ methods$ have$ been$ chosen$ as$ the$ most$ appropriate$for$this$paper$and$offer$an$overview$of$first$reactions,$responses$and$participation$ rates.$Also$here,$the$subjects$of$the$interviews$will$be$introduced$by$presenting$some$of$their$ background$ information$ relevant$ for$ the$ study.$ In$ the$ following$ chapter,$ a$ software$ studies$ overview$ on$ Pinterest,$ Instagram$ and$ Tumblr,$ and$ more$ precisely$ on$ their$ medium$ specific$ features,$ will$ be$ written.$ Here$ I$ will$ mention$ platform$ capabilities$ and$ limitations,$ making$ a$ comparison$ between$ the$ three$ networks$ in$ discussion,$ while$ also$ emphasizing$ their$ common$ aspects.$ The$ motivation$ behind$ this$ chapter$ is$ that$ I$ consider$ important$ to$ understand$ what$ each$service$is$about,$before$exploring$how$users$are$engaging$with$it.$In$the$next$chapter,$I$will$ look$ into$ the$ work$ practices$ of$ the$ actors,$ highlighting$ two$ related$ points$ of$ their$ activity:$ freelancing$as$a$way$of$fullBtime$selfBemployment$and$the$relation$between$these$work$patterns$ and$ the$ use$ of$ social$ media.$ In$ order$ to$ achieve$ this,$ I$ will$ use$ meaningful$ insights$ on$ the$ participants’$average$work$day$schedule$retrieved$during$the$data$collection$process.$Next,$I$will$ analyse$their$approach$on$online$branding.$Also,$concepts$such$as$authenticity,$reputation$and$ selfBbranding$will$be$discussed,$relating$theoretical$debates$on$the$topic$to$the$empirical$data.$ Finally,$ practices$ define$ the$ main$ topic$ of$ the$ next$ chapter,$ where$ I$ will$ try$ to$ answer$ the$ question:$“How$do$users$interact$with$the$platforms?”.$This$will$be$done$by$analysing$the$survey$ and$ interview$ responses,$ but$ also$ by$ comparing$ them$ with$ the$ conclusions$ of$ the$ Medium$ Specific$Features$chapter:$if$the$platform$is$meant$to$function$based$on$a$specific$protocol,$are$ there$any$ways$to$challenge$it$and$use$the$platform$for$other$purposes?$Do$users$engage$with$all$ the$features$of$a$network$or$do$they$select$only$the$ones$more$relevant$for$their$interest?$In$the$ conclusion,$ the$ results$ of$ this$ research$ will$ be$ brought$ together,$ emphasizing$ the$ main$ outcomes.$

2. Methodology

This$ paper$ aims$ at$ providing$ a$ perspective$ on$ the$ practices$ of$ freelance$ illustrators$ on$ the$ imageBbased$social$networks$Instagram,$Pinterest$and$Tumblr.$In$the$same$time,$it$tries$to$offer$ an$ overview$ of$ the$ bigger$ picture:$ how$ the$ working$ patterns$ of$ the$ subjects$ relate$ to$ their$ online$behaviour,$how$they$perceive$social$media$in$the$business$context,$as$well$as$how$they$ see$their$online$presence$as$a$brand.$In$order$to$achieve$these$goals,$an$empirical$data$collection$ will$be$conducted.$The$results$will$be$discussed$in$the$light$of$theoretical$debates$on$the$topic.$ Moreover,$a$centre$point$of$the$research$is$the$analysis$of$the$platform$specific$features$from$a$ software$ studies$ perspective.$ The$ motivation$ behind$ this$ leans$ considerably$ on$ Bucher’s$ concept$of$“technography”,$a$descriptiveBinterpretative$approach$to$understand$the$technology$ in$ the$ context$ of$ everyday$ life$ (Bucher$ 2012).$ In$ order$ to$ know$ how$ the$ actors$ use$ the$ technology$within$its$limits$and$capabilities,$it$is$necessary$to$look$first$at$the$technology$itself$ and$explain$some$of$its$relevant$protocols$for$the$freelance$illustrators.$

As$ far$ as$ the$ empirical$ material$ collection$ is$ concerned,$ I$ divided$ the$ process$ in$ three$ parts.$ First,$I$decided$on$the$topics$related$to$social$media$I$would$explore,$developing$an$outline$for$ the$questions.$I$wanted$to$introduce$the$subjects,$learning$who$were$the$illustrators$behind$the$ screen$ and$ how$ they$ saw$ their$ work$ in$ relation$ to$ the$ online$ environment.$ As$ most$ of$ them$ turned$out$to$be$fullBtime$freelancers,$I$considered$relevant$to$investigate$if$there$was$any$link$ between$ their$ daily$ work$ schedule$ and$ their$ use$ of$ the$ software.$ As$ far$ as$ the$ branding$ is$ concerned,$my$aim$was$to$find$out$what$was$their$perspective$on$branding$and$if$they$had$any$ specific$strategies.$On$top$of$this,$a$crucial$part$of$the$research$would$be$the$subjects’$practices$ on$ Instagram,$ Pinterest$ and$ Tumblr,$ so$ I$ wanted$ to$ know$ how$ they$ engage$ with$ the$ medium$ specific$ features.$ With$ these$ goals$ in$ mind,$ I$ determined$ the$ most$ effective$ way$ to$ reach$ my$ subjects$ and$ make$ sure$ I$ would$ receive$ useful$ and$ consistent$ information.$ A$ web$ survey,$ followed$by$a$round$of$inBdepth$interviews,$seemed$to$be$the$best$way$to$achieve$this.$Third,$I$ had$to$handBpick$the$respondents,$by$approaching$them$on$the$online$platforms$in$discussion$ and$later$contacting$them$by$eBmail$with$more$details$about$this$research.$Each$of$these$three$ steps$will$be$now$explained$more$in$detail.$

2.1. The Web Survey

The$ web$ survey$ contained$ 15$ questions.$ I$ used$ one$ choice,$ multiple$ choice$ and$ ranking$ from$ one$ to$ ten$ options$ for$ the$ answers,$ except$ for$ two$ questions,$ which$ provided$ a$ text$ field$ and$ required$ a$ more$ elaborated$ response.$ The$ last$ question$ of$ the$ survey$ invited$ the$ subjects$ to$ take$part$in$the$followBup$interview.$These$questions$were$divided$in$three$categories.$First,$I$ wanted$ to$ know$ if$ in$ the$ wide$ range$ of$ social$ media$ networks,$ imageBbased$ platforms$ were$ particularly$ useful$ for$ the$ freelance$ illustrators.$ In$ order$ to$ achieve$ the$ most$ relevant$ results$ and$not$influence$the$participants,$I$would$not$tell$them$from$the$beginning$that$my$focus$in$on$ Instagram,$ Pinterest$ and$ Tumblr,$ but$ let$ them$ decide$ what$ SNS$ (social$ network$ site)$ is$ more$ important$ for$ their$ business.$ Second,$ I$ zoomed$ in$ on$ each$ platform,$ asking$ the$ interviewees$ “How$important$is$[network]$in$your$online$marketing$strategy?”$and$“What$activities$do$you$ perform$on$[network]?”.$The$answers$to$these$three$pairs$of$questions$would$help$me$situate$ each$ network$ in$ the$ social$ media$ strategy$ of$ the$ subjects,$ as$ well$ as$ understand$ the$ most$ common$actions$they$would$perform.$

Finally,$ the$ last$ few$ questions$ focused$ on$ the$ subjects’$ goals$ when$ using$ social$ media,$ the$ reasons$ behind$ interacting$ with$ other$ users$ and$ how$ they$ inform$ themselves$ on$ different$ online$marketing$and$promotional$strategies.$As$for$the$two$textBfield$questions,$one$was$asking$ for$the$description$of$the$subject’s$schedule$in$an$average$working$day.$The$other$one$enquired$ if$ and$ how$ the$ participants$ modify$ their$ work$ depending$ on$ the$ platforms$ they$ use.$ If$ the$ subjects$ were$ interested$ in$ a$ follow$ up$ interview,$ they$ had$ the$ possibility$ to$ fill$ in$ the$ last$ survey$field$with$their$eBmail$address.$The$questions$of$the$interview$were$based$on$the$ones$ for$the$survey,$but$asked$for$detailed$answers,$as$a$strategy$to$gather$qualitative$data.$

2.2. The Interview

For$ this$ second$ part$ of$ the$ empirical$ research$ I$ designed$ a$ set$ of$ 6$ questions.$ They$ are$ the$ source$ of$ inBdepth$ observations$ on$ the$ practices$ of$ the$ freelance$ illustrators$ on$ social$ media.$ The$interviews$were$conducted$on$Skype$and$via$eBmail,$resulting$in$7$text$answers$and$3$voice$ recordings$that$have$been$transcribed$at$a$later$stage.$

$ $ $

The$6$questions$are:

1. Are$ you$ working$ as$ a$ full5time$ freelance$ illustrator$ or$ do$ you$ combine$ this$ with$ other$ sources$of$income?$What$are$the$challenges$and$the$rewards$of$your$freelance$career?$$ 2. What$is$the$importance$of$the$social$media$in$your$illustration$business?$$

3. Do$ you$ have$ a$ specific$ strategy$ when$ you$ use$ social$ media?$ (if$ so,$ please$ describe.$ I$ am$ particularly$interested$in$the$use$of$Pinterest,$Instagram$and$Tumblr)$ 4. What$is$your$goal/purpose$when$using$social$media?$ 5. Who$is$your$audience?$(who$do$you$talk$with$when$addressing$on$social$media)$ 6. How$do$you$present$your$brand$on$social$media?$(How$do$you$use$social$media$for$self5 branding?)$ While$the$answers$to$the$first$and$the$last$questions$had$a$specific$relevance$for$the$Freelancing$ respectively$the$Branding$chapters,$the$others$will$be$analysed$in$the$Practices$chapter,$because$ they$include$significant$pieces$of$information$related$to$social$media$practices.$ As$the$interview$was$optional$for$the$survey$respondents,$only$31,25%$of$them$decided$to$take$ part.$ Moreover,$ if$ in$ the$ first$ place$ I$ wanted$ to$ conduct$ Skype$ or$ phone$ interviews,$ a$ lot$ of$ subjects$who$agreed$on$participating$in$the$second$round$of$the$research$were$not$comfortable$ with$these$methods.$The$reasons$mentioned$were$the$lack$of$time,$not$being$confident$on$their$ level$of$English$language$for$a$live$conversation$or$simply$because$it$was$more$convenient$to$ answer$the$questions$via$eBmail.$From$19$people$who$agreed$on$taking$part$in$the$interview,$12$ wrote$back$asking$for$an$eBmail$discussion$instead$of$Skype.$I$regarded$this$unexpected$turn$as$ a$positive$approach$for$my$research.$The$reasons$were$that$the$participants$had$more$time$to$ think$about$the$questions$and$develop$more$complex$and$relevant$answers.$Yet$another$reason,$ observed$after$conducting$Skype$interviews$with$three$subjects,$was$that$it$was$quite$difficult$to$ keep$the$illustrators’$focus$on$my$questions,$rather$than$talking$about$their$experience$as$artists$ in$general,$their$art$beliefs$and$techniques$unrelated$to$social$media.$ $

Using$ two$ types$ of$ data$ collection$ methods,$ the$ web$ survey$ and$ the$ interview,$ had$ behind$ a$ strong$motivation.$The$survey$leads$to$quantitative$data,$offering$an$overview$of$the$importance$

of$different$aspects$of$visualBbased$social$media$for$the$subjects,$while$situating$it$in$the$myriad$ of$ social$ networks.$ The$ interviews$ are$ the$ source$ of$ qualitative$ data,$ consisting$ in$ extensive$ insights,$which$would$be$used$as$the$starting$point$in$analysing$the$freelancing$work$patterns,$ branding$aspects$and$online$practices$in$the$illustration$business.$

2.3. The Participants

The$subjects$have$been$selected$online,$using$various$methods.$First,$within$each$platform$I$was$ interested$ in$ I$ searched$ for$ the$ term$ “illustration”.$ This$ leaded$ to$ users$ who$ had$ this$ word$ either$in$their$username$or$in$the$description$of$their$profile.$Also,$I$only$looked$for$illustrators$ who$ did$ not$ have$ an$ agent$ and$ took$ care$ of$ their$ social$ media$ by$ themselves.$ My$ initial$ approach$was$to$use$the$direct$message$function$of$each$network.$However,$this$seemed$quite$ difficult,$ as$ for$ Tumblr$ the$ contact$ page$ can$ be$ missing$ completely$ from$ a$ blog,$ based$ on$ the$ owner’s$preference,$and$on$Instagram$and$Pinterest$the$only$way$to$contact$someone$directly$is$ to$send$them$an$image$or$a$pin.$I$decided$to$try,$though,$and$I$created$an$image$I$used$as$a$way$ to$introduce$myself$to$my$potential$subjects$(Figure$1).$ Figure$1$B$“Illustrators$on$Social$Media”$image$I$sent$on$Instagram$and$Pinterest$to$potential$subjects. $ This$implied$sending$the$image$above,$together$with$a$short$text$description$about$my$project$ and$ a$ link$ where$ they$ can$ fill$ in$ the$ survey.$ This$ method$ proved$ to$ be$ inadequate$ for$ the$ purpose$of$my$study,$because$none$of$the$people$I$sent$the$message$to$wrote$back$or$filled$in$

the$form$within$one$week$after$I$sent$it.$Therefore,$I$decided$to$look$for$illustrators$using$other$ methods,$such$as$search$engines.$After$finding$websites$of$artists,$I$would$make$sure$they$also$ own$a$profile$on$at$least$one$of$the$imageBbased$social$platforms$I$want$to$focus$on$and$I$would$ contact$them$by$eBmail.$

Out$of$100$eBmails$sent,$I$received$22$responses$back.$To$the$rest$of$78,$I$sent$a$reminder$two$ weeks$ after$ the$ first$ eBmail,$ and$ I$ received$ 10$ more$ answers.$ People$ seemed$ genuinely$ interested$ in$ helping,$ however,$ by$ the$ end$ of$ the$ period$ when$ the$ data$ collection$ was$ open$ I$ only$gathered$32$survey$responses$and$I$conducted$10$interviews$in$total,$7$by$eBmail$and$3$by$ Skype.$The$32%$rate$of$responses$for$the$survey,$and$the$10%$for$the$interview$can$be$seen$as$a$ quite$low,$but$I$consider$the$disadvantages$of$the$medium$being$the$reason$for$this.$My$initial$eB mail$might$have$been$considered$spam$or$might$have$been$forgotten$in$the$inbox,$if$an$artist$ was$particularly$busy$in$the$period$when$I$sent$the$note.$$ The$survey$was$open$between$the$18th$of$March$2015$to$25th$of$April$2015,$and$had$two$peaks$ of$answers,$one$on$19th$of$March,$just$after$the$first$round$of$eBmails,$and$one$on$8th$and$9th$of$ April,$after$I$sent$the$reminder.$The$Skype$interviews$have$been$conducted$in$the$month$of$April$ 2015$and$the$eBmail$responses$have$been$received$between$18th$of$March$and$25th$of$April. If$ the$ survey$ aimed$ at$ gathering$ quantitative$ data,$ and$ therefore$ was$ anonymous,$ for$ the$ interview$ I$ worked$ with$ 10$ particular$ illustrators.$ They$ gave$ me$ the$ consent$ to$ use$ some$ of$ their$personal$information,$such$as$their$first$name,$art$style$and$location.$I$also$looked$at$their$ presence$on$the$social$networks$of$the$interest$for$this$paper.$This$information$can$be$found$in$ the$table$shown$in$Figure$2.$$ $ $ $ $

Name Location Style Instagram Pinterest Tumblr

1. Essi Glasgow,$UK screen$print$ yes yes yes

2. Thaily Rotterdam,$NL fantasy/sciBfi yes yes yes

3. Mike London,$UK various yes no no

4. Ina Berlin,$DE ink yes yes yes

5. Daniel London,$UK various yes yes no

6. Jenni London,$UK digital yes no no

7. Lenny Queensland,$

AUS

tattooBinspired$ illustration

yes no no

8. Jessie Falmouth,$UK typography yes yes yes

9. Iris Breda,$NL watercolour$ and$

ink

yes yes yes

10. Lucas Sao$Paolo,$BRA digital$ yes no no

Figure$2$B$Illustrators$taking$part$in$the$interview$

While$in$my$search$for$subjects$I$did$not$focus$on$any$specific$country,$in$order$to$find$artists$ with$ backgrounds$ as$ diverse$ as$ possible,$ most$ of$ the$ respondents$ are$ residents$ of$ the$ United$ Kingdom,$two$live$in$Netherlands,$one$in$Germany,$one$in$Australia$and$one$in$Brazil.$There$are$ 6$women$and$4$men$taking$part,$covering$a$variety$of$art$styles,$with$a$different$combination$of$ platforms$they$use$for$promoting$their$art$online.$This$is$beneficial$for$the$results$of$this$paper,$ because$most$of$their$answers$are$complex$and$rich$in$information. To$conclude,$each$part$of$ the$ data$ collection$ will$ be$ analysed$ in$ detail$ within$ the$ specific$ chapters$ of$ the$ paper.$ In$ Freelancing$ chapter$ I$ will$ look$ at$ the$ perspective$ of$ the$ participants$ on$ this$ type$ of$ work,$ situating$ their$ responses$ in$ the$ literature$ debate.$ The$ Branding$ section$ will$ benefit$ from$ the$ survey$and$interview$questions$related$to$it,$while$the$survey$results$as$a$whole$and$the$insight$ on$the$social$media$tactics$will$be$presented$in$the$Practices$chapter.$

3. Medium Specific Features

Before$looking$into$the$online$practices$of$the$artists,$however,$it$is$vital$to$first$understand$the$ features$and$limitations$of$the$digital$environment.$This$helps$in$analysing$further$the$way$the$ participants$engage$with$these$features.$This$chapter$aims$at$offering$an$overview$of$the$most$ important$platform$elements$from$a$software$studies$angle.$This$will$be$done$by$locating$these$ platforms$in$the$myriad$of$social$networks$and$explaining$why$they$were$chosen$in$the$context$ of$ freelance$ illustration.$ Moreover,$ I$ will$ make$ a$ brief$ comparison$ of$ their$ capabilities,$ limitations$ and$ target$ audiences,$ as$ well$ as$ an$ analysis$ of$ their$ common$ aspects.$ The$ chapter$ will$conclude$with$a$presentation$of$the$action$and$interaction$elements$that$emerge$from$the$ platforms$overview.$

To$start$with,$I$consider$relevant$to$have$a$look$at$technography,$a$concept$introduced$by$Taina$ Bucher$ (2012).$ This$ method$ involves$ understanding$ technology$ through$ the$ practices$ of$ the$ actors$ using$ it.$ As$ Bucher$ explains,$ “technical$ objects$ and$ elements$ afford$ meanings$ and$ possibilities$for$action,$based$on$how$they$work$and$function”$(p$73).$She$also$points$out$that$it$ is$ important$ to$ “let$ the$ software$ speak”.$ That$ is,$ finding$ information$ about$ what$ software$ is$ capable$of$doing$directly$from$the$software$itself.$This$can$be$done$by$reading$websites,$blogs,$ media$reports,$etc.$as$primary$source,$and$insights$from$tech$companies,$as$secondary$source.$ After$ collecting$ this$ information,$ the$ analysis$ can$ start$ by$ looking$ for$ the$ answer$ to$ “What$ is$ software$suggestive$of?”.$This$method$is$very$appropriate$for$my$investigation,$because$it$allows$ me$ to$ first$ observe$ the$ platforms$ I$ am$ interested$ in,$ then$ interpret$ their$ features$ and$ only$ afterwards$invite$the$subjects$to$introduce$their$practices.$

This$being$said,$Instagram,$Pinterest$and$Tumblr$are$part$of$the$social$layer$of$the$internet,$“an$ empowering$ space$ to$ occupy,$ express,$ and$ participate”$ (Bodle$ 2011).$ This$ means$ they$ are$ focused$ on$ interactions$ between$ users$ and$ sharing$ content,$ but$ each$ of$ them$ in$ a$ different$ manner.$The$concept$of$sharing$is$particularly$interesting,$because$it$can$be$found$in$the$official$ description$of$each$platform.$Under$What$is$Instagram?2_{$we$can$learn:$“Instagram$is$a$fun$and$}

quirky$way$to$share$your$life$with$friends$through$a$series$of$pictures.”$Pinterest$is$“a$content$ sharing$ service$ that$ allows$ members$ to$ "pin"$ images,$ videos$ and$ other$ objects$ to$ their$ pinboard”3_{$as$well$as$“a$place$to$discover$ideas$for$all$your$projects$and$interests,$handBpicked$}

2_{$What$is$Instagram?$https://instagram.com/about/faq/,$retrieved$14$May$2015$} 3_{$Pinterest$Home$Page$http://pinterest.com,$retrieved$14$May$2015$}

by$people$like$you”4_{.$Following$the$same$path,$we$can$find$out$that$“Tumblr$lets$you$effortlessly$}

share$anything”5_.$

These$official$descriptions$emphasize$one$main$common$feature$of$the$platforms:$they$all$come$ to$ meet$ the$ individuals’$ needs$ to$ share:$ their$ lives,$ content$ such$ as$ images$ and$ videos$ and,$ actually,$ absolutely$ anything.$ As$ John$ (2013)$ argues,$ sharing$ became$ synonym$ with$ participating$ in$ the$ online$ environment,$ even$ if$ we$ are$ talking$ about$ sharing$ something$ in$ particular,$ or$ sharing$ without$ an$ object.$ In$ the$ case$ of$ Instagram,$ people$ are$ encouraged$ to$ “share$ their$ lives”,$ but$ what$ does$ it$ actually$ mean?$ This$ is$ what$ John$ calls$ a$ “fuzzy$ object$ of$ sharing”$ and$ it$ is$ in$ opposition$ with$ a$ concrete$ object,$ such$ as$ a$ picture$ or$ a$ video.$ Even$ if$ people$ sure$ enough$ do$ share$ photos$ on$ Instagram,$ this$ action$ is$ presented$ as$ a$ way$ to$ share$ their$lives.$Because$of$this,$the$whole$concept$achieves$a$different$and$more$complex$meaning.$ Leaning$ again$ on$ John’s$ observations,$ he$ attributes$ this$ urge$ to$ share$ the$ life$ to$ a$ need$ to$ communicate,$but$also$to$solving$an$issue$of$loneliness:$“the$rhetoric$[...]$of$sharing$your$life$[...]$ implies$ that$ you$ should$ not$ be$ alone:$ sharing$ your$ life$ is$ the$ opposite$ of$ living$ your$ life$ in$ isolation.”$

I$certainly$agree$with$this$view,$and$returning$to$Instagram’s$description,$I$would$also$like$to$ highlight$ the$ use$ of$ adjectives$ “fun”$ and$ “quirky”$ in$ relation$ with$ the$ content$ shared.$ That$ is,$ Instagram$ is$ creating$ a$ user$ profile$ of$ social,$ expansive$ individuals$ who$ post$ creative,$ entertaining$ quirky$ content.$ This$ way,$ it$ brings$ into$ discussion$ the$ sense$ of$ community:$ one$ wants$ to$ be$ between$ those$ people.$ Another$ official$ definition$ of$ the$ platform$ sums$ up$ these$ aspects:$$“Instagram,$a$community$of$more$than$300$million$who$capture$and$share$the$world's$ moments$on$the$service”6_{.$Pinterest$also$encourages$its$users$to$share,$but$this$time,$we$see$a$}

more$defined$object$of$sharing:$“photos$and$videos$and$other$objects”.$Tumblr$does$not$worry$ about$explaining$what$exactly$users$are$supposed$to$share,$nor$with$creating$a$definition$that$ invites$ people$ to$ join$ the$ “hip”$ community.$ They$ simply$ describe$ the$ object$ of$ sharing$ as$ “anything”,$ which$ is$ closely$ related$ with$ the$ fact$ that$ on$ Tumblr$ users$ can$ “post$ text,$ photos,$ quotes,$ links,$ music,$ and$ videos”7_{.$ This$ implies$ that$ the$ individuals$ have$ complete$ freedom$}

regarding$their$online$content$and$they$do$not$need$to$be$told$what$to$share.$In$the$context$of$a$ platform$that$can$be$customized$from$colours$to$themes$and$even$to$the$HTML$code,$Tumblr$ focuses$ therefore$ on$ making$ the$ interface$ personal,$ friendly$ and$ different$ for$ each$ person,$ rather$than$setting$bounds$to$the$content$makers.$

4_{$About$Pinterest$https://about.pinterest.com/en,$retrieved$14$May$2015$} 5_{$About$Tumblr$https://www.tumblr.com/about,$retrieved$14$May$2015$} 6_{$About$Us$https://instagram.com/about/us/,$retrieved$14$May$2015$} 7_{$About$Tumblr$https://www.tumblr.com/about,$retrieved$14$May$2015$}

Other$ than$ the$ focus$ on$ sharing,$ there$ is$ another$ common$ vital$ feature$ of$ the$ three$ social$ networks$ in$ discussion:$ the$ images$ as$ central$ element.$ The$ raise$ of$ imageBbased$ online$ platforms$ can$ be$ seen$ as$ a$ new$ trend$ in$ the$ past$ few$ years,$ a$ new$ “level$ of$ innovation”$ that$ follows$ the$ extensively$ textBbased$ services,$ introducing$ images$ as$ their$ main$ building$ blocks$ (Mittal$ et$ al.,$ 2013).$ This$ makes$ it$ particularly$ convenient$ for$ freelance$ illustrators$ to$ take$ advantage$ of$ the$ medium,$ because$ their$ main$ material$ aligns$ perfectly$ with$ the$ platform$ requirements.$

After$looking$briefly$into$the$definitions$of$Instagram,$Pinterest$and$Tumblr$and$into$their$basic$ common$ function,$ sharing$ images,$ I$ would$ like$ to$ provide$ an$ overview$ of$ each$ network.$ This$ will$ be$ made,$ as$ mentioned$ above,$ by$ gathering$ information$ directly$ from$ the$ platforms$ themselves,$while$also$including$in$the$conversation$theoretic$debates$on$software$and$platform$ studies.$As$a$disclaimer,$I$want$to$mention$that$all$the$information$regarding$the$features$of$the$ three$platforms$are$accurate$at$the$date$of$writing$this$paper,$but$as$online$elements,$they$are$ subjects$of$changes$in$time.

3.1. The Medium Specific Features of Instagram

Instagram$ can$ be$ considered$ a$ pioneer$ of$ the$ imageBintensive$ social$ software$ and$ one$ of$ the$ most$ popular,$ as$ well.$ It$ was$ launched$ in$ 2010$ and$ 5$ years$ later$ it$ reached$ over$ 300$ million$ monthly$ active$ users$ and$ an$ average$ of$ 70$ million$ photos$ uploaded$ daily8_{.$ Therefore,$ it$ is$}

impossible$not$to$be$regarded$as$an$important$social$media$network$in$this$sector.$

To$ begin$ with,$ Instagram$ is$ a$ service$ only$ available$ for$ smartphones.$ It$ was$ launched$ as$ an$ iPhone$application,$and$Android$users$had$to$wait$two$years$until$the$official$release$on$their$ platform,$ in$ 2012.$ The$ reason$ for$ focusing$ only$ on$ smart$ mobile$ devices$ is$ explained$ by$ its$ creators$on$the$FAQ$(frequently$asked$questions)$page$of$instagram.com9_: $ We$created$Instagram$to$solve$three$simple$problems: 1. Mobile$photos$always$come$out$looking$mediocre.$Our$awesome$looking$filters$ transform$your$photos$into$professionalBlooking$snapshots.$ 2. Sharing$on$multiple$platforms$is$a$pain$B$we$help$you$take$a$picture$once,$then$ share$it$(instantly)$on$multiple$services.$ 3. Most$uploading$experiences$are$clumsy$and$take$forever$B$we've$optimized$the$ experience$to$be$fast$and$efficient.$

8_{$Instagram$Press$https://instagram.com/press/,$retrieved$14$May$2015$} 9_{$Instagram$FAQ$https://instagram.com/about/faq/,$retrieved$14$May$2015$}

The$ application$ can$ be$ therefore$ summed$ up$ as$ a$ fast,$ efficient$ and$ creative$ solution$ for$ uploading$to$social$media$photos$taken$with$the$phone$camera,$on$the$go.$Another$important$ part$ of$ the$ equation$ is$ the$ ubiquity$ of$ smart$ devices$ that$ allow$ internet$ and$ mobileBdata$ connection$almost$anywhere.$

After$downloading$the$service,$one$is$encouraged$to$create$a$profile.$This$includes$a$name,$a$url$ and$ optional$ a$ website$ and$ a$ short$ description.$ The$ user$ is$ allowed$ to$ upload$ an$ image$ that$ would$serve$as$his/her$profile$picture$on$the$platform.$The$next$step$is$to$upload$pictures.$This$ can$be$done$by$selecting$images$from$the$phone$gallery$or$taking$a$photo$on$the$spot.$The$image$ is$cropped$afterwards$in$a$square$shape$and$the$user$is$invited$to$modify$it:$there$is$a$range$of$ 27$ different$ predefined$ filters$ that$ can$ be$ added,$ but$ the$ service$ also$ offers$ the$ option$ of$ customization,$ by$ manually$ adjusting$ the$ brightness,$ contrast,$ warmth,$ saturation,$ colour,$ highlights$or$shadows$of$the$photo.$After$the$image$is$modified,$the$following$BoptionalB$actions$ are$writing$a$caption,$adding$hashtags,$a$location$or$tagging$other$users,$and$finally$uploading$it$ to$ Instagram.$ As$ feedback$ capabilities,$ the$ application$ features$ a$ like$ button$ and$ a$ comment$ section,$as$well$as$the$possibility$to$follow$other$users.$The$following$relation$is$asymmetrical:$ users$ can$ follow$ other$ users$ without$ having$ to$ be$ followed$ back.$ The$ public$ user$ profile$ includes$ the$ number$ of$ followers,$ followees$ and$ posts,$ as$ well$ as$ thumbnails$ of$ the$ images$ posted$so$far$(Figure$3).

Figure$3$B$Public$Profile$on$Instagram,$source:$www.instagram.com/andreeaillustration

After$ this$ brief$ description$ of$ the$ main$ functions$ of$ Instagram,$ I$ would$ like$ to$ focus$ now$ on$ three$different$aspects$of$the$platform:$the$privacy,$the$use$of$hashtags$and$how$Instagram$can$ be$used$for$selfBpromotion,$in$the$context$of$freelance$illustrators.$

Instagram$has$a$very$straightforward$way$to$address$the$privacy$issue:$it$enables$two$types$of$ accounts,$ public$ and$ private.$ Any$ image$ uploaded$ in$ a$ public$ account$ is$ shared$ with$ any$ Instagram$user$through$the$mobile$app,$and$also$with$anybody$who$has$the$picture’s$link,$even$ if$he/she$has$an$account$or$not.$The$image$is$also$available$on$the$web$instance$of$Instagram,$ instagram.com.$ For$ the$ private$ accounts,$ the$ content$ can$ only$ be$ seen$ by$ the$ approved$ followers.$ However,$ as$ Highfield$ and$ Leaver$ argue,$ the$ Instagram$ privacy$ settings$ are$ more$ nuanced$than$they$seem$in$the$beginning$(2015).$This$is$because$as$part$of$a$complex$ecosystem$ of$ social$ media$ platforms,$ the$ images$ start$ as$ private$ on$ Instagram$ but$ can$ be$ distributed$ on$ other$ social$ networks$ under$ different$ privacy$ settings.$ This$ is$ closely$ related$ to$ the$ platform$ interoperability,$issue$that$will$be$discussed$at$a$later$stage$in$this$chapter.$

As$far$as$the$use$of$hashtags$is$concerned,$this$practice$has$its$roots$on$Twitter,$as$explained$by$ Highfield$and$Leaver$(2015),$but$efficiently$migrated$towards$other$social$networks,$and$as$well$ to$Instagram.$Leaning$again$on$the$observations$of$the$authors$mentioned$above,$there$can$be$ observed$ two$ main$ reasons$ for$ using$ hashtags.$ One,$ the$ intention$ of$ creating$ a$ community$ around$a$specific$location,$event,$or$category$of$image$(e.g.$#illustration$for$all$the$illustrationB related$images).$In$order$to$encourage$this$procedure,$when$typing$in$a$hashtag,$the$platform$ makes$suggestions$of$similar$possible$tags,$by$using$hashtag$trend$monitors$to$identify$the$most$ popular$ ones.$ For$ example,$ when$ typing$ in$ “illustration”,$ Instagram$ offers$ other$ tag$ options,$ together$ with$ the$ number$ of$ posts$ each$ one$ has:$ “illustrations”$ with$ 570,11010_{$ posts,$}

“illustrationoftheday”$with$74,253$posts$or$“illustrationart”$with$71,288$posts.$The$second$use$ of$ tags$ is$ userBspecific:$ individuals$ do$ not$ intend$ to$ place$ the$ image$ in$ a$ category,$ but$ more$ likely$ to$ describe$ their$ feelings$ or$ reactions$ on$ the$ topic.$ An$ example$ for$ this$ can$ be$ the$ tag$ #ilovemyjob,$frequently$used$by$artists$of$Instagram.$

For$ businesses$ in$ general,$ and$ in$ particular$ for$ artists,$ Instagram$ can$ play$ a$ vital$ role$ in$ the$ social$media$presence.$McNely$(2012)$argues:

The$ adoption$ of$ Instagram$ among$ professional$ organizations$ is$ significant$ in$ that$ it$ signals$ a$ mobile,$ visually$ predominant,$ ostensibly$ organic$ mode$ of$ sharing$ organizational$ image$ which$ differs$ qualitatively$ from$ professional$ photography$ in$ the$ support$of$branded$communication.$As$part$of$an$organization's$social$software$genre$ ecology,$ Instagram,$ quite$ simply,$ uses$ images$ to$ communicate$ vision.$ In$ this$ way,$ Instagram$ becomes$ a$ crucial$ mediating$ genre$ in$ the$ shaping$ of$ organizational$ imageB power.

This$ opinion$ is$ particularly$ interesting$ for$ the$ discussion$ on$ illustrators$ and$ their$ use$ of$ Instagram,$ because$ it$ presents$ a$ different$ angle$ on$ the$ photos$ uploaded.$ If$ the$ platform$ itself$ introduces$ a$ very$ easy$ process$ for$ photos$ onBtheBgo,$ McNely$ suggests$ the$ service$ can$ be$ successfully$used$to$communicate$the$vision$of$a$company.$Now$we$talk$about$carefully$created$ imagery$ that$ represents$ the$ brand,$ as$ well$ as$ the$ values$ the$ business$ is$ associated$ with.$ However,$even$if$this$imagery$does$not$reach$the$quality$of$professional$photography$services,$it$ is$ enriching$ the$ brand$ presence$ by$ being$ genuine$ and$ “organic”,$ as$ McNely$ refers$ to$ it.$ “Instagram$has$a$singular$focus$on$captivating$imagery,$giving$brands$an$avenue$for$rich$visual$ storytelling”,$advertises$Instagram$on$their$branding$website11_{.$For$illustrators,$the$storytelling$}

can$ start$ behind$ the$ scenes,$ explaining$ the$ creative$ process$ and$ sharing$ work$ in$ progress,$ continuing$with$final$products$and$prints.$Actual$practices$will$be$analysed$in$the$next$chapter,$

10_{$These$numbers$are$valid$at$the$moment$of$writing$this$paper,$17th$of$June$2015,$12:36$pm.$$} 11_{$Pinterest$Press$https://about.pinterest.com/en/press,$retrieved$14$May$2015$}

but$ as$ a$ conclusion$ for$ the$ Instagram$ overview$ I$ would$ like$ to$ emphasize$ its$ relevance$ for$ creatives,$that$is$also$due$to$its$simplicity$and$realBtime$feedback$through$likes$and$comments.$

3.2. The Medium Specific Features of Pinterest

If$Instagram$is$focusing$on$content$creation,$I$will$go$now$into$another$area$of$the$social$web:$ curation.$ A$ definition$ of$ the$ concept$ of$ social$ curation$ can$ be$ found$ in$ Social$ Curation$ on$ the$ Website$Pinterest.com$by$Catherine$Hall$and$Michael$Zarro:$

Social$ curation$ websites$ [are]$ sites$ which$ combine$ social$ features$ and$ collecting$ capabilities.$ They$ exist$ at$ the$ intersection$ of$ social$ media$ sites$ (such$ as$ Facebook,$ Twitter,$ Flickr$ and$ Tumblr)$ and$ pushBbutton$ private$ content$ collection$ sites$ (such$ as$ Instapaper,$ Evernote$ and$ Read$ it$ Later).$ Social$ curation$ sites$ offer$ a$ new$ way$ of$ creating,$curating$and$sharing$information$on$the$web.

This$new$way$is$also$emphasized$on$the$website$itself,$under$the$Press$category:$“Pinterest$is$a$ visual$bookmarking$tool$that$helps$you$discover$and$save$creative$ideas.$Our$mission$is$to$help$ people$discover$the$things$they$love,$and$inspire$them$to$go$do$those$things$in$their$daily$lives.$ We're$ building$ the$ world's$ first$ and$ biggest$ discovery$ engine”12_{.$ The$ need$ for$ curation$ and$}

storing$in$one$place$digital$objects$comes$from$the$overwhelming$pace$at$which$these$objects$ are$created$in$the$online$environment.$On$top$of$this,$there$is$a$vast$amount$of$networks,$each$ one$ of$ them$ encouraging$ users$ to$ share,$ publish$ and$ store$ personal$ content,$ with$ their$ own$ different$ archiving$ solutions$ (Lindley$ et$ al.$ 2013).$ This$ results$ in$ a$ confusing$ and$ difficult$ to$ search$online$material,$a$problem$which$platforms$like$Pinterest$seem$to$find$a$solution$to. Being$ in$ top$ 5$ social$ media$ networks$ at$ the$ date$ of$ this$ paper$ according$ to$ Alexa,$ a$ web$ analytics$company13_{,$with$more$than$70$million$active$users$in$2013}14_{$and$more$than$over$50$}

billion$pins$saved$until$201515_{,$I$can$safely$call$it$one$of$the$most$important$imageBbased$social$}

networks$at$the$moment.$Unlike$Instagram,$which$is$available$only$on$smartphones,$Pinterest$ can$be$accessed$on$the$web,$as$well$as$on$mobile$devices$and$tablets.$

12_{$Pinterest$Press$https://about.pinterest.com/en/press,$retrieved$14$May$2015$} 13_{$Top$Social$Networks$} http://www.alexa.com/topsites/category/Computers/Internet/On_the_Web/Online_Communities/Social_Networki ng,$retrieved$28$May$2015$ 14_{$Semiocast$Research$on$Pinterest$} http://semiocast.com/en/publications/2013_07_10_Pinterest_has_70_million_users,$published$10$July$2013,$ retrieved$14$May$2015$ 15_{$Pinterest$Engineering$Blog$http://engineering.pinterest.com/post/118108695799/introducingBtheBpinterestB} developersBplatform,$published$4$May$2015,$retreived$14$May$2015$

Together$with$the$raise$of$the$platform,$there$comes$a$new$vocabulary$related$to$it,$with$terms$ such$ as$ “pin”$ and$ “to$ pin”,$ “pinner”$ and$ “board”.$ While$ they$ do$ have$ a$ correspondent$ in$ the$ offline$ world,$ their$ meaning$ is$ slightly$ changing$ in$ order$ to$ accommodate$ the$ new$ online$ practices.$A$pin$is$a$piece$of$content:$a$picture$or$a$video.$With$the$addition$of$“rich$pins”,$these$ elements$can$also$take$the$form$of$a$recipe,$application,$movie,$article,$product$and$place.$Each$ pin$also$carries$a$description$and$a$website$link$and$is$part$of$a$category,$such$as$Design,$DIY$&$ Crafts,$Food$&$Drink,$etc.$(Figure$4).$$

Figure$ 4$ B$ Representation$ of$ a$ Pin$ 5$ Includes$ the$ image,$ the$ description$ “Roundscape$ by$ Fil$ Gouvea”,$ the$ number$of$times$it$was$pinned$(52)$and$the$number$of$likes$(19),$as$well$as$the$name$of$the$pinner$(Emmra$ Metge)$and$the$name$of$the$board$she$pinned$it$in$(Art).

$

The$ pinner$ is$ the$ user$ and$ a$ board$ is$ created$ by$ him/her$ to$ classify$ more$ pins$ on$ a$ specific$ topic.$Examples$of$boards$can$be:$“Recipes$I$have$to$try”$or$“Inspiring$Illustrations”.$There$are$ three$ ways$ to$ find$ pins.$ First,$ and$ the$ most$ straightforward$ one,$ is$ to$ search$ for$ a$ specific$ keyword$or$to$browse$through$the$categories$of$the$website$(Figure$5).

$

Figure$ 5$ B$ Search$ result$ on$ pinterest.com$ for$ the$ keyword$ “Illustration”.$ On$ top,$ the$ website$ offers$ a$ few$ other$keywords$for$a$more$specific$search,$such$as$“Fashion”,$“Character”$or$“Watercolour”.$

When$a$desired$image$is$showing$up,$the$pinner$can$pin$it$to$one$of$his/her$boards,$like$it,$or$ send$it$to$a$fellow$pinner$in$a$personal$message.$Another$way$to$find$pins$is$simply$by$browsing$ the$ web.$ A$ lot$ of$ websites$ and$ blogs$ have$ integrated$ a$ “Pin$ It”$ button$ under$ their$ posts$ or$ images.$Pinning$from$a$website$can$also$be$done$by$installing$a$Pinterest$plugin$to$the$browser.$ This$automatically$selects$images,$as$well$as$the$link$from$where$they$are$picked.$The$third$way$ to$expand$one’s$number$of$pins$is$to$upload$an$image$from$the$device.$In$this$case,$the$user$has$ to$ add$ a$ description$ of$ the$ picture$ and$ is$ allowed$ to$ add$ a$ link,$ otherwise$ the$ image$ source$ would$be$set$as$“Pinterest.com”.$After$a$pin$is$uploaded,$it$is$added$to$the$website$database$of$ objects,$ and$ can$ be$ reBpinned$ or$ liked$ by$ other$ users.$ Just$ as$ on$ Instagram,$ the$ following$ function$ is$ also$ asymmetrical,$ so$ pinners$ can$ follow$ other$ pinners$ without$ the$ reciprocity$ needed.$Pinterest$is$a$transparent$website$(Hall$and$Zarro$2012),$so$fellow$pinners$can$see$how$ many$followers,$boards,$pins,$likes$and$followees$has$a$specific$user$(Figure$6),$as$well$as$how$ many$reBpins$and$likes$received$a$specific$post.$$

Figure$6$B$Public$Profile$on$Pinterest.com,$source:$www.pinterest.com/andreeamironiuc As$far$as$the$privacy$settings$are$concerned,$user$profiles$are$public,$but$they$do$have$the$option$ to$create$secret$boards$or$to$share$a$specific$board$only$with$previously$selected$pinners.$ This$platform$represents$a$valuable$tool$for$illustrators,$because$opens$the$door$to$a$new$online$ community.$Different$from$the$“hip$crowd”$of$Instagram,$Pinterest$users$are$more$likely$to$be$ women16_{,$seeking$information$on$leisure$and$hobbies$and$looking$at$materials$related$to$decor$} and$design,$DIY$and$crafts$or$food$and$drink$(Hall$and$Zarro$2012).$Pinterest$can$also$be$a$way$ to$ connect$ art$ lovers,$ find$ new$ sources$ of$ inspiration$ and$ sharing$ lifestyle$ imagery,$ practices$ that$will$be$investigated$in$the$next$chapter.$

3.3. The Medium Specific Features of Tumblr

Tumblr$is$a$popular$microBblogging$platform$founded$in$2007.$8$years$later,$in$2015,$with$over$ 236.1$ million$ blogs$ and$ more$ than$ 110.9$ Billion$ posts17_{,$ it$ is$ the$ second$ blogging$ platform$}

worldwide,$after$Wordpress,$according$to$Alexa.com18_{.$Compared$with$the$previously$analysed$} networks,$Tumblr$can$be$situated$halfway$between$creation$and$curation.$While$it$does$allow$ 16_{$42%$of$online$women$are$Pinterest$users,$compared$with$just$13%$of$men,$according$to$a$survey$published$in$} 2014$by$Pew$Research$Center$http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/demographicsBofBkeyBsocialBnetworkingB platformsB2/,$retrieved$14$May$2015$

17_{$About$Tumblr$https://www.tumblr.com/about,$retrieved$14$May$2015$} 18_{$Top$Blogging$Platforms$Worldwide$}

posting$ original$ content,$ it$ also$ features$ a$ reBblogging$ option.$ This$ platform$ is$ relevant$ in$ the$ context$ of$ imageBbased$ social$ networks,$ even$ if$ it$ enables$ users$ to$ post$ any$ type$ of$ content,$ from$ text$ to$ photos,$ videos,$ quotes,$ chat$ or$ links$ (Figure$ 7).$ The$ reasons$ for$ this$ is$ that$ over$ 78%$ of$ the$ published$ material$ are$ images$ (Chang$ et$ al.$ 2014).$ On$ top$ of$ this,$ Tumblr$ counts$ with$a$strong$community$sense$and$a$very$young$audience,$as$50%$of$the$website’s$visitors$are$ under$25$years$old19_.

Figure$7$B$Options$for$creating$a$new$post$on$Tumblr.com

In$order$to$understand$the$mechanics$of$the$website,$it$is$important$to$situate$it$in$the$microB blogging$ environment,$ that$ is$ “in$ between$ of$ traditional$ blogging$ and$ online$ social$ network$ services”$ (Change$ et$ al.$ 2014).$ In$ other$ words,$ Tumblr$ shares$ social$ features$ but$ also$ encourages$quality$content.$Moreover,$it$enables$tags,$similar$to$the$hashtags$of$Instagram,$but$ in$this$case$they$are$not$considered$part$of$the$content,$but$have$a$reserved$place$at$the$bottom$ of$the$post$(Figure$8).

19_{$Tumblr$Defies$its$Name$as$User$Growth$Accelerates,$http://webcitation.org/64UXrbl8H,$published$30$August$}

Figure$8$B$Example$of$a$Tumblr$post.$It$features$an$image,$a$caption,$as$well$as$different$tags$(#art,$#bird,$ #illustration,$etc.) After$a$post$is$published,$it$will$appear$in$the$owner’s$blog,$as$well$as$in$the$news$feed$of$the$ user’s$followers.$Another$way$to$add$content$to$one’s$blog$is$to$reBblog$other$users’$posts.$This$is$ done$by$using$the$reBblog$button,$which$automatically$quotes$the$initial$caption,$but$also$allows$ writing$additional$text.$Once$a$new$item$is$published,$the$other$registered$users$can$like$it,$reB blog$it$or$comment$on$it.$As$far$as$the$following$feature$is$concerned,$just$as$on$Instagram$and$ Pinterest,$following$has$an$asymmetrical$component.$The$reciprocity$on$Tumblr$is$very$high:$up$ to$29,03%$of$the$following$relationships$are$mutual$(Chang$et$al.$2014).$

From$ the$ brief$ overview$ above,$ it$ is$ clear$ that$ the$ process$ of$ posting$ content$ on$ Tumblr$ is$ a$ simplified$ one.$ Users$ only$ need$ to$ write,$ upload$ or$ reBblog$ and$ press$ the$ Post$ button.$ Nonetheless,$ the$ service$ leaves$ a$ lot$ of$ space$ for$ customization:$ it$ enables$ a$ number$ of$ free$ themes$ and$ also$ provides$ the$ option$ to$ buy$ themes.$ Colours,$ fonts$ and$ layouts$ are$ as$ well$ subject$of$adjustments,$together$with$the$feature$of$adding$new$pages,$other$than$the$main$blog$ feed.$$

Seeing$ it$ from$ the$ perspective$ of$ the$ illustrators,$ Tumblr$ offers$ a$ variety$ of$ options$ for$ being$ seen$ and$ sharing$ new$ work.$ Other$ than$ portfolioBlike$ themes$ and$ an$ easyBtoBupdate$ blog,$ Tumblr$ also$ counts$ with$ a$ very$ close$ knit$ community.$ While$ some$ part$ of$ it$ tends$ to$ gather$ around$ fandoms$ of$ movies,$ books$ and$ popular$ culture,$ they$ all$ have$ in$ common$ the$ “Tumblr$ Love”,$perceiving$the$network$as$a$“place$for$people$to$strongly$unite$over$something”$(Hillman$ et$al.$2014).$

3.4. Action and Interaction on Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr

Being$ part$ of$ the$ social$ web,$ all$ three$ services$ have$ an$ important$ component$ of$ interaction$ between$users$and$also$a$strong$platform$interoperability.$The$more$people$share,$connect$and$ interact,$the$more$traces$of$data$are$available,$which$can$be$seen$as$“the$currency$of$commercial$ organizations$in$Web$2.0”$(John$2012),$so$the$platforms$are$trying$to$foster$as$much$as$possible$ these$activities.$ Instagram,$to$start$with,$enables$very$fast$feedback$to$any$content$posted$publicly,$because$of$its$ realBtime$news$feed.$Users$can$look$for$a$specific$hashtag,$and$within$that$category$there$can$be$ hundreds$of$pictures$uploaded$every$hour,$from$all$over$the$world.$Liking$is$a$way$to$express$ positive$feedback$on$these$photos,$and$commenting$a$way$to$establish$a$connection$or$give$an$ opinion.$People$can$also$follow$and$send$images$to$each$other.$This$direct$messages$function,$ introduced$ in$ 201320_{,$ allows$ them$ to$ send$ a$ picture$ in$ a$ private$ context.$ It$ is$ not$ possible$ to$}

directly$ contact$ a$ user$ only$ by$ sending$ text,$ however,$ after$ the$ first$ picture$ is$ delivered,$ a$ private$ conversation$ can$ continue$ without$ the$ need$ of$ other$ graphics,$ like$ in$ any$ other$ messaging$service.$$

Pinterest$works$in$a$similar$manner.$Users$can$like$and$comment$on$each$other’s$content,$but$ within$ this$ service$ there$ is$ also$ a$ “sharing”$ feature,$ called$ reBpinning.$ This$ activity$ is$ public:$ users$can$see$how$many$times$a$specific$object$was$pinned$and$can$read$the$comments,$which$is$ “both$a$form$of$social$validation$for$the$users$looking$for$information$and$resources$[...]$and$a$ social$reward$for$users$who$pin$the$content”$(Hall$and$Zarro$2012).$In$other$words,$the$more$ reBpins,$likes$and$comments$a$pin$gets,$the$better$reputation$has$the$pinner$in$the$community.$ Another$interactive$feature$of$Pinterest$is$the$direct$message$option:$users$can$send$each$other$ pins$by$pressing$the$“Send”$button$and$selecting$the$fellow$pinner$they$want$to$send$it$to.$Just$ as$ on$ Instagram,$ users$ have$ to$ start$ the$ conversation$ with$ an$ image$ and$ can$ continue$ it$

afterwards$with$comments,$within$the$discussion$on$the$sent$object.$This$messaging$feature$is$ suggestive$ of$ the$ emphasis$ Instagram$ and$ Pinterest$ put$ on$ visuals,$ even$ in$ private$ conversations.$ Enabling$ textBonly$ messaging$ would$ not$ be$ beneficial$ for$ the$ platform,$ as$ the$ dialog$ might$ be$ directed$ towards$ unrelated$ topics,$ rather$ than$ fostering$ the$ discussion$ and$ interaction$ with$ the$ content.$ On$ top$ of$ this,$ Pinterest$ also$ promotes$ creative$ collaboration:$ users$can$share$a$board$and$have$the$possibility$to$pin$content$together.$From$here,$it$is$easy$to$ observe$ that$ Pinterest$ tries$ to$ enhance$ the$ pinners$ interactions,$ offering$ a$ space$ for$ communication$and$teamwork.$

On$ Tumblr,$ the$ interaction$ options$ are$ more$ diversified.$ On$ top$ of$ liking$ and$ reBblogging,$ the$ platform$introduces$a$few$other$creative$features$for$interaction$and$building$community.$For$ example,$a$twist$on$the$comment$function$offers$the$bloggers$the$option$to$enable$and$disable$ the$ comments$ or$ to$ allow$ (or$ not)$ replies$ from$ people$ who$ have$ been$ following$ him/her$ for$ more$than$two$weeks.$This$feature$is$suggestive$of$the$emphasis$on$creating$longBlasting$online$ relations$ between$ the$ bloggers$ and$ their$ followees$ on$ Tumblr.$ Another$ interesting$ option$ is$ “Ask$me$anything”.$This$is$not$a$mandatory$function,$but$in$case$it$is$enabled$it$lets$the$readers$ fill$in$a$text$field$with$a$question$or$comment$addressed$to$the$blog$owner.$Depending$on$the$ blogger’s$ preference,$ questions$ can$ be$ asked$ anonymously$ or$ under$ the$ Tumblr$ username.$ If$ the$ blog’s$ owner$ decides$ to,$ after$ writing$ a$ response,$ the$ questions$ and$ their$ answers$ can$ be$ shared$publicly,$just$like$a$regular$Tumblr$post.$This$feature$suggests$the$attention$the$platform$ pays$to$its$community.$Sharing$the$“Ask$me$anything”$can$be$beneficial$for$the$readers$of$one’s$ blog,$but$also$for$the$owner,$encouraging$more$interactions$between$the$audience$and$the$artist.$ Moreover,$ there$ is$ yet$ another$ feature$ worthy$ of$ attention:$ “Submissions”.$ Facilitating$ coB creation$and$community$participation$in$a$blog,$the$service$allows$the$blog$owner$to$decide$if$ he/she$wants$to$create$a$multiBauthored$page.$If$this$function$is$enabled,$the$readers$can$submit$ their$own$posts,$which$are$sent$in$the$approval$queue.$All$the$social$functions$on$Tumblr$can$be$ seen$in$Figure$9.

Figure$9$B$Interaction$features$on$Tumblr:$Replies$(comments),$Ask$me$anything$and$Post$Submission

As$ seen$ from$ the$ interactivity$ overview,$ each$ platform$ is$ trying$ to$ develop$ methods$ to$ foster$ communication$ and$ interaction$ between$ users.$ This$ approach$ works$ both$ ways,$ within$ the$ platform,$but$also$between$different$services.$For$example,$Instagram$encourages$users$to$share$ their$images$on$Facebook,$Twitter,$Tumblr$and$Flickr$(Figure$10).

Figure$10$B$Instagram$Screenshot,$there$are$four$social$networks$where$uploaded$images$can$be$shared.

The$ sharing$ process$ is$ facilitated$ by$ linking$ the$ Instagram$ profile$ with$ these$ four$ other$ networks.$ Pinterest$ has$ a$ similar$ approach,$ but$ encourages$ the$ share$ of$ content$ only$ to$ Facebook.$As$far$as$Tumblr$is$concerned,$this$seems$to$be$the$most$versatile$platform:$it$enables$ sharing$ content$ to$ Facebook,$ Twitter,$ Pinterest,$ via$ eBmail,$ and$ also$ as$ embed$ content$ in$ another$blogging$platform,$for$example$(Figure$11).

Figure$11$B$Screenshot$of$Tumblr$sharing$options

Beside$these$organic$sharing$options$provided$by$the$platforms$themselves,$there$are$also$third$ party$ applications$ that$ can$ help$ in$ circulating$ the$ content$ towards$ other$ networks.$ Services$ such$as$IFTTT$(If$This$Then$That)21_{$enable$users$to$crossBpost$on$social$media,$enhancing$the$}

platforms’$interoperability.$However,$as$Bodle$(2011)$states,$even$if$in$the$first$place$this$might$ sound$ like$ an$ initiative$ belonging$ to$ the$ open$ internet$ era,$ the$ user’s$ privacy,$ data$ security,$ transparency$and$autonomy$might$be$threatened.$For$example,$if$an$image$is$part$of$a$private$ profile$on$Instagram$and$the$user$decides$to$share$it$on$Tumblr,$the$image$is$losing$its$private$ status$and$becomes$public.$This$is$suggestive$of$the$fact$that$while$the$networks$encourage$this$ type$of$practices,$they$are$not$always$working$in$the$user’s$benefit.$ To$conclude,$the$three$platforms$in$discussion$are$all$imageBbased$and$focus$on$sharing$content.$ In$their$selfBpresentation,$they$set$out$to$foster$the$interaction$between$the$users$and$create$a$ strong$ feeling$ of$ belonging$ to$ a$ community.$ They$ have$ different$ main$ functions:$ creation,$ curation$and$blogging,$while$reaching$different$audiences,$fact$that$makes$them$an$interesting$ object$of$study$in$relation$to$the$social$media$practices$of$illustrators.$If$so$far$I$have$identified$ the$key$functionalities$of$Instagram,$Pinterest$and$Tumblr$and$what$they$are$suggestive$of,$the$ next$ chapters$ will$ look$ into$ how$ these$ features$ are$ being$ redeployed$ by$ illustrators$ in$ the$ context$of$their$own$work$practices.$$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

4. Freelancing Work Patterns

Understanding$ the$ platform$ specific$ features$ leads$ to$ making$ sense$ of$ the$ technological$ environment$where$the$interaction$between$the$artists$and$their$audience$takes$place.$At$this$ point,$ I$ consider$ relevant$ to$ turn$ to$ the$ actors$ and$ introduce$ them$ and$ their$ work$ practices.$ Previously$ in$ the$ paper$ I$ mentioned$ the$ term$ freelancer,$ but$ what$ does$ it$ actually$ mean$ and$ how$does$this$relate$to$their$online$activity?$In$this$chapter$I$want$to$explore$the$work$patterns$ of$illustrators.$I$will$do$this$by$analysing$the$insights$I$gathered$in$the$empirical$data$collection$ and$situating$them$in$theoretical$debates$on$this$type$of$employment.$This$is$necessary$in$order$ to$investigate$if$there$is$any$connection$between$selfBemployment$and$the$use$of$social$media,$ and$if$so,$how$the$two$concepts$affect$each$other.$ First$of$all,$freelancers$can$be$defined$as$“independent$professionals,$who$are$neither$employers$ nor$employees,$supplying$labour$services$to$clients$on$a$temporary$basis$under$a$contract$for$ services$as$distinct$from$a$contract$of$service$typical$of$employment$relationships”$(Kitchings$ and$Smallbone$2012).$They$are$flexible,$and$typically$working$on$shortBterm$contracts,$by$one$ or$more$contractors$at$the$same$time,$getting$into$this$kind$of$work$practice$because$of$the$love$ of$ their$ work,$ independence$ and$ the$ possibility$ to$ explore$ their$ own$ niche$ markets$ (Mould,$ Vorley$ and$ Liu$ 2014).$ It$ is$ debatable$ if,$ in$ the$ continuously$ changing$ work$ environment,$ becoming$a$freelancer$is$really$a$choice$or$a$consequence$of$the$uncertainty$of$the$market$place.$ However,$especially$in$the$creative$industries,$hiring$freelancers$for$projectBbased$work$is$not$ an$ uncommon$ practice,$ but$ quite$ the$ opposite,$ traditional$ employment$ relationships$ being$ challenged$ worldBwide$ (Gollmitzer$ 2014).$ When$ it$ comes$ to$ freelance$ illustrators$ and$ visual$ artists,$ we$ can$ find$ the$ same$ situation,$ even$ amplified$ due$ to$ the$ fact$ that$ in$ general,$ each$ illustrator$has$a$unique$style,$therefore$it$is$unlikely$that$one$employer$would$need$the$same$ type$of$artwork$on$daily$bases$for$a$longer$period$of$time.$

4.1. Insights on the Freelance Career

Based$on$the$data$I$gathered$from$people$directly$involved$and$from$literature$on$the$topic,$I$ would$like$to$have$a$look$at$this$employment$situation$from$different$perspectives.$A$first$step$is$ understanding$ what$ it$ involves$ and$ how$ the$ subjects$ react$ to$ different$ advantages$ and$ downsides$of$their$work.$This$can$clarify$later$the$context$in$which$the$participants$use$social$ media$and$for$what$purposes.

Because$ I$ talk$ about$ artists,$ I$ find$ important$ to$ start$ the$ analysis$ by$ bringing$ forward$ the$ concept$ of$ the$ calling$ (Armstrong$ 2013).$ That$ is,$ the$ main$ reason$ why$ the$ work$ in$ itself$ is$ rewarding$and$fulfilling$is$simply$because$the$subjects$love$to$perform$it.$“Being$able$to$do$what$ I$love$and$get$paid$for$it,$is$the$biggest$reward$for$me.”$says$Essi,$one$of$the$interviewees.$From$ the$employment$perspective,$this$represents$an$empowerment$position$for$freelance$workers.$ As$Petersson$McIntyre$(2014)$observes,$“Loving$work$presents$one$as$an$individual$in$control,$ one$who$works$because$one$wants$to$and$not$one$has$to;$one$who$is$animated$by$enthusiasm.$ The$feeling$is$that$if$one$does$not$love$one’s$job$one$should$leave$and$find$something$that$one$ does$love,$to$become$satisfied”.$On$top$of$this,$there$are$other$perks$of$the$freelance$career:$ I$enjoy$the$fact$that$I$am$able$to$set$my$own$timetable,$I$can$go$to$the$gym,$shops,$bank,$ post$office,$etc,$during$the$day$when$it's$pretty$quiet$as$most$people$are$at$work.$I$can$ work$ till$ late$ at$ night$ if$ I$ want$ to,$ I$ can$ take$ a$ lunch$ break$ when$ I$ want,$ I$ am$ more$ flexible$regarding$holidays.$

explains$ Essi.$ Thaily,$ another$ artist,$ enhances$ this$ point,$ focusing$ also$ on$ the$ importance$ of$ being$ your$ own$ supervisor:$ “It's$ nice$ to$ be$ in$ charge$ of$ your$ own$ work$ hours$ and$ be$ able$ to$ work$or$take$time$off$whenever$you$need$for$whatever$you$need$it$for,$without$having$to$check$ with$ anyone.”$ $ Having$ a$ flexible$ schedule$ goes$ hand$ in$ hand$ with$ the$ artistic$ work$ flow,$ that$ many$times$is$influenced$by$periods$of$inspiration.$Working$outside$9B5$hours,$taking$time$off$ whenever$needed$and$being$able$to$put$as$much$energy$and$time$into$a$project$as$desired,$are$ not$always,$however,$seen$as$advantages.$

It$is$widely$acknowledged$by$scholars$who$study$the$topic$(Ertel$et$al.$2005,$Gill$and$Pratt$2008,$ Gill$2010)$that$the$concepts$of$love$and$freedom$in$relation$to$the$freelance$work$are$overused,$ hiding$ behind$ this$ apparent$ job$ satisfaction$ long$ hours,$ lower$ payment$ rates$ and$ higher$ job$ risk.$ The$ employers$ tend$ to$ hire$ onBproject$ professionals$ because$ they$ do$ not$ have$ the$ same$ benefits$as$a$regular$employee,$neither$the$same$job$security$(Mould,$Vorley$and$Liu$2014).$This$ work$also$implies$the$lack$of$health$benefits$nor$maternal$leave,$and$despite$these,$becomes$one$ of$the$most$common$work$situations$in$the$creative$industries$(Gollmitzer$2014).$

$

Nevertheless,$I$would$like$to$situate$myself$on$the$other$side$of$the$debate,$considering$that$my$ subjects$ are$ aware$ of$ the$ rewards$ and$ challenges$ of$ the$ job$ but$ continue$ because$ they$ are$ individuals$who$control$their$careers.$Just$as$in$Armstrong’s$article$(2013),$I$would$like$to$give$ my$ interviewees$ the$ opportunity$ to$ speak$ for$ themselves$ and$ to$ present$ their$ own$ ways$ to$ “fight”$the$downsides$of$a$freelance$career,$without$considering$them$puppets$in$a$the$hands$of$ the$new$capitalism.$To$support$my$claim,$I$will$analyse$the$answers$of$two$questions$I$asked$the$

participants.$The$first$one$was$focusing$on$the$concept$of$freelancing$in$itself:$I$wanted$to$know$ if$the$subjects$are$working$as$a$fullBtime$freelancers$and$what$is$their$perspective$on$this$kind$of$ selfBemployment$ situation.$ The$ second$ question,$ part$ of$ the$ survey,$ is$ “How$ does$ your$ work$ schedule$ look$ like$ in$ an$ average$ working$ day?”.$ By$ having$ a$ look$ at$ these$ two$ different$ perspectives$on$the$work$environment$of$the$interviewees,$I$hope$to$be$able$to$understand$how$ the$daily$life$of$a$freelance$illustrator$looks$like$and$have$an$overview$on$the$work$patterns$of$ my$study$group.$This$would$help$later$with$linking$these$patterns$with$the$use$of$social$media.$ As$I$would$like$to$argue,$the$participants,$by$taking$the$promotion$and$contact$with$potential$ clients$in$their$own$hands,$can$situate$themselves$in$an$empowering$position.$

4.2. Work Patterns

As$mentioned$above,$the$main$theme$is$the$personal$reward$of$doing$what$one$loves$to$and$get$ paid$for$it.$Mike,$in$his$third$year$of$studying$illustration,$says:$“From$time$to$time$I'll$receive$a$ paid$ illustration$ job$ and$ the$ feeling$ is$ incredibly$ rewarding$ to$ know$ that$ someone$ values$ my$ work$ enough$ to$ want$ to$ hire$ me$ for$ the$ skills$ I$ have.”$ Iris,$ who$ is$ in$ her$ final$ year,$ is$ getting$ ready$for$her$career$in$illustration:$“I$am$kind$of$busy$with$graduating$so$at$the$moment$I$am$ not$really$freelancing.$But$I$have$my$business,$I$have$a$website,$so$people$can$contact$me$if$they$ want$to$and$I$will$consider$if$I$have$enough$time$to$do$the$project$or$not.”$However,$even$after$ the$business$is$open,$sometimes$it$can$still$be$quite$challenging:$“I$don't$have$a$regular$second$ job,$ but$ I$ do$ occasional$ babysitting$ and$ translation$ work$ in$ order$ to$ get$ some$ extra$ income.”$ says$Essi,$a$fullBtime$freelancer$now.$The$idea$of$having$a$lessBqualified$partBtime$job$in$order$to$ be$able$to$pay$the$bills$at$the$end$of$the$month,$when$the$main$illustration$activity$is$fluctuant,$ does$ not$ seem$ to$ bother$ too$ much$ the$ respondents.$ Quite$ the$ contrary,$ this$ seems$ to$ be$ a$ normal$ step$ between$ the$ moment$ of$ finishing$ the$ university$ and$ the$ goal$ of$ being$ able$ to$ illustrate$fullBtime$and$obtain$this$way$a$decent$income.$$

However,$even$after$establishing$oneself$on$this$career$path,$there$are$a$lot$of$other$challenges$ of$this$type$of$labour,$the$main$issue$being$selfBorganizing.$Essi$finds$the$freedom$a$bit$scary:$“It$ is$ totally$ up$ to$ you$ to$ make$ sure$ you$ wake$ up$ at$ a$ decent$ time$ in$ the$ morning,$ keep$ things$ organized,$ look$ for$ new$ work,$ network,$ promote,$ keep$ the$ business$ running$ in$ general.$ You$ need$to$be$very$selfBmotivated$and$organized,$especially$in$between$projects$when$you$are$not$ really$expected$to$do$anything$or$be$anywhere.$It$is$also$intimidating$to$not$always$know$when$ and$where$your$next$income$is$coming$from.”$Thaily$emphasizes$this$point,$adding:$“I$think$time$ management$is$both$the$biggest$perk$and$the$biggest$challenge.$[...]$It's$easy$to$work$through$

meals,$evenings,$weekends$and$holidays.$Sometimes$I'll$be$up$'till$3$AM$drawing,$I$don't$have$to$ be$ at$ the$ office$ at$ 8$ in$ the$ morning$ the$ next$ day$ but$ it's$ not$ great$ for$ your$ health$ either.$ Discipline$is$really$important$if$you$want$to$be$a$freelancer,$you$don't$just$have$to$network$and$ meet$ your$ deadlines,$ but$ also$ take$ care$ of$ yourself$ so$ you$ don't$ burn$ out.$ It$ can$ be$ a$ tricky$ balance$to$strike.”$Jessie$also$talks$about$this:$“as$for$the$stability,$it’s$hard,$cause$you$end$up$ just$working$more$than$you$would$a$normal$job.$My$boyfriend$always$tells$me:$come$on$now,$ stop$ working,$ it’s$ the$ weekend.”$ Therefore,$ freelancing$ is$ many$ times$ the$ reason$ for$ the$ soB called$bulimic$work$patterns$(Gill$and$Pratt$2008).$This$means$alternating$periods$with$a$high$ volume$of$work,$that$forces$the$selfBemployed$to$work$through$nights,$weekends$and$holidays,$ and$ other$ periods$ with$ no$ work.$ It$ is$ not$ possible$ to$ disregard$ these$ aspects$ of$ the$ freelance$ work,$ when$ due$ to$ irregular$ earnings$ many$ professionals$ are$ forced$ to$ work$ long$ hours,$ postpone$vacations$and$even$ignore$episodes$of$illness$(Ertel$et$al.$2005).$However,$as$resulted$ from$the$interviews,$people$tend$to$be$spending$a$lot$of$time$in$organizing$themselves$better,$so$ such$extreme$situations$would$not$take$place$on$regular$bases.$

So$ far,$ I$ explored$ what$ the$ artists$ consider$ job$ challenges,$ in$ order$ to$ have$ a$ frame$ for$ investigating$their$social$media$practices.$Through$this,$I$would$like$to$emphasize$the$fact$that$ they$are$perfectly$aware$of$the$downsides$of$being$a$freelancer,$and$nevertheless$they$continue$ and$ try$ to$ improve$ their$ approach$ for$ a$ stronger$ business$ and$ the$ freedom$ of$ their$ art.$ The$ individual$is$in$power$in$this$case,$having$the$opportunity$to$make$his/her$own$personal$choices$ on$ the$ work$ habits.$ However,$ if$ one$ might$ think$ the$ job$ of$ a$ freelance$ illustrator$ is$ to$ create$ artwork,$one$might$believe$in$a$false$idea.$As$I$will$analyse$next,$based$on$the$subjects’$average$ day$ information,$ in$ some$ cases$ up$ to$ 60%$ of$ the$ activities$ performed$ daily$ involve$ online$ marketing,$networking$and$promotion,$most$of$them$with$the$use$of$online$social$media.$This$ goes$hand$in$hand$with$the$instability$of$the$workflow$as$a$freelancer:$if$one$is$not$“seen”$online$ and$ if$ their$ portfolio$ and$ social$ networks$ profiles$ are$ not$ updated$ constantly,$ the$ chances$ of$ getting$new$work$are$reduced$tremendously.$$

4.3. Average Working Day Schedule and the Use of Social Media

To$introduce$the$daily$routine$of$my$interviewees,$most$of$them$have$quite$strict$schedules$in$ the$periods$of$high$work$volume.$Also,$most$of$them$differentiate$these$periods$from$the$ones$of$ lower$ workflow,$ when$ the$ schedule$ might$ change$ completely.$ However,$ it$ is$ a$ constant$ throughout$the$responses$that$my$subjects$are$very$organized,$which$is$an$interesting$finding,$