Pivoting independently in 2025: Leaving agency representation and feeling the fear.

Written by our Creative Columnist Pete Clayton.

Hello readers and happy new year to you all.

I’m writing this on the first weekend after new year 2025 and before I head back to the studio. I’m poised at the starting blocks for the year ahead, to get back to illustrating and back to my creative business here in Plymouth. I feel like I’m staring down the road of a 365 episode, 12 chapter story that I can barely see past the first week of the journey.

The future isn’t known but that kind of makes things a bit more exciting doesn’t? Admittedly though, as a creative solopreneur the unknown can feel a little daunting. But with a lot of hard work, luck and a hint of delusional confidence, 2025 is going to be a good one.

I’m an optimistic person for the most part and in general, always hope for the best. Whilst this year is still unwritten there is one thing I know for certain… I shall be a purely independent creative now without an illustration agent for the first time in 4 years, having pulled out of representation late last year.

Flash back to 2019

Back when I first went solo and quit my full-time design role and went part-time, I thought it a great idea to pursue an illustration agent and to get represented.

In my opinion this would be the best practice for finding new work and being protected against cheeky clients, as I had been stung many times before in my inexperience. Working with my agent it was brilliant to say the least. Work was coming in thick and fast and I felt protected and in great creative company.

Together we worked on everything from editorial illustrations to animated political promo videos and even some paid, illustrative fan-art for Disney / Pixar. To be fair, that’s only the tip of the iceberg of the kind of phenomenal work we have done together. It’s safe to say it had been a very mutually beneficial arrangement and such a great experience.

Fast forward to late 2024

Whilst in the early days of my representation things really took off, between 2022 and 2024 however a lot of my illustrative work dropped off a massive cliff. With that, commissions through my agent dried up also.

Being a trained designer however I began to pick up some branding and graphic bits to keep myself afloat. I had set out to purely do illustration and some animation but luckily I had nearly 20 years design experience to fall back on… phew!

Admittedly, if I could illustrate all day, everyday I would be a VERY happy bunny. However, if life as a solopreneur has taught me anything it’s that your business is always evolving and you have to pivot and develop on your journey. It is the nature of the beast.

For me in that development, I found a new love for my old graphic design trade and began to offer design services on my website and social channels.

Over the past three years, for the most part, from 2021 till now I’ve been doing around 60% design and around 40% illustration. I love all the creative work I’m blessed to do, but I still have representation citations to my agent on my social channels and website when Illustration is not my only offer anymore. It dawned on me that where I was 5-6 years ago in my business wasn’t where I am now.

Moving forward

I didn’t take the decision lightly or easily to part ways with my agent, but my business had developed beyond anything I could foresee.

I’m quite an impulsive person at times so I discussed moving on at great lengths with friends and family. I had grown with my agent and done some lovely work so I didn’t want to just jump ship without giving it some respectful thought. The agreement had been beneficial though with them getting 30% of any commission over the years but the time had come to move forward on my own.

In the words of The Godfather… it’s not personal… It's strictly business.

Ooh… check me out writing professional / grown-up things like that.

Feeling the fear and doing anyway

I won’t lie, it’s scary being independent now but whilst I am slightly pooping my pants I have heaps more delusional optimism to keep me excited. I use the term “delusion” lightly to be honest.

Believe me, I am confident in my abilities and REALLY believe in what I am doing. There’s a warm buzzy feeling in me as I write this, that whatever happens it’s going to be ok and that I have made the right decision.

Time will tell of course how my plan unfolds over the next 12 month chapters. I might even be represented again somewhere in the future. Who knows? This business game is unpredictable, but I am here for it.

Here for it all.

Thanks for reading. Pete :)