Creative conflict is a real issue for a certain subset of freelancers. It may not be the case for every freelancer, but there are quite a few of us that come to a fairly uneasy juncture with making money from our creativity. Not because we don’t value the arts or our trade. We all deserve to be paid and respected.
But it’s difficult because our creativity is often the balm to our pain, the fun pastime we love and the part of our identity that gives us the most freedom. And this creates a rub because you’re essentially making money off your therapy, pastime and playfulness.
How this impacts our creativity is many and varied. But for me, the ways it comes out most are:
1. My writer head is so spent after writing for other people, I have no words left for the creativity later
2. The routine that is needed to give creative projects the time of day
3. It’s hard to separate the two acts
4. There’s always more writing I can do for my blogs, my business and marketing
5. Enforcing boundaries all day leaves little petrol to fight that battle internally and give my creativity the same respect
6. It’s difficult taking feedback and criticism for writing all day, every day. And that sometimes take the sheen off the courage and self-belief I can muster for my own ideas
7. I get sick of being stuck on devices all the time. The last thing I want to do is hang out on the computer for fun!
It’s not an exhaustive list and they change with mood, health, circumstance and the most pressing fires. But I do believe the first step to reclaiming your creative space within the craft you sell is to be honest about the barriers you’re facing.
To do that, ask yourself the following questions:
· Are you making time for your own creative work? Why and why not?
· How do you feel physically, emotionally, and intellectually when you approach your creative work?
· How do you feel about your commercial work?
· What impact is client feedback having on your ability to experiment, remain curious, and try new creative techniques, projects and ideas?
· What’s the difference between what you produce for clients and your creative work?
· What tools help you create? What ones get in the way?
· What kinds of rituals and routines would benefit you?
Once you work out the differences, you can build a plan that helps make creativity easier to access.
Consider your time usage
One of the biggest mistakes I used to make was to apply delayed gratification principles to my creative work. As soon as I have finished all my work, then I can play, I used to tell myself.
As any good freelancer knows, there is always more to do on your business. Client work, client emergencies, marketing, admin, accounting – they’re always there, begging for the next bit of attention.
It’s also not in the least evidence-based. Holding back from what we want to do and what gives us a sense of:
· Autonomy
· Curiosity
· Freedom
· Capability
Decreases our productivity and increases our sense of obligation. It also increases the risk of burn out.
Our creative minds belong to the inner child in our adult bodies. It’s that inner child that allows you to touch the best part of your creative freedom. And if you look at children and how they learn and produce, kids don’t delay play until after school. They integrate it. They warm up in the morning, and slow down the pace later in the day. Children take breaks. They refuel themselves with freedom from obligation, free play, food, water, and companionship. At the heart of a good learning and creating experience is choice. And it’s how we learned for eighteen years of our life to get through school.
It’s a standard we respond well to and should tap into by adopting the same principles as we work.
A couple of ways you can explore what works for you is to:
Start the day with play
Whether it’s immersing yourself in creative projects, taking a leisurely walk to brainstorm ideas, or indulging in morning reading with a pen in hand, the method doesn’t matter. The aim is to spark your imagination.
Get playful with your working style
Ditch the idea that work has to be serious. You’re your own boss, so be the creative, zany, playful boss you need! Incorporate different styles of work throughout the day. Varying how you work and on what, especially in line with your natural daily rhythms, can really help make a day feel less about drudgery and more about play.
Let your imagination free
Set aside time for your imagination to roam. Our best ideas come to us when the pressure is off. Set aside time to do mindless tasks and see if your mind entertains you. Integrate self-care throughout the day via playful activities, games and creative challenges. Have a cup of tea in the sunshine, move to the kitchen table to plan and strategise, and use off-site experiences to inspire you. Whatever works to help you stay in touch with your creativity.
Prioritise creativity
Book in time for your creative projects and protect it. Tell everyone you don’t work on Mondays and work on your creative work first to stop the business busyness taking over. Post an 11am start time so you can fit in the school drop off and some much-needed creativity. Apply for that residency. Give yourself the week off to write away from the family and client demands. Go on that retreat you’ve been eyeing off. Allocate the first week back to working on what matters to you as a way of easing in from annual leave. Declare the third Wednesday of every month create day.
Ride the higher vibes you get from creative work into the client work for greater productivity.
A few creativity questions to ask yourself:
· Do I save creativity for later and find later doesn’t come?
· How can I schedule creativity in my day or week better to protect it?
· What scares me about making time for my creativity a priority?
· What ideology and internal messaging tells me prioritising creativity is a bad thing?
· What can I say to myself to challenge it?
After you’ve put creativity first:
· What impact is prioritising creativity having on my emotions, mood and mental health?
· How is my response to stress with additional time for creativity?
· Is my client work suffering?
· How is my general level of productivity?
There doesn’t need to be creative conflict in your freelance existence. Integrating your creativity into your freelance success is incredibly empowering. It doesn’t have to be a war between the commercial and creative if you don’t let it be. You can even inject greater creativity into the work you do for clients, which I will talk about in another blog. You can also grab more self-care tips here. But for now…