Finding my feet as a freelance creative

It took me a long time to figure out how to approach life as a freelance creative. This is because I thought my freelance work would look and feel like my previous nine to five, and if I wasn’t at my desk during the traditional office hours, I wasn’t doing a proper job!

I left my job in August 2015. At the time, I was the Alumni Relations Manager at an Oxford University College, a post I had held for seven years. When I started working freelance, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in and for the first six months, I worked every day – including weekends! This was fun to begin with but not sustainable and as a result, my work-life balance disappeared.

To get things back on track, I decided to implement a routine, after all, I’d thrived for 20 years on stability and I was sure it was all I needed. I got up early, went for a walk or run and made sure I was at my desk at 9am each day.

This structure worked when it came to completing administrative tasks – accounts, emails, planning etc. But when I had to style and take photographs, write or do anything creative, it took me a long time to warm up and find my creative flow. I was getting my work done but it felt like something was missing – ironic after spending my entire career yearning for a more creative job!

Investing in coaching

I began to wonder how other creative freelancers managed their time. I reflected on my time as an art student and I connected with other creative business owners to find out what worked for them. Each had different strategies ranging from not doing anything creative before midday, to simply pushing through the warming up phase. One friend even told me that he works freelance because he hates structure, this allows him to work in the evenings and into the night – when he creates his best work.

In January, I booked a session with my coach to see if he could help. We looked at my current reality, reflected on what had worked in the past and I completed the wheel of life exercise to address all areas of my life.

After looking at my working week, I noticed I’d drawn a line between work and life. This had worked in my previous jobs because there was a clear distinction however, creativity isn’t a job for me, it’s a fundamental part of who I am.

My coach helped me to see that it wasn’t about making clear-cut distinctions or setting specific work times, but about creating when it felt right and being a little more open and receptive to new ways of working. Allowing my life and work to strengthen and complement each other.

‘Creative isn’t the way I think, it’s the way I like to live.’ – Paul Sandip

A moment of clarity

Despite thinking my only issue was structure, I also identified that I was lonely in my work. Having managed and worked alongside teams of people for 20 years, I was missing the connection – office banter, putting the world to rights over a morning cuppa and having people to share my ideas with. My current work wasn’t enough for me and as a Myers Briggs ENFJ personality type, my drive to support people and encourage their growth was no longer being fulfilled. It was an insightful couple of hours!

Embracing change

Nine months on and I’m approaching things very differently. I’m easier on myself, I don’t force my creativity and as a coach, I’m able to use my gifts and put my experience to good use. There’s a harmonious balance and on the days when I’m not meeting clients, I tend to catch up with a fellow freelancer or work in a cafe – friendly banter box ticked!

On occasion, it still feels a little odd to have so much freedom but I’m guessing it takes time to change the habit of a lifetime and the ingrained expectation of what a job and work should look like. I’ve learnt that if things aren’t working it’s okay to make changes or ask for help because nothing is set in stone and most things can be tweaked or changed.

‘The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.’ – Socrates

If you’d like to redefine your working week, here’s a little exercise you could try. In addition to this, you may wish to complete the wheel of life exercise for even greater insight – many helpful examples can be found online.

Building a week that works for you

Reflect

~ What does your working week look like?
~ Does it work for you? If not, why do you think this is?
~ Is there too much/little of anything?
~ How does your working week make you feel?

Consider

~ What is preventing you from creating your ideal working week?
~ Have you tried to make changes? If so, what did you learn from them?
~ Can you recall a time when things worked well? If so, what were you doing differently?
~ Is anything missing?

Dream

~ What would your ideal working week look and feel like?
~ Would you like more/less of anything?
~ Would you like things to be added/removed?
~ Does your ideal week align with your values and lifestyle?

Create and grow

Hopefully, the questions will help you to identify some key messages and with this insight, you can begin to build your week. Feel free to try things and experiment until you find what works for you. It’s good to remember that creating new ways of working and forming habits can take time, so be patient and gentle with yourself along the way.

Further reading

The simple working habits of creative people
Useful tips from 12 successful creative business owners
Simple everyday rituals to support your creative work and life

Thank you, as always, for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day. Until next time, I’ll see you over on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.