You Can't Make A Living From Your Talent (or Skills)

You Can't Make A Living From Your Talent (or Skills)

Author: Alvalyn Lundgren March 20, 2026 Duration: 12:04

As a freelance creative, do you focus more on your technical skills, on your creative talent, or problem-solving abilities to attract clients? How you position yourself determines the types of projects and clients you'll work with. Moreover, especially in this age of AI, talent and tools aren no longer enough to be able to make a living. A focus on tools and tech skills are making you obsolete. Speedy turn-around and low fees can't compete with free. You'll be easily replaced. What should you do? Shift gears and change your approach. Alvalyn shares the necessity of human-centered creative problem-solving and capitalizing on your humanity to solve business-related and life-related problems for your clients.


Alvalyn Lundgren guides the conversation on the Freelance Road Trip Podcast, a space built for independent creatives navigating the winding path of running their own practice. This isn't about abstract theory; it's a practical companion for designers, illustrators, and photographers who feel the constant push and pull between their artistic drive and the realities of invoices, clients, and sustainability. Each episode feels like a candid conversation from the passenger seat, tackling how to protect your creative energy while building a business that doesn't burn you out. You'll hear honest discussions about pricing your worth, finding clients who respect your vision, and setting boundaries that allow both your work and your well-being to thrive. The whole point of this podcast is to merge that innate creativity with actionable strategy, moving beyond just getting by to building something genuinely fulfilling. Tune in for a blend of mindset shifts and concrete steps that help you steer your freelance journey with more confidence and clarity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Freelance Road Trip Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Use Creative Briefs To Build Trust [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:45
Are you using a creative brief, also know as assignment or design brief, in your project development process? A brief can help you build trust with your clients for a variety of reasons. In this episode I share what a br…
Cultivating Limitless Success [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:08
How you think affects how well you do creatively and business-wise. What you think either hinders or promotes. We all struggle with limiting beliefs and negative thinking, but we don't have to embrace them. In this episo…
How The PRO Act Will Make Life Worse For Freelancers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:02
The PRO Act, which is now included in the massive infrastructure bill, and the Worker Flexibility and Small business Protection Act, will make things very difficult for freelance creatives if it becomes law with the ABC…
Budgeting Smarts For Freelancers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:26
Money is a necessary tool in business and life, and freelancers can embrace the budgeting process creatively. Budgeting is good stewardship, and enables you to maintain momentum when your income fluctuates month to month…
Contracts, Spec Work, and the Friends & Family Plan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:26
Freelance creatives can often get stuck on smaller problems, odd requests, and indecision. To that end, I offer insights to questions listeners and readers have asked regarding working on spec (speculatively), contracts,…
Does Formal Design Education Matter? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:53
A young designer asked me if formal education makes a difference in becoming successful. Having earned a degree, and having taught part-time in a design program for 25 years in addition to my design work, I have some bia…
Why the PRO Act Should Scare You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:20
Freelancers of all types should be concerned about pending labor legislation. The ABC test to determine independent contractor vs. employee status in California's independent contractor law is being pushed forward nation…
Things They Don't Teach You In Design School [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:22
Talent, passion and a portfolio will get you through school, but you can't build a business on them. There's a gap between school and making a living. The gap exists even if you didn't attend design school. Now more than…
For Better Results Add Pliability To Your Planning [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:32
Things don't always go the way you planned, especially when it's more than just you involved. Clients and colleagues will surprise you. Responding well whether you're in the middle of favorable or unfavorable happenstanc…
Should Freelancers Work With Family and Friends? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:43
Friends and family should not be in your "ideal client" description. Why? Because all sorts of unexpected things happen that can suck your time, stress you out, and make you wish you'd never said "yes." In the episode I…