The decision to become a full-time illustrator was a challenge in itself for Michelle Sherrina aka Sherchle. If previously he was an office worker who usually came home at 8 pm, when he became a freelancer Sherchle often only worked from home. As a result, he is often thought to be unemployed. What actually happened was that he was working on commissions and projects for his “merch empire.”
Even though she faces this stigma, Sherchle sees it as just a communication problem. He continues to work while proving that his choice is the right path. Because, for this woman from Jakarta, becoming a full-time freelance illustrator feels like liberation. He is free to choose the projects he wants to work on, when, and where to work on them. Sherchle is also free from transportation costs and can save more time that is usually spent on travel.
When he was 100% involved in the creative world, Sherchle branded himself as "The illustrator who makes you laugh." It's natural that in his various illustrations he often displays humorous touches that are close to everyday life so that they can intrigue readers. For example, in the following work, this is a common occurrence experienced by office workers.
He also often produces stickers which are plays on certain figures or brands. This Whitney Houston song is one example.
Or this boy group sticker from South Korea.
The inspiration in Sherchle's work is not grandiose. Graphic Design graduates are often inspired by pop culture and items in supermarkets. Apart from that, one of the things that always succeeds in creating enthusiasm is the passion or passion that other people have. His motivation often increases when he sees extraordinary works of art or illustrations.
Sherchle's journey to become an illustrator cannot be separated from the positive energy of the people around him. The good response to his work and the various items that were slowly being sold made the Binus graduate realize that art is his strength.
Apart from that, his friend's intervention also played a role in helping Shercle develop his personal business. It started when he was invited by a friend to share a booth at a bazaar at the university. He sells some stickers and pins. Unexpectedly, Sherchle's products received a positive response, encouraging him to participate in more bazaars. Since then, he started accepting online orders and setting up shop in local marketplaces as well as providing offline stock.
Starting a personal business amidst the daily hustle and bustle of the main office requires Sherchle to really be able to manage time management. The double job situation means that he doesn't have enough rest time because he has to immediately pack orders or produce new goods after coming home from work at 8 pm.
As time went by, Sherchle saw that during the 2.5 years his business had been running, it turned out that it was enough to support him. He also dared to decide to resign from the office that had held him for 4.5 years. Of course, this decision was not made without thorough preparation. While working as an illustrator at a creative agency, Sherchle has also written and thought about various concepts regarding future illustration projects.
However, the choice to work independently also has consequences. Sherchle had to learn many things in order for his business to grow, such as studying contracts, management, copywriting, work ethics and business communication, in this case more about how to negotiate. He also has to start being observant in accepting job offers from clients. At first he found it difficult to adjust because he was a person who tended to be an introvert. But according to him, all these efforts will be useful in anticipating various problems in the future.
So far, the project with GIPHY has been one of Sherchle's pride. At that time he received a commission to create several sets of animated GIF stickers which were uploaded to the GHIPY website and Instagram Stories. In the future, he hopes to collaborate with well-known brands or figures while continuing to develop his “merch empire.”
For Sherchle, the field of illustration that he is currently working in has quite a lot of opportunities. From the offer to the number of workers, everything is quite convincing. In fact, he always feels lucky every time he gets a job offer, either locally or internationally.
Even so, as a freelance worker Sherchle underlines the importance of being patient in going through every process. Therefore, sometimes things that are expected to happen do not happen as quickly as expected. But as long as you persist in doing it, anything will happen.