Behind the Scenes of a Creative Freelancer..
… and five skills that will help you succeed
There are many perks to being a freelancer in the creative industry. Flexible hours, independence and having the freedom to choose your projects are only a few of the reasons why I love being a creative in charge of my own time!
I often here, in conversations about my freelance way of life, that the leap into the different way of working is daunting, and overwhelming. I feel its not talked about enough, so here we are!
Let’s chat!
We can spend a couple of paragraphs chatting about the benefits, but that seems a bit ineffective to me, when I guess, like me, what you really want to know – is how do you make it work?
Let’s be real! It’s all well and good – you’re the master of your own time! You can take any holidays you want, your earning potential is exponential! All of which is true…. But, How does it balance?
Let’s take Freedom of time… You are the master of your own time, with that comes responsibility of managing and using it wisely, so as well as being able to take holidays, you also need to take time regularly so you don’t burn out, responsibility of how and what you are spending your time on, and hen to move on, when to focus in, when to make tea, and when to sign off for the day. Setting boundaries with clients and family start to come into play on a new level.
It seems like I have just listed a load of drawbacks or negative elements, on the contrary – these are healthy skills to implement into even your personal life, so once you learn them and set your own boundaries, for yourself… it becomes a healthier place to exist, and filters into all aspects of your life.
How exciting!
Totally transferable time management skills!
This is clearly a topic I love to talk about, and as I am sure you know, has infinite elements to discuss at length! So to Segway using another key trick to being freelance, I have picked 5 topics or skills to start you off thinking about your move into the world of freelance.
Here we go:
Workspace Mixology
Mixing it up to keep it fresh!
The pennys get counted while we learn to settle and negotiate the financial flow of freelancing, so often working from home, a cut on coffees and lunches out is implemented – which is sensible, however, working from home in our own mind, own space and own business can make us stagnant, and can also have a big impact on the effective time we are spending on subjects and tasks.
If we freelancers don’t have our time management down to a T, it’s easy for half of the day to slip away. It’s tempting to get some of the house chores done when you’re working from home but trust me, it can get messy real quick if you don’t stay on top of deadlines and meetings.
I’d even go so far and say that time management is THE most crucial skill any freelancer needs to nail. I’ve been a freelancer for years and it’s been a steep learning curve.
So mixing it up and completing tasks outside of the house can do a lot to keep you fresh and focused and most importantly on time!
It's your time….
So Manage It Well!
It all starts with a good routine.
Make a list of how you spend the first two hours of your day? If we follow the ‘start as you mean to go on’ saying – is it? Are you setting yourself up for a good day?
Treat your working from home days like you would do if you were headed to the office. Have you prepped yourself as much as you would do if this was the case?
I take regular tea/coffee breaks and I always make sure to take a lunch break for a breather or to call a friend. If taking breaks seems counter-intuitive, think again!
Our brains need a reset every few hours (if not more often) if you think being somewhere out of your home an comfort zone is a waste of travel time and coffee money, don’t forget that as humans we need interaction and people around us to trigger thoughts, we also need change even if we don’t always like it – it keeps us sharp!
Give it a go! Set yourself a task to do in a coffee shop that is achievable, and make sure those first two hours of the day set you up for success and see how much more effectively you use the time!
Organisation is the way forward!
Another must is being all over your organisational skills. And doing. Your best to not over complicate things! Trackers, spreadsheets and log books will always help you when it comes to achieve and setting the goals for the year and are a handy tool to help remember key points in your year – providing more excuses to CELEBRATE THE WINS!
A great way to stay on top of freelance work is using time management or project management tools. Luckily, there are plenty to choose from out there.
Platforms such as Asana or Trello have helped me up my time management and organisational skills and has also helped work with other freelancers across platforms and projects.
I also tend to block out time in my calendar for certain tasks, set goals in my diary, and track paperwork and targets in spreadsheets while keeping across projects in trello or slack.
That way I won’t get distracted by super-urgent, needs-my-attention-right-now-emails (beware of these trip hazards).
If you want to go even further, you can pop your phone or laptop on work-mode or do-not-disturb and the world is your oyster.
Asking for help…
Help us, help you!
If you are – like me – easily overwhelmed by the sheer volume of organisation and admin involved with your freelance business, I can highly recommend asking for help.
Outsourcing some of my work has freed up so much of my time that I can now use to keep up my quality work and my sanity. It might seem a little scary at first but it’s so worth it to get a helping hand and some of your free time back
It is also key and fundamental to your own growth to acknowledge and own your weaknesses as well as your strengths – personally, I am rubbish at writing, so I get help with it, I am also bad at getting in my own way – so I have a mentor who makes me say my goals out loud, set a deadline and hold me to them! No excuse!
Embrace the mindset rollercoaster!
When you’re glued to your desk 24/7 (hopefully a more manageable on / off time ratio!), it’s tricky to stay happy and positive. Remember that this is just a season, like the tide, the waves roll in and out, things pass, and things change, and it’s all ok. Looking after your mental health is also looking after your freelance wealth – you are the source of it all after all!
It won’t be super busy all year round so while you’re in the midst of it, keep your head down, look after yourself and ride the downtimes – enjoying the breath the universe is giving you and enjoy time for you and with family – work will come in again, don’t you worry.
Stay focused, stick to your goals and enjoy the day! And if nothing else helps, get up and move your body or in the words of Taylor Swift “just shake it off”.
I love connecting with other creative freelancers so if you need someone to talk to, rant with or a second opinion, please, please, please get in touch.
So have a think, let me know your thoughts and ask any questions that are on your mind if indeed you are looking to make the bold step into the freelance beyond!