Maya Dickson
Freelance Creative
Seattle, WA / NY
Q What do you do?
“I am a multifaceted creative who is looking for inspiring new work.”
I have 5+ experience working in floral design and and 3 years of experience working as a casting models in fashion. I build websites in my free time.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I have spent a long time working in visual focused events, production and installations. During the pandemic I lost all of that work and worked on my computer skills by taking courses on programming and coding.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
When it comes to visual focused projects, having a trustable eye is key. I am good at what I do because the people who work along-side me appreciate my eye and my ability to execute the final product tastefully
Q What are you working on right now?
My work in fashion casting is mostly seasonal (etc. NYFW) with some remote work in between. In my spare time I design and code websites and portfolios. Currently I am testing out a new project including one of my main hobbies. Cooking is my form of art that I have always considered too sacred to turn into a job. But I was recently approached by an artist who wanted to collaborate on an exhibition where I created an edible installation coherent with her art. The exhibition was a success so I am working on more things like this
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I consider myself extremely multifaceted. I love food, holistic medicine, wellness, global justice, inclusive casting, visual design, structure and organization. I cant say I am looking to focus on one of the skills I already have. But I would love to use them to build new skills in other fields.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Freelance is always hard. Especially when you dont have one specific job title to stick to. I have a hard time looking for work because it's incredibly hard to advertise myself. I've been lucky to find work through word of mouth and previous clients. I know that I am capable of excelling in so many different roles when combining my skills but I tend to freeze at the "Job Title" section of any application
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
Make contracts for every client. Even if they are your friend. Make sure you have specific project deadlines that must be met with additional fees for not being met. Have everyone sign this to avoid tensions and frustrations.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Business! There are so many ways businesses succeed and fail. Throughout my history of working as an employee, I have always payed close attention to what goes wrong and what goes right in a business. How business owners treat different situations. This is all such valuable knowledge that you don't need to ask for. But if I was given the chance to talk to an expert, I would ask about the most important steps in the beginning stages of business. That seems to be some of the most crucial moments in creating something
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I am looking for remote and fulfilling work. Finding brands or projects I align with and are excited to help grow. I dont mind starting at an entry level position or just providing small scale support for a company that fits well with me
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
Since I am mostly looking for remote work on this site I will stick to these experiences. I do remote scouting and casting periodically throughout the year. I love this work. It gives me lots of freedom to fit a role without having to find the person physically in the city or street. I can approach them via social platforms, email or through their agents if they are signed. Another small job I did recently was design research for a company building brand pitches. This was consisted of collecting big databases of brand aesthetics that could be used when designing a pitch to that brand
Q What is your rate?
My day-rate when working physically, in-person on installations is a minimum of $350 per day or $35 an hour. When I am doing remote work, my hourly range is often $30-$70 per hour depending on wether its instagram scouting or heavy research or website building.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Send me and email! I'd love to hear about your brand and what roles need to be filled. I am always open to discussing together wether I am the right person for the job. The budget can be discussed in the end or later.
Q How do you stay creative?
I love to feed. It can be food, thought, visual, sensory and so much more
This member profile was originally published in December 2022.