I used to be a freelance illustrator for about two years. After graduation, I’m also considering back to working as a freelancer. Unlike before, my creative space has improved even more by learning animation. It’s also an advantage over other freelancers.

After research, I think it’s okay to try posting your work on YouTube, tiktok, and similar platforms in the form of an animation blogger. On Chinese social media, such as Red Book and Bilibili, video content reaches a higher level of attention than illustrations, comics, and other works. Video content is also more receptive to have collaboration needs, such as advertising projects, commissions.

I followed some animation blogger on different platforms. They can be described as serval categories:

1. Personal original character IP. Like Chiikawa, Cabo the Bugcat. Firstly it is shown as stickers for chat, when it gets more popular, you start making short animations to help spread it. Eventually you will have more kinds of opportunities like commercial authorization, and collaboration in media companies like video games, animation series, etc. 
2. Short video director. Not like short films, short video director is just sharing their opinions and experiences through animations. Like HuangYidao, who was a comic artist, his works is mainly about society news. But he find a way to make animation at the same time for his topics, which gained good reflections.
3. Personal animator. They create short animation films with good stories or nice technic, working as one person or for small youtuber studio. Like Xinyouyue on Bilibili. The style is very free, but also requires skills.

In addition to becoming a professional animator, I think it’s worth considering publishing some short-term animation works as a personal blogger too. At the same time, freelancing allows me to have more time for pure art.