Tomorrow marks five years of freelancing. And if you've spent even a little time with me, you'll know I love 'taking stock' almost as much as I love pottering. So as I pause to take stock and reflect on the past years, I'd love to share five reflections that time and again I have found to be true in the freelance life.
Allow new interests space to grow
This relates both to project work and personal interests. Nurturing interests in any area of life - whether it's studying, baking, or going for a walk somewhere new - will enrich the quality of your work.
Allow a season of interest to pass
If you catch yourself feeling half-hearted about something that really used to light you up, take note of this. It OK, and good for interests to exist in seasons. It means we're growing.
Keep your ‘why’ central
Know why you do what you do, and keep sharing that. My 'why' is that 'all people have value' and that helps me work out whether or not to embark on a new project or collaboration, and the shape it will take.
Start small and start soon
I meet a lot of folk who are anxious to 'take the plunge' into a new project or collaboration. Why not 'dip your toe' to begin with and take it from there.
Work with people you get on with
I have had - and continue to have - the great joy of working alongside people I get on with. I'm not sure this is a 'tip' so much as a joy and a blessing. But if you encounter someone (or an organisation) whose work you like or value, let them know. It may just lead to a collaboration.
As I was making notes for this short reflection, auto-correct suggested that the word 'freelance' might also be 'freestyle' or 'freedom'. Sounds about right to me.
