Sitting here typing comfortably in my home office, I wonder how I survived college in one piece. I was somehow able to complete my bachelor’s degree (Go Hoosiers!) perched on a $10 superstore desk chair, hunched over an overtaxed laptop, and chugging more Rockstars than my heart could take today. 

But those days are long gone, and now the creature comforts of my remote work as a copywriter are a little more demanding. Or a lot more demanding, considering the bare minimum would have me curled into a ball of aches and pains after half a workweek. 

Are you considering making the switch to remote work? Is your employer more accommodating of diverse needs and people who just want to work with their pets in the wake of the pandemic and the Great Resignation? Let me share my knowledge of the necessities for a comfortable, productive home office, as well as a few “luxuries” that make working from home feel extra fabulous.

Desk

Technically, you can work on a coffee table, a card table, or your kitchen island, but having a desk of your own has some distinct advantages. First, if you get an actual desk, it should be roughly at a comfortable height for long hours without hurting your back, neck, or shoulders. If you are particularly short, like me, you may need a couple of things like a seat cushion or footrest to get everything right. 

I found this L-shaped desk on overstock.com and put it together with some help from my husband. It was definitely one of the most challenging flat-pack furniture experiences of my life (and also oddly affirming that a decade into our marriage, we can still peaceably put furniture together). Still, it’s also really nice looking and sturdy now that it’s complete. It’s great to have cabinets and drawers at my desk for printer paper, salsa packets, and lip balm; you know, the important stuff. 

While this desk was a bit of an investment piece for me, you can definitely find more economical options. If you can transport furniture, I encourage you to check out your local thrift stores, like the Habitat for Humanity Restore. They often have furniture and appliances in excellent condition for extremely affordable prices.

Since I built my desk, I’ve made the space feel like mine with candles, office supplies from family members and previous jobs, and tchotchkes like nice rocks and pictures my kids have drawn. If you feel more productive with an austere desk than a cluttered one, you can keep it minimalist. That’s one of the joys of working from home – no one will nag you to decorate or whine if you have too many pictures at your desk.

I also have a workspace pad and a wrist rest to keep my mouse and keyboard from sliding all over the place. The wrist rest also helps keep my hand in the correct position to prevent aches, pain, and repetitive motion injuries. 

Desk Chair

I paid the best price for my desk chair – free. A few houses down, my neighbor put a desk chair on the curb, and I snatched it up as fast as possible. It was extremely well-timed because I was just starting to put my home office together. Granted, I have had to add a few things, namely a seat cushion because the mesh seat was too low and too firm for me. 

If you’re springing for a desk chair, you will want to look for one that is adjustable in as many ways as possible, not just seat height. You’ll want a chair with lumbar support, adjustable arms, adjustable seat height and depth, and more, or you’ll have to add cushions like me. 

You should prioritize the following qualities while shopping for a home office chair:

Wheels

A five-wheel base is the best for providing a trustworthy foundation for moving about during your work day. 

Adjustable Seat Depth

According to experts, the correct way to sit in a chair is with your back against the backrest and your knees bent with two to four inches of space between the back of the chair and your thighs. An adjustable seat depth is a key feature of a back-friendly chair.

Adjustable Seat Height

Some office chairs provide you the option of shifting the seat and the back up or down to achieve that exact sweet spot for the all-important lumbar support. It’s another feature the appropriate chair will have to help you modify it according to your requirements.

Adjustable Height 

This may seem like a no-brainer, but being at the proper height for your legs will boost your comfort. Nobody likes it when their legs hang over the seat’s edge like a preschooler’s.

The seat’s height is also crucial for avoiding discomfort in the neck. If your chair is too high, you might be gazing down at your computer screen and conclude the day with a shoulder and neck ache.

Adjustable Lumbar Support

This function allows you to modify the chair’s lower back to accommodate your lower back better. It’s a crucial step in finding the perfect fit for your body and requirements in your home office chair.

Built-in Lumbar Support

You may get upper back support in basic office chairs, but your lower back will be left out in the cold. Because sitting for long periods might cause pain, you should look for a chair with a cushion or mesh that will support you. Or if you have a free chair like me, you can jam a throw pillow back there and hope for the best.

Armrests That Can Be Modified

Having armrests on a chair for use in the home office may seem unnecessary. However, correctly placed armrests may keep your arms at a comfortable typing height, reducing the risk of repetitive stress injuries like tendonitis and carpal tunnel.

Armrests are useless if they are too close to your elbows or poke you whenever you shift position. If you want to spend money on a chair with armrests, look for one with adjustable armrests. The armrests may be angled, pivoted, and adjusted in height to suit the user’s comfort.

Modifiable Tension for Tilting

The tilt tension on a desk chair allows the user to modify the effort required to recline in the seat. 

Adaptable Headrest

Headrests aren’t required in office chairs, but if you want one, make sure it is adjustable so it doesn’t poke or press your head into an awkward position.

The one thing that bugs me about this chair is that the arms aren’t adjustable, so my poor elbows don’t get any support. But, as I said, it was a free chair, so I soldier on. 

Laptop & Stand

What kind of laptop or computer you need depends greatly on what kind of work you’re doing. I deal mainly with Word, Excel, Google docs, and in-browser applications, so I just needed something that could connect to the internet and do the bare minimum. If you’re a graphic designer or something requiring more heavy-duty software, you might be looking at a heftier price tag for your computer. If you google “best laptop for remote work,” you’ll find a wealth of articles from people more knowledgeable than me on the specs you may need. 

When I started job searching and doing remote copywriting, I used my husband’s laptop, which was fine. But he likes to connect it to our smart TV and watch YouTube videos, and I wanted him to have his own computer, anyway. Once I got a regular paycheck, I got this laptop, which has been just fine once I disabled the “only allowed to have Microsoft apps” setting. (C’mon, Microsoft. Nobody wants to use your browser.) The only issue was that typing on the keyboard and looking down at the screen made my neck and shoulders ache after a long workday. So I bought a basic keyboard and a laptop stand, which helped a lot. Eventually, I’m hoping to buy a more travel-friendly stand if I ever want to work at a cafe or while I’m on vacation, but the linked stand works just fine for being at home and leaving it here.

I also established a stretching routine at the beginning and at intervals throughout my day. While I was more comfortable, I was still dealing with a lot of discomforts, particularly shoulder pain, which led me to purchase the next item.

Ergonomic keyboard

There are a lot of fancy keyboards that purport to be ergonomic, but I did my googlin’ and found that split keyboards are thought to be best for accommodating a typist’s hands and arms and preventing the kind of nagging shoulder pain I was dealing with. I was a little hesitant for a few reasons. One, I’d never really seen anyone using one in an office setting before. My only point of reference was Donna Meagle in Parks and Recreation saying, “this spaceship keyboard is driving me crazy!” 

My second point of hesitance was more budget-based. Unfortunately, the price point rises quickly once you start getting into specialty keyboards. I found a relatively inexpensive Microsoft keyboard that was one piece with an ample wrist rest and an ergonomic split in the middle of the keyboard. 

It took me about two days to get used to it, and it also made me realize that I learned how to type incorrectly because, at first, I kept going to hit the ‘h’ key with my left index finger and hitting no man’s land instead. However, once I got used to the split in the middle of the keyboard, I found it pretty simple to adapt to. 

Fortunately, my budget spaceship keyboard has nipped the shoulder pain in the bud. I’m thankful because I still can’t quite justify dropping $200 on a keyboard, no matter how cool it looks. 

Desk Lamp

I confess I didn’t have a light on my desk until recently. My parents got me a “HappyLight” desk lamp for Christmas that doubles as a task lighting and therapy lamp. It’s nice because you can pick from three different warmths of light and several different brightnesses. I use it every day, but it is extra nice to have on those dreary winter days when there’s no sun in sight. I had a therapy light previously, but it got misplaced or thrown away when we moved back to the Hoosier state. 

My dad said his light has been helping his winter blues (also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder.) It’s sweet that he thought to get one for me as well. I think it does help! It definitely helps prevent eye strain throughout the day. 

Headphones

Headphones are a must-have, especially if you have a spouse who works a different shift than you or kids who might be doing e-learning days. Your spouse can “saw logs” figuratively, or your neighbor can literally saw logs while you listen to music, white noise, or podcasts. 

Regular earbuds tend to hurt my ears, so I lean toward the big “DJ-style” over-the-ear headphones. I had a pair of Skullcandy Hesh headphones for several years and enjoyed the quality. I now have a basic pair of Sony headphones that more than suffice. 

What kind of headphones you need and how much you should spend depends on a few things. Do you want cordless headphones? Bluetooth-capable headphones will cost more than a traditional corded pair. If you want sound-canceling headphones or a prestige brand like Beats by Dre, that will cost you, too. 

One more thing to consider when purchasing headphones: if you’re an iPhone devotee like I begrudgingly am, you likely have one of the more recent models that don’t come with a headphone jack. You can either get Bluetooth-capable headphones, or they make a lightning-to-headphone jack converter. 

Organizer/Planner/Calendar

If you are the kind of person lucky enough not to have undiagnosed ADHD, well, good for you. You can remember your appointments and where you put your phone. On the other hand, I need to set at least two alarms in the morning and start reminders for appointments and events two days in advance. If it’s not in front of my face, it doesn’t exist. I had one of those oversized desk calendars when I worked in an office. It helped sometimes. I also used a lot of calendar and Outlook tools to remind me of things. 

These days, I am trying a mix of a few things. I use Google calendar, synced with my phone, to remind me of the most urgent and pressing things like doctor’s appointments or school holidays. I bought the Erin Condren LifePlanner, mainly because it’s pretty, but also because it has a big two-day spread of each month, plus hourly day-by-day tracking for when I need it. It also lays flat and isn’t spiral bound, which I appreciate as a leftie. I can endure those spiral notebook marks on my wrist, but avoiding them is nice, too. 

If you want more organizational help, especially for remote work, Erin Condren has you covered. 

Milk Frother

This one’s a little silly. Sue me. A former coworker of mine mentioned having one, and at the time, I privately scoffed, thinking it was unbearably bougie. Yet here I am today, to eat crow and admit I love my milk frother. 

It’s one of the indulgences I allowed myself with the goal of not spending money regularly at any of our local coffee shops. I make my coffee hot and iced, and having a cute little milk frother adds a layer of joy to the process. Mine is purple. 

Desk Accessories

Another silly one that makes things more fun and personal is decorating your home office with whatever makes you feel organized, empowered, and centered. I have vintage glass bird figurines, including the little lovebirds that were once atop my wedding cake, candles, crystals, and some fake succulents. 

Depending on your needs and preferences, you could consider having fidget toys for focus, organizers, a whimsical mug, or a heating pad. I keep a weighted heating pad around when I just want that extra cozy touch. 

Air Fryer

I can hear you now. “Just how is an AIR FRYER a must-have for remote work?!”

Let me ‘splain. 

My air fryer was a Christmas gift. Since receiving it, I quickly figured out that it makes BOMB lunch food. Some of my favorites: Sweet potato fries that are crispy on the outside and soft as an angel’s butt on the inside. Crescent rolls with lunch meat and cheese tucked inside for a melty sandwich situation. Homemade crunch wraps. Pork chops. ANYTHING frozen is better in the air fryer. Broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, brussels sprouts? Forget about it. SO GOOD. 

Pizza on a bagel! Reheated pizza! The possibilities are pretty much endless and take less time than the regular oven. 

Having an air fryer rocks for so many reasons. It is healthier than pan or deep frying because it uses less oil. It makes things soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. And when you know you can make something quick and yummy in your kitchen, you’re a lot less likely to give in to the call of GrubHub. 

Did I miss anything? Leave a comment and let me know what’s making your remote work experience awesome.

There is a lot to understand about what AI design is and how it’s being used presently if we’re going to have a good idea of what’s to come. Moreover, because the technology is still so new and growing, numerous kinks need to be addressed and updated, not just when it comes to delivering good results but also regarding ethics and legality.

As a brand or business, it may be challenging to imagine how a tool like AI design could pose any issues like that. However, AI design can affect artists significantly. 

With everything in life, there are pros and cons to using AI design and its tools. Today, we’ll cover what it is, how it affects businesses and creatives, and what you can likely expect from it in the future.

Let’s dive in.

What Is AI Design Or Generative Creation?

Generative creation or AI design employs machine learning software and a workflow to generate content, graphics, or copy. The program takes your input as a prompt, words describing your concept or idea, and then uses it to generate an outcome by putting it into an algorithm. The algorithm creates an asset using what it’s learned to pull pieces from external sources and join them together.

While using a designer may sound similar (you tell them what you need, and with their skills, they create something for you in one to two days), it’s very different. The technology is “creating” on its own and does it in just a few minutes, maybe less. Now, the creation that takes place is also different as well. Instead of a human hearing or reading your request and then taking the time to draw or design something from scratch, the AI is taking pieces of existing art, jumbling them up to fit the parameters you set, and displaying a somewhat mathematical result.

There often isn’t the opportunity to provide feedback and refine the design either, though some programs are adding this feature.

These tools are frequently used to create illustrated looks for a person via an app’s AI filter, draw characters or picture concepts, or see images in different styles.

One of the most popular tools is MidJourney, which uses Discord to take prompts and turn them into pictures.

What Does AI Design Look Like?

It looks similar to art, but many software options out there currently still need some help. With a basic AI tool, you can type in princess with a dragon and get something close to what you imagine. However, the technology is still growing, and some issues may be with proportions, distortion, or placement.

Should AI Design Be Used In Corporate Or Commercial Spaces?

This is a tricky road to navigate. While using an AI tool could certainly hasten your timeline and get you satisfactory results, the question of where those results are truly coming from and their quality still hangs heavy overhead.

Here is a scenario to consider. 

Suppose you’re working with a company like Flocksy and request a design using our intuitive brief. In the best-case scenario, we’ll get your designs back to you within 24 hours, and you’ll be thrilled with the results- no revisions needed. When you work with Flocksy, this does happen quite a bit. 

But what if you do have revisions? That’s also very normal. The artist will take your feedback, update the design, and give you the final result you want. That process takes a bit longer than the design with no revisions.

Now, say you or the artist used an AI tool to create a quick concept reference for your design.  The project would start with an example that is ready to be expounded on. Whether the AI concept is way off or close to the mark, it could inform the artist and cut back on revisions in the long run.

However, it’s important to note that the AI design can’t be used as-is or as the base layer of your design if you want something truly original. Remember, these tools pull from existing designs, meaning part of this creation already exists on the internet. You don’t want your outcome to look like a tweaked version of someone else’s work.

Are There Drawbacks To AI Design?

There are a number of drawbacks and ethical considerations to make when it comes to AI design.

At the start is the communication barrier. Because the technology is new, it’s very possible that the AI might not understand you on the first try. You’ll have to re-generate several times to get what you want.

If you eventually get what you’re looking for, it might not be so bad to repeat the process for a few minutes, but if the AI never truly understands what you want, you’ll have to go back to work with an artist anyway.

Another crucial consideration is ethics. Yes, all creative work is influenced by something. However, that’s different from taking something from another source and claiming you made it.

To better understand this, allow us to provide an example. Say you want to design a character- for a book, a comic, a website, etc. You do some searching on the internet and find one you love. It’s perfect. They just need red hair and to be holding an umbrella. So, you copy that image, whether printing it out, downloading, or snipping it.

Then, you trace over that image, change the coloring either digitally or by hand, and add an umbrella. Once you’re finished, you take that design and put it on your merchandising and promotional materials. Well, we’ve got a problem, right? 

You didn’t create that design. You traced it and updated a few things. 

At present, that is essentially what AI tools are doing. They’re taking art that someone made, digitally manipulating it, potentially combining it with art from the same or a different artist, and calling it new. It’s not.

Lastly, many are thinking of these generated designs as stock photos. That doesn’t quite line up because the artist of the images on the web hasn’t necessarily consented to or is being paid to provide stock assets. When a photographer or artist submits their creatives to a stock website, they’ve consented to let their work be used as such and are being compensated for it.

A picture pulled from an artist’s website where they sell their prints isn’t stock, and with AI tools, we can’t presently tell where it’s pulling its resources from.

Will AI Design Affect Creative Jobs?

Many clients may come to artists with more AI concepts as a rough start, which could be helpful. We could also see people using these AI tools to create the design entirely and using it out in the world. Hopefully, people still know that they can get better, more ethical results by working with a human.

Correctly combining colors, logos, and brand guidelines so that they are consistent across your brand is still a human job. The AI tool doesn’t possess the same knowledge of your brand, likes, or dislikes that an artist who’s been working with you for a while will have. They also aren’t as accurate as a result. While design and art are subjective, marketers’ creative needs are unique and specific, and AI design alone can’t hold up to those standards in most cases.

What Are The Legal Implications & Risks Of AI Design?

If you’ve used these AI apps or tools, particularly one where you input an image, you’ve likely accepted the terms and conditions associated with that app. What that fine print often says is that you’ll be relinquishing the rights to the assets to the parent company in perpetuity. 

That’s a significant concern.

Licensing and commercial use are significant issues with AI design used as-is. There is a risk that using this content as your own may or may not be legally protected. After all, it’s very possible that someone could enter a similar prompt and get a similar result. The AI isn’t concerned with making something entirely unique each time it spits out an image or, at least presently, where it’s getting its sources. We’ll likely see a lot of these lawsuits begin to be successful.

What is Flocksy Doing?

We understand that tools like AI “art bots” can provide a rough idea of what you need, and using them to create a first draft may even speed things up a bit. However, we also know that a human has to step in to do the actual designing or drawing.

At Flocksy, we hire real people to sit down and design or draw your assets. You won’t find an AI bot delivering material harvested from the internet that may or may not be correct. Our skilled design experts do the work, craft unique content that matches your idea, and isn’t copied from someone else.

We won’t use AI, and we assure you that the assets you get from our creatives will have an exceptionally high quality and accuracy rate.

You can see examples of our top-notch designs and illustrations in our portfolio here.

A Conclusion About AI Design

When used properly, this technology could be complementary and not competitive to designers. Employing them to mock up designs that you’ll later create from scratch can eliminate some back and forth over revisions, and saving time is great. 

What will be essential to keep a lookout for in the future is the continuing growth of these tools and the sourcing they do for their results. If there’s a way that the bots can pull from only approved artwork that the original artist can consent to, similar to a stock photo service, then these tools could be handy. 

It’s unlikely that these types of services would exist without a fee, but paying to use an AI generator is already starting to happen, even for entirely personal use. It’s also unlikely that a human won’t be necessary anymore, and for all your design needs, you have Flocksy at your back.

So, what is ChatGPT and its GPT-3, and what does it mean for the world of copywriting and language? Is there an ethical concern about AI content? There are a lot of questions to answer, so let’s dig into this growing trend and consider why getting your copy the old-fashioned way is still likely the best way to do it.

ChatGPT & AI

ChatGPT is an OpenAI chatbot they created using the GPT-3 technology. GPT-3, or Generative Pretrained Transformer 3, is an advanced language processing AI that OpenAI created. They claim that it can produce human-like text. This ability could mean it has a variety of applications, including language translation, language modeling, and, most concerningly, generating text for websites and consumers to use however they wish. It’s one of the largest, most powerful language-processing AI models we’ve seen, with 175 billion parameters.

Its predominantly been used to create ChatGPT, the impressive chatbot. It doesn’t use pre-programmed responses but can generate them on the fly to create a more realistic conversation between the user and itself. 

You can provide GPT-3 with various worded prompts, like questions or requests for a piece of writing on a topic you choose, and it will create the results. But how does it come up with the responses?

In simple terms, the AI was fed text from databases across the internet, including books, articles, web texts, Wikipedia, and more. In fact, about 300 billion words were fed into the system. So, it pulls its text and responses from existing sources on the internet to produce a response. 

However, it’s not flawless. You can get incorrect information, and the bot can misunderstand what you’re asking. Additionally, if your prompt or request is very niche, or if you add too many factors, it can get overwhelmed or ignore sections of the prompt completely.

For example, if you’re requesting a tale of two people and provide their jobs, names, ages, and where they live, it can jumble up that information and randomly set each one to the two characters instead of how you prompted it.

And, of course, grammar is always a concern. While there are advanced grammar-checking programs, and the AI likely has a similar internal process, those programs don’t always get it right. You’ve likely dismissed a suggestion from a grammar checker for being a little off and maybe even completely wrong. Who’s to say what rules the AI bot uses for its grammatical structure, or if because it references the whole of the internet’s writing, it will be riddled with errors?

The Ethics of AI Writing

There are a couple of things to be wary of when considering the ethics of AI copywriting. Firstly, it pulls its data from the internet. 

As a result of this fact, it can assume some of the internet’s biases, stereotypes, and general assumptions. Off-color jokes or stereotypes about certain groups or political figures can come up based on what you ask and how.

If you wanted a comedy routine, it is very likely that you’ll get some jokes about ex-politicians or marginalized groups who are often the butt of jokes in comedy bits. That can be highly problematic. Depending on where the bot decides to pull the information from, you could potentially get downright racist information in return.

Because internet forums and articles are a huge source of data for these bots, you’ll also run the risk of getting fake news or conspiracy theories returned. The system isn’t perfect, and it may be unable to tell the difference between fact and fiction.

The second primary concern is plagiarism. 

When it comes down to it, if you use a content bot to create an article, say that you were totally responsible for it, and release it into the world. That’s plagiarism. 

And it’s not just writing where this is an issue. The arguments over AI art also make a strong case for plagiarism. In order to create that artwork, the bot pulls from existing images and piecing them together to create its results. Those artists who put their work on the internet are essentially having their work copied and pasted somewhere else by a computer.

You can’t trace someone’s drawing, color it slightly differently, add a few things, and call it your own. 

What’s more, if you’re paid to create an article and have a copy bot do it for you, that’s unethical and likely a breach of contract. You’ve been hired to do the work, and you aren’t doing it. In a similar vein, there have already been reports like this one in the New York Post about students using AI copywriting tools to do their papers. If you think it’s wrong for a student not to do the work, you shouldn’t want your professional writers to do it, either.

Flocksy’s Promise

At Flocksy, we hire real people to sit down and write your copy. You won’t find an AI bot delivering material harvested from the internet that may or may not be correct. Our skilled copywriting experts do the work, create unique content that won’t get flagged by Google, and is easy for readers to absorb and enjoy.

We won’t use AI, and we can assure you that the content you get from our writers will be much better than anything a robot would write for you.

You can see examples of our top-notch copywriting in our portfolio here.

Today, we’ll be getting to know one of our amazing custom illustrators, Sofia Sanchez.

If you’re looking for brand illustrations for your growing business, Sofia is one of the best at Flocksy. Let’s get to know how she started with us, her favorite aspects of working here, and more.

Sofia Sanchez- Custom Illustrations

Getting Started with Flocksy

Sofia is one of Flocksy’s amazing illustrators and can work on various assets your brand might need, including portraits, book covers, comic vignettes, mascots, and more. Sofia mentions that one of the primary differences between illustrations and graphic design is “we are not just doing what we feel looks beautiful and will transmit a feeling. We can also achieve that, but we must consider what will achieve the [client’s] needs.”

Sofia previously worked at an animation studio as a storyboard and background artist. She was looking for a change of scenery to allow her more free time and create a better work-life balance.

“[Flocksy] provided a better space to achieve my goals. They offer the stability I was looking for and are very respectful of our free time. I love working at Flocksy.”

Her Beginnings in Illustration

Sofia has loved to draw since she was a little girl. While her sister may have started as the family artist, it quickly became evident that Sofia was the true “La Chica de Los Plumones” or marker girl. She was always a favorite when it came to group projects for her creative talents, and even though she may have tried pursuing something else, illustration and art called her back.

“I was scared my hobby would become something I hated because of the pressure. So, I tried studying Engineering. I realized I was doing it to make my father and grandpa happy. In the end, I convinced my grandpa it was a serious career.” 

Sofia is thrilled that she gets to do what she loves for her career, and nothing touches her like receiving positive feedback from our amazing clients. One kind comment can make her entire day.

Working Her Magic on a Spot the Difference Illustration

One of Sofia’s favorite projects was the Magical Forest at Sunset project. As a spot-the-difference illustration, it was a unique challenge. She said that the kindness and freedom the client gave her on the project allowed her to create something great. 

She said, “I enjoy working with her, and with her guidance and the freedom she provided, I really love the final outcome. I think what we achieved was very interesting, and when I see it again, it evokes the magical feel [the client] was trying to achieve.”

Illustrating the Escape

Sofia also really enjoyed working on another unique project, background art for an escape room! The client’s openness to suggestions was so valuable. As a result, Sofia could use Photoshop instead of Illustrator to create a dynamic piece that showcased very effectual lighting and textures.

“As I said before joining Flocksy, I was a background illustrator. This background project provided freedom, and Mary was willing to listen to my suggestions. This is my greatest background to date.”

The Challenge of Horses

As many an illustrator will tell you, horses are very challenging to draw. Their intricate musculature and proportions are unique to their species. In fact, it’s a bit of an inside joke in the industry that horses are a no-go. Sofia, however, loves them and knocked this project out of the park.

“Horses are very hard, but this horse was very fun. And I liked this project because [the client] is always looking for variety. She’s looking for diversity in the styles to keep it interesting. She embraced my art style.”

The challenge of drawing this particular animal and the client’s unique color palette also made this project a favorite of Sofia’s because it tested her skills and kept her on her toes.

Artist Inspiration

Sofia finds inspiration all around her, but one of the most interesting places she says she pulled inspiration from are the client project briefs. By connecting with the brand’s message and story, she’s able to see the personality and heart behind a company. She also mentioned that Pinterest is invaluable.

“I use Pinterest when I need a different color palette. If I need a different art style that comes closest to the brand guidelines.”

She also takes inspiration from real life and has her own library she’s created of poses and scenes from everyday experiences.

“I have this great client that gives you freedom but also is clear. She asked me for a lot of poses for different characters, and she loved how I captured natural poses. I use a lot of references from real life. I heard once from another more accomplished storyboard artist that the best advice he got was to draw everyday life. To go to a park, to go to a coffee shop, and just draw people, so you can have references of real-life poses. I also use my own library as inspiration.”

A Blank Slate or A Plethora of References?

When it comes to having complete free reign or being provided with several reference materials, Sofia says it all comes down to the client’s unique needs. Having creative freedom, she mentioned, allows you to challenge yourself and grow. However, Sofia also believes that references are invaluable when you have specific needs or tastes or if the client has particular brand guidelines.

Sofia’s Role Models & Resources

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Sofia’s heart runs through everything she does. Between her long-time love of drawing and connection to her family, one of her role models is her boyfriend.

“This might be cheesy. I met my boyfriend in college, and we started at the same time. He’s also a very accomplished artist and helps me when I don’t know how to get the right perspective. When you have the camera on top or when you have the camera on the bottom. He has this amazing understanding of depth, perspective, and movement. He’s a big inspiration and a teacher for me.”

She also recommended checking out the work of Dave Pimentel, the storyboard artist for Moana, who shares her Mexican ancestry. 

“I love how he captures natural poses. He’s always drawing quick sketches, but he can embody the essence of a person, their personality, in just one quick sketch.”

Sofia also mentioned the great work of Sophie MacPike, an illustrator from Australia. 

“She does digital work, and also she does a lot of watercolor painting. Her style is very unique.”

Working to Comedy

Sofia admits that working from home, like many of us started doing during the pandemic, can get a little lonely. She realized that finding laughter throughout her day was crucial to keeping her spirits up and not feeling so isolated.

“Work can be stressful, but just having something or someone to make you laugh is huge. I have my dog here, and I live with my boyfriend, so I have him with me. I enjoy having fun with them while we work, and we listen to a podcast named Leyendas Legendarias or watch a comedy show. I’m currently watching Modern Family. It’s hilarious.”

Her Favorite Things About Flocksy

Sofia’s favorite things about Flocksy showcase what makes the company different. She stressed that the communication between the staff and clients was far and above the best she’s worked with. The community that communication creates makes her feel like she has someone, or several people, who have her back on each project. 

She also mentioned that Flocksy recognizes her hard work by saying, “I also like that you feel seen- like I’m not just one more employee. They want to listen to what you have to say, to your feedback and suggestions. They trust your skills and value what you do.”

Building relationships with the clients was another significant benefit. It creates a sense of trust between her and the people she’s working with, which gives her room to be creative. When they keep requesting her on projects, she knows she’s honoring her commitment to quality and delivering great results.

Illustrator Resources

Sofia was a cornucopia of resources when asked, and her suggestions were great. Sofia recommended checking out Adobe Colors. The free program is great for color palettes and visualizing how colors will look together. She also sang the praises of Pinterest again and about creating a library of reference poses and the like.

She also recommended reading three resource books. The first was Directing the Story by Francis Glebas. 

“There is one that’s more related to Storyboard artists, but it’s very helpful. He used to work at Disney. He started in Aladdin and talks a lot of perspectives on how the shots make you feel, the directions of the camera, the poses, the body language, and how it’s useful to transmit a story. So even if you’re not a storyboard artist, it’s something we really need to know as illustrators if you’re trying to achieve a story for our client.” 

Sofia also suggested Perspectives by Mateu-Mestre. It discusses how the correct use of different perspectives can change an illustration’s feel, making it more dynamic, complex, and real. The technical manual gives constructive ways to employ his suggestions, including options for lighting and mood.

Outside of Flocksy

Sofia is a homebody who loves spending time with her family and friends. She loves even simple times when you don’t do anything but talk about how your day’s going. Sofia is also very into fitness and loves her Fit Pass. She says the variety keeps things interesting.

“Like just being in the gym with weights or on the treadmill is so boring. So I love that. It’s my new hobby.”

When she’s not at work, Sofia enjoys her free time, staying fit, walking her dog, and enjoying the latest in movies and TV, especially animated features.

We love having Sofia on the team here at Flocksy, and we know you’ll love having her on your team for all your future illustration projects. You can check out her full portfolio of work here.

Flocksy has stepped it up again and is offering Loom video messaging. We know that graphics are a visual medium, so what better way to let your artists know what you want than to show them the exact areas you need something updated or changed? You can chat with your designers, show your copywriters where their content will be going, and describe your goals to your illustrator as if you were talking right to them.

What is Loom?

Loom video messaging has a ton of uses, but essentially it’s a way to record a quick message and send it off to your team. When typing something out just isn’t practical, or if you’re better at speaking about what you need, you can record a short video and even your screen to provide clear feedback to everyone you’re working with. 

You can start recording your screen and from your camera with the click of a button. It works on any device, thanks to the Loom Mac and Windows desktop apps and mobile apps, available for both iPhone and Android. And you don’t need a login or account to share, record the video, or watch it if you share it with your colleagues.

If you do have a Loom account, you can connect it with the video messaging in Flocksy’s message center to use the advanced features.

How to Use Loom on Flocksy?

Sending a video message through Loom in the message center is easy. Simply click the record message button, and a popup will appear to initiate the Loom recording. There, you can log in and choose how you want to record- screen and camera, screen only, or camera only. It’ll prompt you to choose the right equipment and give you a countdown when you hit record so that you’re ready to go.

There’s a countdown timer at the bottom, so you know when your five minutes will be up. You can cancel the recording if needed by clicking the trashcan, and you can even sign up for an account right from that first popup window as well.

It’s as simple as that!

Give it a try for yourself on your next Flocksy project. We’re sure you’ll love being able to provide video messages to your team. To learn more about Loom and the advanced features provided in an account, check out their site at www.loom.com. 

If you’ve read anything about copywriting, whether it was on why you should hire a copywriter or what copywriting is, then it probably goes without saying that you need a copywriting team for your business. And that is true. But more than just a team, you need an excellent team that can help your business with every bit of content your website or blog might need. You’ll even need one for social posts, brochures, etc.

 That’s a lot for one team to handle. How do you find the right people to work on your content, and how can you be sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck?

 In this post, I’d like to talk about what a copywriting team is, what you should expect from a great team, including four examples of good marketing material writing, and how to manage a successful team. I’m sure if you’re still on the fence, they’ll convince you that you need a great team for your business.

What is a Copywriting Team?

A copywriting team is a group of individuals who can all work together and with you to create content for your website, blog, social media, ads, banners, and more. They possess the skills and experience to create SEO content that not only attracts readers but also converts, engages, and keeps people browsing your site.

Importance of Copywriting in Digital Marketing

You know that copywriting is important, but why is it crucial for marketing, and why can’t you just do it yourself? Here’s why you should strongly consider one for your content.

Increase Your SEO

Long-form, original, and high-quality content is a standard among top-ranking websites. When you work with a good team of copywriters, they’ll meet SEO requirements and look at ranking trends to ensure your page reaches the top of the listings.

Help Visitors Recognize Your Brand

Professional-looking website design isn’t complete without the content to fill it up. When you look at a page that barely has any copy, it almost looks like spam, and it certainly doesn’t look like the company put much time and effort into it.

 You want your site to teach visitors about your brand, give them a sense of your personality, and connect with you personally. Whether your visitors are shopping, looking for helpful information, or looking to establish trust with your brand, high-quality content is how you help them.

Make & Save Money

Evergreen content is a huge aid to your long-term marketing strategy. Potential customer traffic will still be directed to the page long after you’ve posted it, especially if you keep it up to date. What’s more, if that content is truly high-quality, it’ll compel action like sales. Quality content is great for your ROI and pays for itself, often double and triple.

 So, what makes good marketing content? Let’s take a peek.

Four Examples of Good Marketing Material:

One: Newsletters and emails are a foundation of marketing for any business, but they can be a challenge to write. Do you make them fun and have plenty of calls to action? Or do you prefer to have them more business-like and allow them to speak for themselves? Well, copywriters can take the load off your shoulders because they can write it for you and communicate your message to your target audience.

Two: Writing a blog post can be even more difficult. You need to consider so many different aspects, such as how to format it or what tone to use. They’re time-consuming, and it’s more than likely that you don’t have the time to put together a blog post with all the necessary research and editing. That’s where a content team becomes your marketing BFF because they can take your links and what you want to say and create a well-written and engaging post. Then all you have to do is add some images and hit publish.

Three: Every business uses ads, but how do you write the perfect campaign? An advertisement should make people want to stop and read it, then follow through with the call-to-action. An excellent content team can help you do that! They have the experience and knowledge necessary to get those link clicks and convert text into a sale.

Four: Of all the things we talked about above, this is perhaps the most important because it’s where everything begins- web pages. Your marketing efforts won’t pay off if you have good copy everywhere but on your site. That’s why you need someone who can not only write good but fantastic copy, and a good copywriting team can do just that. They can build content for your site that communicates your message, educates customers about a product or service, and engage your visitors.

Outsourcing to a Copywriting Service

Copywriting, as you can likely now see, is a full-time, ongoing process that your business will need indefinitely. Hiring a professional copywriting service can help you create quality content without going through the long, stressful hiring process. Your copywriting team can handle your copywriting workflow without disrupting your business flow.

The copywriters at Flocksy have a great track record for delivering quality content that you can rely on to deliver your message and promote action. Your dedicated project manager oversees each project, and you’ll be able to chat directly with the writer assigned to your project if you have any questions or concerns.

Moreover, the brand buckets mean you can attach a style and brand guide once, and our writers will have access to it with every project. Our writers are professional, vetted, and have experience with SEO content marketing, emails, blogs, ads, and everything in between. They’ll send you the files once the project is finished, and if you want to change anything, you’ll have unlimited revisions to get it just right.

A quality, comprehensive copywriting service is the most effective way to boost your content output while you continue handling all the other important parts of running a business.

But what about hiring a freelance copywriter? There are several pros and cons to each. Let’s discuss those now.

Is Hiring a Freelance Copywriter Worth It?

You’ll have a lot to consider when you’re looking to delegate your content work. As the business owner of a smaller company, the content creation may have fallen on you, and taking up that task is commendable. However, it’s typically best to have a professional writer do the writing. But who do you choose?

Should you reach out to a freelancer or contact a copywriting service? There can be pros and cons to either approach. With freelancers, you’ll find them on platforms like Upwork, LinkedIn, and more. There will be writers for every type of content piece, and you’ll be able to see if a person has experience with the content you need.

In general, here are the pros and cons of working directly with a freelancer:

Pros

• More affordable. Because you’re just paying for one service and one job, it’ll typically be cheaper to pay a freelancer for a single project. You won’t be paying for an ongoing service that may or may not include other services in addition to copywriting. That said, an experienced copywriter can be more costly. They may even charge upwards of $75 per 1000 words.
• Fast results. Assuming you find a writer quickly, they’ll typically be able to produce your content in 24-72 hours. They’ll receive instructions from you, your approximate or firm deadline, and get to work. 
• Flexible adaptation to your requirements. You’ll be able to teach the freelancer what you need, and if you establish a connection with them, you’ll essentially have your own copywriter without the in-house hiring.

Cons

• It’s hard to find a good writer. There are thousands of writers to choose from on those freelance platforms, so you’re bound to find a good one quickly. Right? Well, that may not always be the case. To be a good writer for your company, they’ll need to: a) understand your field, b) adhere to deadlines, c) often excellent communication, and d) submit objectively well-written articles. They do exist, but you’ll certainly pay for top talent because they know how valuable they are, which can translate into higher costs and a lot of time spent looking for someone.
• The quality of articles without an editor is unreliable. Editors and proofreading are a must. No matter how talented the writer is, they’re bound to miss something in their writing because the writer will have an inherent blind spot since they know what they’re trying to say. Adding an editor to the process can cost more. Still, it’s necessary if your freelancer doesn’t already work with one, particularly if you’ll be delivering several projects to them with tight deadlines.
• A lot of effort. Looking for the right author and communicating your needs can be almost as time-consuming as looking for an in-house employee. The whole reason you’re looking for a freelancer is to save time, not spend even more of it focused on only one task.
• Freelancers can overlook technical tasks. In some cases, technical requirements such as reference sheets or formatting can be forgotten by the freelancer. What’s more, if you have a specific program or tool you use for your content, and they don’t have it, you might spend a lot of time translating their documents into the format you need.

Is a Copywriting Service Better Than Freelancers?

Working with a copywriting service or company can provide other benefits that working with an individual copywriter or freelancer can’t.

A copywriting service team will typically consist of writers, experts, a quality assurance manager, and a project manager. Because of the included checks and balances, many prefer working with a service for the following reasons.

5 Factors That May Make You Want to Work With a Copywriting Service

• There’s a delegated process. The copywriting service will choose professionals to hire and control the ones who get to work on projects with them. They’ll vet their creatives and typically choose only those that show dedication to their work. As you can guess, subsequent content creation is of high quality. That’s what we stand by at Flocksy.
• Consistent quality. By the end of every project you submit with Flocksy, you’ll have excellent content that meets SEO requirements as well as any specific needs you assign. You get this because the writers that come to work for us every day always put quality first. That’s why we hired them.
• Ease of communication. Writers and clients think about and speak about content differently. You might not be able to explain what you’re looking for using their copywriting terms. Thanks to the regular communication between you and the project manager and writer, you’ll enjoy a stress-free project process. You’ll be able to use Loom video messaging to describe your project if that’s easier for you, and you can always go back and forth with the writer through chat. Our Zapier integration also makes it easy to get updates on the apps you use most.
• You won’t need to explain technical requirements. Thanks to our writers’ experience, you won’t have to explain your formatting needs more than once. They’ll understand SEO requirements, what social posts need, how to create compelling landing page copy, etc.
• There are guarantees. Flocksy strives to develop long-term relationships with our clients and values our clients greatly. Should any disputed situations arise, we’ll always work hard to resolve them. Moreover, we only work with qualified professionals, and if quality ever becomes an issue, you know we’ll deal with it internally.

An additional note about edits: Freelancers may not offer revisions as readily as a content team. While it may be doable, it’s not always clear how many revisions you can request. With a copywriting service, revisions will often be considered part of the process. Here at Flocksy, you’ll get unlimited revisions to ensure your content is just how you want it.

Conclusion

A copywriting team can make your words come to life. They understand how to write the best copy for any situation that will help make your company or brand look amazing while making it eye-catching for website visitors. Whether you have a big company or run a startup, a good content team can help you by writing engaging and informative content.

When you’re looking for a copywriting team to help your business, look to Flocksy for great content from highly-qualified professional copywriters. You’ll get unlimited projects and revisions. Allow us to help you get your content just “write.”

Starting a blog for your business can be hard, not only trying to come up with good content and making your website a page that people actually want to read and return to, but also the fact that you are adding an extra job on top of your busy workload, since your blog is probably not at the top of your list of stuff to do for your business, am I right?

However, a blog can be a very good thing for your business. So your blog should be a top priority for your business. Some questions that might be running through your head right now are “How do I find the time?”, or, How do I create engaging content?”, and probably lots more.

Well, today I’m giving you a short list of some very basic stuff to keep in mind when starting a business blog, creating content, and engaging readers.

5 Things To Keep In Mind When Starting A Business Blog:

One: This first one is pretty simple and easy to follow because it should already be something that you follow when blogging. That is to come up with a number of blog posts you want to post a week and then try to have days that you post on. For example, say you want to post two posts a week and you want to post them on a Monday and a Friday. Then pick those days and make sure to post every Monday and every Friday. It will help let your readers know that there will be a blog post on those days when they come to check out your blog. Consistency is key!

Two: Have a variety of content on your blog. Don’t get stuck on one subject and nothing else. People like to see a selection of content so that they can read about different subjects without having to leave your blog. Remember, don’t be overwhelming though. You don’t want your blog scattered and random. Choose no more than about six topics to write on.

Three: If you run out of ideas for blog posts then it’s okay. Do not worry, because all you have to do is write about something that is happening in the business. There is so much that you can write about when it comes to a post about your business, and it’s always a good back-up topic.

Four: Not posting is not an option. If you can’t find the time to write a post than hire someone to do it for you. It doesn’t matter who it is, as long as they write well, and understand your business and blog topics. Posting less than once a week is not an option.

Five: Last, yet not least, remember to keep your content simple. When we start blogging, we can tend to get a little carried away and write a 1,000+ word blog post on a subject that might be boring. Believe me when I say that a short 350-word blog post on a simple, easy to read topic can go just as far, if not further. All to say that when starting, a 350-500 word blog post is probably going to be the way to go. No one is interested in a long-winded article. Short, sweet and consistent is the key to good blogging.

Blogs are great for businesses, and every company should have one! Don’t worry if you’re not sure exactly how to create one or what to write, because I have you covered with these super easy tips to keep in mind when starting a blog for your business. Follow them, and I’m sure that your blog will turn out amazing!

If you own a business, then there is a good chance that you are going to want to create a blog for it. And when comes to a blog for your business you’re going to want to make sure that it is a good one that people want to visit. Maybe you want to do that but don’t know how, if so then read the tips down below to find three good ways that you can make your blog one that people keep coming back to.

Here are a few ways that you can improve your blog (if you already have one) and make it one that generates interested readers and traffic:

One:  Hook your Instagram account up to your blog. You can either have it on the sidebar or you can use it as a banner across the top of your blog. It will show your 3-8 most recent posts from your account and people can click on the photos and it will take them to that post of yours. It makes your blog look better and it helps promote your Instagram account at the same time!

Two: Change up the background of your blog every once in a while. It will give your blog a new look and make it different without having to really do anything different.

Three: Make sure that you have a photo and an about section on your blog. It will help make your blog feel more personal and not just some person writing content that no one ever sees. It will also make your blog stand out and you as the writing will stand out as well!

How will I know when I need a new logo for my business?” Now, that might be the question you’re asking yourself right now and if so, then I might just have the answer for you.

I’m going to give you three tips on how to know if you need to update your business’s logo.

1.  Relevant: You might need to get a different logo if people don’t know what you are selling or what service you are offering by looking at your logo. For example, if people walk in and ask you if you’re a salon when you sell electronics then that’s a tip that you MAY just want to try a new logo design. Make sure that your logo is relevant to your business.

2. Outdated: A good logo can stand the test of time, however, that doesn’t mean that sometimes in certain cases, like rebranding, for example, you may want a fresh logo to go with your new business facelift. Also, if your logo is 20 some years old it may just be time to update it a bit. It doesn’t have to necessarily be a new design, maybe just a refresh of the old one.

3. Eye-catching. You want to make sure that your logo is noticed and easy to remember. Some of the best logos are the simplest. Think MacDonald’s and Facebook and you’re on the right track. You also want people to see the logo for your business, and be drawn to it. You want your logo to inspire interest. If people are forgetting your logo, or worse, don’t even know what your logo stands for, it’s about time for a change.

If you’re wondering why you’ve been seeing a lack of clients or a drop in sales. If you find that you maybe need to give your company a quick facelift than maybe it’s time to consider having a new logo designed. Sometimes that’s just the kick you need to get things spruced up and attract some new clientele. Remember, just because it’s familiar doesn’t mean it’s best. That stays true for life, business, AND logos.