Just FYI. This is a shortened version of another post I submitted in the wrong thread. I apologize for the confusion (if any).
I’d like to know what is acceptable as far as my networking/career goes.
I’m a graphic artist/web developer. My wife is in the first trimester and we have a 2yr old daughter.
I currently freelance (i.e. WAHD) and have partnered up with a design agency that gives me work. I live in Florida, the agency is up North. Although things have slowed down and I haven’t worked in a few weeks.
I have a part-time job doing manual labor to get some sort of income during slow times. Once things pick up again with the agency, I’ll go back to working 40-50 hrs a week.
I belong to an illustration collective. We get together once a month (or two) depending on everyone’s schedule. A lot of the illustrators in the group are also dads with kids that range from new borns to 13yr olds.
As a freelancer, I need to go out and network. The more people I meet, the better chances I have of increasing my workload. I want to get to a point where I don’t have to go too long without work.
The illustration group is more of a creative recharge, although we do end up working on projects together. I work on said projects when I have time during the day, or after my wife and daughter are asleep (late nights).
My wife hardly goes out, although she wishes she had more girls night out, but when the opportunity arises she chooses to stay home. I would love for her to go out and enjoy herself because the few times she does, it makes her happy.
I’m home a lot. I like being home, but I also like blowing the stink off. My wife and I do a lot together with our daughter. She works at Disney, so we have free reign of all the parks. Plus with connections to SeaWorld and Universal, we visit those parks as well.
I do the cooking; wash dishes, do laundry; clean litter box, bathrooms, and handy work around the house. Plus I’ll be doing more since my wife is pregnant.
My questions are as follows:
1) Is it acceptable for me to go out and network a couple times a month?
2) Is it acceptable for me to meet up with the illustration group once every month or two?
3) Is it acceptable for me to go to a convention once a year or so?
I appreciate all honest answers.