How To Deal With Downtime

First of all, let’s clarify what I mean by downtime. This is the period of time where you would prefer to be working on a paid project but nothing is currently on your plate. Maybe you just finished a gig and the next one won’t start for a while. Maybe you expected to be working on something but it was delayed and now you are open. Maybe you are waiting to hear about a job and are anxiously hoping that it actually happens, and when it does it won’t clash with other scheduled work.

Whatever the situation, you aren’t working on a paid contract. This is great, in theory, (though often doesn’t feel that way) as other important work is waiting for you. There is a long list of maintenance work which freelance individuals in every field should do but don’t have time to when they are on a contract. A few items on this list are:

Finding new clients
Contacting clients you haven’t worked with for a while
Straightening out finances and taxes (never fun, constantly avoided)
Backing up data
Proactively preparing for future projects (research, sketch work)
Organizing your space and filing away previous projects

This work is so important! So why can it feel overwhelmingly awful when downtime arrives?

I think it is the quiet. When I am working on a project it is all systems go. I am focused, driven, watching the calendar and getting it done. Every thought is focused on keeping my client happy. When I am working on the (extremely valuable) maintenance work that keeps my business going, I am working at a more relaxed pace. The client is now me, and I am content with pottering through. After all, I’ve been working away like a madwoman for months.

But the quiet creates room for thinking and the thoughts lead to wondering. What if the next gig falls through? What if there is no next gig? Maybe I am just not good enough. I mean, who am I to think that I can actually do this?! Maybe so far I have just gotten lucky.

What is the solution to this issue? I’ve found myself in this predicament a few times and here are the weapons I take to battle.

Look at your history

So your demon says you’re just getting lucky? Well how about you take this opportunity to look at all the ways you have gotten work in the past. Not only will this shut it up, it is also a great way to strategize how to get work in the future. Make a spreadsheet with every gig and the way you came to win it. I promise this will inspire you to make a few moves.

Write yourself a letter

Does this sound super self-help-y? I am sorry if that’s the case but it does help. Tell yourself everything you need to hear right now. Imagine if you were sitting with your mentors and friends and what they would be saying to you. Write down all the positive feedback from previous projects. We need to be the loudest cheerleader we have, because there are times where we are the only cheerleaders around. While being built up by other people is wonderful, it all comes down to what we believe. You know you can do this. Tell yourself.

Take Control

Nothing shuts up nasty demons like work. WORK. Easier said than done, of course. It is so much harder to do work when you simultaneously have to battle negative energy coming from the inside. But the more work you do the quieter they become. It is especially helpful if the work is moving you closer to a goal you have, a goal which will ultimately push your career forward. When you have something to show for your day you almost have the same feeling of satisfaction that comes at the end of a paying gig. Who knows, some days it may even feel better.

Do something for you

Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way is full of strategies to help us on the creative journey. While I have never read it cover to cover, I have often dipped in for a chapter or three and found exactly what I needed in that moment. One of my favorite take aways was the idea of an Artist’s Date. You take yourself out on an adventure to do something which personally brings you joy. For me this is going to a bookstore, or buying a new blank journal, or a nice pen, or a pack of really great pencils. I am a cheap date (thank goodness for that) which helps because I am simultaneously feeling better while being fiscally responsible. Why don’t you have some fun, just for a little while. Why don’t you spend a little time doing the thing which reminds you why you wanted to pursue this job in the first place. We are constantly creating work for the client. How about you create something just for you?

Take a Break

When was the last time you took a few days off? Sometimes the problem with being a successful freelancer is the success, the constant work. If we are doing what we love, we may not even notice how long it has since we really rested. Ultimately that can catch up with us. If the universe has handed us a chunk of time with no work, why not spend that time actively resting. Spending time with family and friends. Reading books. Refueling for the next spell of activity. It is hard to do, I am terrible at it. I recommend making a conscious decision to rest, marking it in your calendar, planning non-work activities and closing the laptop. Who knows when the next opportunity to relax will arrive. Maybe a long stretch of work is right around the corner. So embrace the moment and take a break.

I am not suggesting any of this will be easy. But we owe it to ourselves to take control of this downtime and make it work to our advantage. We need to apply the same discipline we do to client work as to our maintenance work. Breaks between gigs is part of the job. We cannot let it take us down. In fact, we need to use this time to lift us higher and make us stronger.

Happy creating, fellow freelancers.

Catherine Grealish is a composer for film, video games and media. You can find out more about Catherine at www.catherinegrealish.com.