Stretching our working freelance muscle
Working freelance makes you strong in some wonderful areas. We appear to be a breed brimming with all kinds of self-motivated ideas and side projects. Some of this sees us working on products, films and food.
Others see us flexing muscle using tools like Instagram or challenges that others set us.
Here are some of the ways we’re flexing and growing working freelance muscle through projects on the side.
Working freelance product-based side projects into the mix
Working freelance teaches you how to excel at defining, developing, creating and maintaining product-based offerings. Here are some prime examples of that in action.
Cobie Femme by Sarah Billington
It only took since February but some of my feminine hygiene products are finally live on Catch:
https://m.catch.com.au/brand/cobie-femme/
Firefly Accessories by Melissa Parker
October last year I bought a desktop laser engraver/cutter. I experimented with a few types of wood and loved the results on walnut. So a range of unique earrings was born! Firefly Accessories
I’ve had my graphic design business for 18 years and I’m absolutely loving having a new creative outlet where I can use many years of experience with vector artwork – the possibilities are endless!
A local hair salon has a stand on display and their support and feedback has been great for developing new designs.
Loving having so many ways to be creative every day!
Working freelance film-based creations
Film work is a traditional mainstay of the working freelance model. Here, we see professional and side film makers using film to tell stories of all kinds.
Rhapsody of Love produced by Ana Tiwary
The rom-com I co-produced with Joy Hopwood is out in Dendy cinemas in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane from today 24 June! It is the first Asian-Australian rom-com called Rhapsody of Love!
Here is the poster and what you can do to support our little indie film is to buy tickets, go see it and spread the word please.
dendy.com.au/movies/rhapsody-of-love
Video beer reviews by Benedict Kennedy-Cox
Made the last episode of my travel beer series on the NSW South Coast. Complete passion project, the sort of work I want to do completely for a living in the next year
youtube.com/watch?v=HSAXeg92s0s&t=857s
Making of art with Amy L Clarke
I’ve made my first art cushion, created a “making of video” and posted it to youtube, insta and fb. I *think* I’ve adapted it into a Reel for insta but this is all a big learning curve.
youtube.com/shorts/lPAjAdt1rtk
Instagram based creations
Working freelance means getting really good at social media. Luckily, we’ve got some great examples of that in action to share now.
Drawing dogs with Amy L Clarke
I’ve completed my first dog portrait and I’m on a mission to make more! It’s an inspiring journey to take as someone who’s always been scared of dogs.
Follow along: instagram.com/amy.l.clarke
Shooting photos with Sharon Smith
I am teaching myself how to shoot photos with my phone and my partner’s DSLR. I started an instagram account over at instagram.com/sha.z.pix
Early days!
The Dollhouse Theatre with Rebekah Lambert
I’ve started a side creative project called the Dollhouse Theatre.
It began with me making art tableaus years ago with dolls in weird and wonderful things. I saw a four storey dollhouse for $25 at a closing down sale for a local tool library and it was too great a temptation not to see what could happen. So, I have revamped the dollhouse, turned it into a cotdesking situation (sleep and work) and launched “This Freelance Life” as the first Dollhouse Theatre production.
The mayhem of creation and story is just starting on Instagram.
You can follow on the journey here instagram.com/dollhouse.theatre/
But be warned, these dolls are far closer cousins to Avenue Q or Meet the Feebles than they are your friends from Sesame Street!
Working freelance challenges
Creative and working freelance challenges are some of the most fun ways to stretch our skills as these next examples show.
Draw this challenges with Hayley Rollason-Jones
I go in and out of stages where I draw for fun. Usually it’s #drawthisinyourstylechallenges that “draw” me back in. So that’s what this is.
Minecraft creations with Shane Smith
I’ve been working on a YouTube channel for over a year now. This particular video took the most time to create. Several days of recording, then about 20 hours of editing. It’s part adventure, part tutorial. Created using the game Minecraft.
Most of my newer stuff is 3-5 minutes long, which allows me to put in a similar effort without sinking so many hours into each one.
leigergaming.com/pillager-raid
Working freelance foodies
Making the most out of food is a working freelance speciality. Set those tastebuds to oh yeah with these clever creatives.
Rolling up a storm with Gen Engelhardt
I’ve been working on a side hustle for the past 6 months or so, while I love design, I struggle with the sedentary life.
So I’ve started a side hustle of baking savoury pastries and baked sweets at home and delivering them on weekends. Hoping it’ll become more than a side hustle and I can open a cafe one day!
Liv, Cook, Eat with Olivia Harding
I made it to the top 36 for this season of Masterchef Australia but missed out on a coveted apron for the series… It was a big few months and my confidence took a hit but i’m feeling real good about it all now. I’m a huge foodie and have got my IG (@liv_cook_eat) and FB up and running (Liv Cook Eat) and i’ve finally started to post more regularly in there with recipes that are gluten + dairy free, with a focus on reducing food waste too. If you like eating then i’d love to see you on my socials! Blog is in the works too.
But even bigger than this is that i’ve finally got a plan for rebranding my current business in the works that I can’t share just yet – but i’m so excited as it brings my love for food together with my creative + digital skill set… Hopefully share this in the coming weeks!
Here is a photo of some pumpkin.
Baking bonanza with Denyse H’ng
I’ve been working on my cooking and baking after being made redundant due to COVID. Found new work now but hoping to build my skills up to a point where I can turn this into something more!
More pics in the comments and I usually post on my Insta Instagram.com/thenysehng.