Live Design Online: In this week’s episode of the pre-LDI Artistic Finance podcasts, host Ethan Steimel and I sit down with lighting and visual production designer Kat Borderud for a deep dive into the financial journey of a touring lighting designer and programmer. We caught Kat when she was on tour with the music trio Khruangbin.
2 comments:
Hearing the advice from Kat Borderud is quite insightful into the day to day operations and thought processes of a freelance designer and heavily emphasizes the importance of longevity and reputation within the live event industry in order to succeed. What resonated the most was the considerations about the level of work being done at different stages of your life, and discussion of a constant evaluation of where you are with your goals and your work life balance at any particular moment. From talking about taking jobs adjacent to what you’re hoping to do one day to gain practical experience, to recognizing when you need to take time off to avoid burnout and thus protect your work in the long term, this is great advice to follow when it comes to freelance design. One aspect I am more curious about is how often or how prescriptive Kat Borderud is about when she works (or when work ends) and whether or not being a freelancer without additional overhead support takes too much of a mental toll for it to be truly sustainable.
This interview was very helpful for me as I aspire to join the live entertainment industry. She has a thoughtful approach to financial stability, creative fulfillment and personal boundaries, it really demonstrates that thriving as a freelancer is as much about mindset as it about skill( which is Important to remember as some people forget to build their mindset and focus solely on honing their skills in their craft(I think it’s important for freelancers too create their working mindset if they want a healthy relationship with their work, I feel like I would struggle with this as I have never been good with finances.)Kate’s advice to walk away is also important, you don’t need to take ever job and being afraid to say no is a bad trait to have as a working professional. She really reminds us that financial success doesn’t come from chasing the money but from striking a balance between passion and practicality.
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