Farah Evers – Author, Digital Artist and Freedom Lover

Farah Evers is my friend and a shining example of a modern-day, independent spirit. A totally self-employed woman, she has invented a creative line of work for herself as an author, digital artist and overall freedom lover, living life on her own terms. In fact, I have hired Farah to design a book cover, banners, and a logo for me. We have never met in person, yet, she supports my efforts as an author and a freelance writer. How amazing is that? Farah lives in Deventer, Holland. This interview explores a form of employment which I think offers great potential to those seeking a way to make a living while remaining free to roam a bit. Enjoy the interview!

 

I am always looking for people who lead a less restrictive lifestyle. You have created four companies.Tell us about what you do.

 

First and foremost, I am an author. I have written in various genres, but currently am working on the final stages of my first Sci-Fi novel. That’s the genre I intend to stick with.

I am also a graphic designer, specializing in author graphics. Farah Evers Designs is geared toward everything authors need graphically, from book covers to logos and website design. I’ve designed over 70 indie covers as well as Twin Trinity Media Publishing covers, and have even been nominated by author Michelle Devon as an award finalist via Epic Ariana Awards. My success as a book cover designer drove me to write “A Graphic Guide for the Self-Published Author
, a handy-dandy book for all DIY indie authors who want to design their own covers.

My second company is Evers Hosting. This is a straight up domains and hosting company also geared toward servicing authors, but anyone is welcome to join.

My third company is Evers Book Tours; which is a public relations and promotional company mainly geared toward Science Fiction and Fantasy authors.

My fourth company is a daughter company to Evers Hosting, and it is called Ili Cloud – which is a virtual storage cloud as well as a mail client. This service is unavailable to the public independently, except for Evers Hosting clients.

I am also a digital artist. I moved from regular painting to digital painting only recently. I have changed my focus from painting absurd or regular ideas to purely Sci Fi themes and effects.

 

Is any of your work non-location dependent? In other words, could you take the show or parts of the show on the road, so to speak, if you wanted to travel?

I have lived half of my life on the go, and soon will be resuming that lifestyle. I definitely could operate all four companies as well as pursue my creative talents from any corner of the world. I think this is the beauty of today’s technologically rich culture. Being a minimalist, I feel this is how it will be a few years down the line. I will be embarking on the “Creative Paths to Freedom” lifestyle once again. I can only settle in one place for a couple of years. My journey starts again soon. Luckily, my art and ideas, as well as my administrative work, can be done via laptop or tablet. My current computer is a full-on graphic station, so is our music studio, therefore, only high-quality, media laptops can do the trick.

 

I have used your services before? We have never met and live in two different countries. How common is that for you? How do you attract international clients?

Extremely common. Most of my clients are US-based. Thanks to the internet, and to the lovely Michelle Devon who encouraged me to continue to pursue my graphic services, I was able to showcase my talents and widen my prospects. I started out merely helping indie authors on the Accentuate Writers Forum, but it snowballed from there into a full-blown business. My website and social media play a huge role in maintaining a larger audience.

 

What do you like best about being self employed?

I like being my own boss, that’s for sure. I am OCD, so time management is also a great pleasure. This gives me freedom to live my life the way I want to. There is a volatile factor to being self-employed, and I know to some this means no real security. The truth is, if you can maintain a creative approach to marketing and persist in producing quality work for reasonable prices, work will keep coming your way.

I prefer my freedom above anything else in the world.

 

Do you have any advice for people who are seeking more personal freedom in their work and life?

Yes. First of all, pick up Teresa’s “Creative Paths to Freedom” books.

While we do gain freedom living the self-employed utopian life, I think people need to be prepared to work double the amount of time of a regular employee. This might sound counterproductive to the concept of freedom, but it’s not. The time that you invest in your work can be done while sipping a Pina Colada on an island without the constraints of a suit and tie or an office atmosphere. You are the boss of your time and your own comfort. I think that is key for creative people especially.

You do need to work harder because you are responsible for marketing yourself. This applies to all fields, whether you are a writer, an artist, or providing a service in general. A successful self-employed line of business can be a million times more satisfying than a career at an office.

Be true to your clients, your audience, your service, your art, and above all, yourself. You can live a happy, productive, and free life. Follow your dreams, people!

Find out more about Farah Evers at:

A Graphic Guide for the Self-Published Author
Farah’s Website

 

Find Farah on Facebook

Find Farah on Twitter