Spanish Contributor Shares Best Tips on How to Succeed in Freepik
We had the chance to have a conversation with Myriam Mira, a Spanish contributor in Freepik. Myriam shares with us her career as a graphic designer and how is it for her to be a Freepik’s contributor. She also gives us some expert knowledge and useful tips to succeed in our platform. Our Spanish contributor has obtained a lot of downloads in the past months due to her versatility and constant work (among other things). Have a look at her portfolio to check out her creations. Do you want to know more about her? Keep reading!
Hi, Myriam! Tell us about you
Hi! This is Myriam, and I’m from Málaga (in case you don’t know it, it’s a lovely city in the south of Spain). I’m a graphic designer and I’m currently working as an art director. In my spare time, I like going to the movies, watching series and learning new things. Strange as it may sound, I sometimes like to remain quiet, and silently make up imaginary stuff in my mind. It’s weird, I know, but that’s kind of me.
When did you start designing? Has it been always your passion?
To be honest, I could design even before I knew what design was. Since I was a little girl, everything related to visual arts caught my attention. In fact, I decided to pursue my passion and studied Audiovisual Communication. It was during the last year of college when I discovered graphic design and decided to do a master related to design. Little did I know then that it would become my profession!
Apart from an outstanding designer, you’re also a Freepik’s contributor, how did you decide to collaborate with us?
Well, I decided to become a Freepik’s contributor because some colleagues recommended it to me. They were already contributors and were making consistent money, so I gave it a try as well.
In the beginning, it took me a while to find free time to create content, but I think I’ve finally gotten into my stride. At the moment, I don’t upload as many resources as I would like to, but still, I’m making some money. I believe this is one of the greatest advantages of being a contributor in Freepik. You can upload content at your own pace, depending on your personal and professional circumstances.
Can you tell us how is it a day as a contributor?
Every month I compile a list with the designs I want to make during that period, and I try to have all the tasks done by the end of the month. However, I like to leave room for improvisation as well.
I also pay attention to the festivities and holidays and check if there’s an upcoming celebration around the corner, like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, etc. This way, I can plan ahead my content and upload it to Freepik on time. The most important thing to succeed and obtain downloads, though, is to upload content regularly, every month.
We’ve seen that your portfolio includes different styles. Why those styles in particular?
I like to work with different styles as it ‘forces’ me to keep learning new things constantly. Actually, I’ve never had a personal style when designing. I must confess I sometimes would like to have one, but the lack of it can also be an advantage. Working with numerous styles make me a versatile designer, as I can make a lot of diverse designs, ranging from realistic and flat resources to even hand-drawn illustrations (I’m not an expert, though).
Imagine you go to a deserted island and you have to take with you just one of your designs. Which one would it be?
That’s a difficult question! But, if I had to choose, I would take with me this abstract background. It was one of the first resources I uploaded as a Freepik’s contributor and it has proven to be quite a success.
When developing new content, where do you look for inspiration?
I mainly look for inspiration on Freepik. I try to keep myself updated, so I frequently check the content featuring on the main page. I also consult other stock platforms to stay informed on global trends. Apart from these, I find quite useful sites like Behance, Dribbble, or Instagram to find ideas.
And.. what do you do when you lack inspiration?
Well, in these situations, I seek inspiration on social media. As I just mentioned, I normally have a look at Dribbble, Behance, and Instagram. I think these sites are great to come up with new ideas when your inspiration is gone.
However, what really helps me is to take a break. Going to the movies with friends, going for a walk, listening to music… All these activities are quite helpful for disconnecting and staying away from a task. Then, when I come back again to it, ideas flow out easily.
Has it been always easy to be a designer? Which difficulties have you faced as a designer?
Well, life isn’t that easy, right? One of the challenges my profession has to face is that our job is understated. Though as hard as we work, not many people recognize our talent nor the effort put in every design. Fortunately, the situation is changing.
There was a time in my career that I wasn’t sure if this was the right path anymore. Nowadays, I can happily say that design is my true passion and I’m glad that I didn’t give up. There are moments when you’re happy with your work an others that you think you can do better. That’s fine. I see success as a process, a path, not a particular moment. Being able to do what I like and make a living out of it, that’s a real success for me.
Is there a particular trick you use in your designs and would like to share with other contributors?
Yes, actually I have some to share. On the one hand, don’t forget that less is more. As designers, we tend to think of complex designs with lots of elements and this may affect your workflow. So, instead, opt for more simple compositions that may be useful for users.
On the other hand, working with collections can help you optimize your workflow. How come? Well, quite easy. Let’s say you create a business card. Thus, you can reuse the elements to design other resources such as a flyer, a banner, etc. This way, you’ll get a homogeneous collection to be added to your portfolio. Plus, you’ll save a lot of time.
As a contributor, being open-minded and ready to create anything is crucial. Remember that Freepik’s users come from all around the globe so, in order to meet their expectations, you need to work with themes and styles that may be completely new for you.
And last but not least, create quality content is a must. Don’t forget that users look for quality designs! Plus, as I just said above, being constant is the only way to get downloads and earn money regularly. Try to upload content constantly and you’ll see the benefits soon!
Name three things you can’t live without.
I can’t live without my notebook, as I need it for drawing sketches and noting down ideas; my headphones, as I use music for inspiration and focus; and Internet, for seeking ideas and references.
To finish this interview, could you name three things you like about Freepik?
I would say quantity, variety, and quality. Freepik offers limitless styles in different formats (photos, vectors, icons and PSD files). It’s almost impossible not to find what you want. And the quality is really good. Besides, they’ve been lately improving many aspects of the web that I think make Freepik a much better platform. So, if you want to become a Freepik’s contributor, don’t hesitate! There’s nothing to lose!
Thank you for sharing your recommendations and tips with us! We hope you find Myriam’s words helpful. If you want to join our graphic universe and start uploading resources to Freepik, click on the following button!
