Blog: Lessons from a Creative Freelance Life
A space for personal-professional reflection and tips and tricks on how to make your freelance work-life more fulfilling and successful.
Why a blog? Simply put: It’s time!
I “hung up my shingle” in 2013 as a freelance writer, editor and digital strategist, after advancing for well over a decade in omni-channel media, marketing and sales sectors.
Since 2013, I’ve produced and perfected B2B and B2C content for dozens of different companies in a range of industries. From Canada’s Big 3 telecom companies to an eCommerce jewelry start-up; from the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPAO) to three different novels for a writer in Trenton, ON; from a national healthcare procurement firm with ties to 80% of Canada’s hospitals and clinics to a boutique real estate brokerage in downtown Toronto…. and beyond.
And I’ve learned quite a bit of lessons along the way… about how to balance my creative interests with my business practice, and also, that freelance life doesn’t always have to be hard, but it’s not always easy, either.
It may sound idyllic, but creative freelance life isn’t always easy.
If you’re naturally introverted like me, you might fall neatly into the typical freelance way of life, where working from home and not having to interact with many people throughout your days is not just comfortable but preferred!
Your work hours can flex to meet your responsibilities;
Your commute might be 15 steps to your workspace and 20 steps to your kitchen (if your kitchen IS your workspace!? even better!); and,
You may choose to work in your pyjamas or whatever attire suits your work-life best.
But… if you’re going to be successful in your creative freelance life—that’s to say: make enough money while carving out time to have some work-life balance—you’ve got to invest some time and energy into the business side of your freelance practice.
Balancing “the art” with “the business”—where this blog comes in.
Business smarts aren’t necessarily a priority for all creative folks. (At the same time, getting a business person to do creative work might seem like unnecessary torture to them!)
Yet, with a little guidance and attention to particular details—including recommendations for balancing your creative pursuits with your professional persona, the importance of managing your reputation, branding, and more—I’m confident that any creative freelancer can thrive in our economy, taking advantage of the need that’s out there, now more than ever, for professionals who can walk the fine line of pursuing their creative practice and making money from it, too.
Join me and we’ll walk the creative line together.
Follow my blog, post comments and above all, get ready to have some fun and get inspired!