Tessa Blencowe’s damn good job
Tessa is a freelance content producer and strategist, community engager, and co-facilitator.
What organisation do you work at?
I’m freelance so working with a few right now: Collectively, League of Intrapreneurs, and CoSchool.
What’s your job title?
Again, I’ve got a couple: content producer and strategist, community engager, and co-facilitator.
How old are you?
27 (or am I!?)
What do you do?
I work with a variety of social impact organisations helping them to reach and engage their audience in authentic, creative storytelling ways. I also co-facilitate workshops and seminars to support intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship aimed at making the world more equal for all.
How did you get the job?
“someone putting me in touch with someone, who put me in touch with someone, who put me in touch with someone”
I put myself out there and asked for help. I reached out to my network asking them for organisations they believed were doing great things. This led to someone putting me in touch with someone, who put me in touch with someone, who put me in touch with someone — and this led to a conversation about how I could join forces and collaborate. This continues to be the way I find new work — my advice is to be really clear on what you have to offer.
Why do you give a damn about it? Tell us why you get out of bed in the morning.
(Haha, sometimes I work from bed! Shh!)
I give a damn for three reasons. Firstly, because I believe our work — what we do at least 8 hours a day, five or so days a week, 48 odd weeks a year, approximately 50 years over the course of our lifetime — should matter and should contribute to making the world a fairer, happier and better place for all.
Secondly, I believe everyone has (should have!) the right and freedom to choose how they best contribute to the world. Being freelance and having autonomy over my working week not only allows me the flexibility to work on varying projects I’m passionate about but also allows me to do my best work. I’m not a morning person — if I have to get up really early I won’t be able to contribute in a very meaningful way. But catch me at midnight, and I’m likely to get something done in half the time and double the quality.
“I only say ‘yes’ to a project if passionate, curious and kind people are involved.”
And lastly, it’s even easier to give a damn when you’re surrounded by others who give a damn. I only say ‘yes’ to a project if passionate, curious and kind people are involved.
Ask yourself anything.
Q: Is every day a great day? Is every part of your job fulfilling?
A: The short answer is no. Sometimes I have to do things I don’t want to do because sometimes the meaningful work doesn’t support me financially in the way that I need it to. I don’t mean I sell my soul for cash moneys — I stay true to my values and make sure that I’m at least working with people who care and are solving a genuine problem — but it does mean that every now and again I’m doing work that’s a little dull. This is okay. I believe this is a part of building a career on your own terms and in a meaningful way.
I don’t mind doing the dull work if I know it’s going to support the next couple of purposeful projects. I also don’t mind being a little low on money one month if I’ve contributed to something that’s positively impacted the lives of others.
When you’re freelance, and when you’re trying to build a career that you give a damn about, you’ve got to change your relationship with money. If I’m working on a passion project one month, then I skip the gym or work from home so I can save on food, transport and money.
(Fun fact — the word passion comes from the Greek verb ‘πασχω’ which means ‘to suffer’. It makes sense then that to do fulfilling work, some parts of your life must occasionally suffer. And not suffer in the forever sense, but in the ‘something’s gotta give’ sense. This is how we make it work, and this is also what makes it more meaningful — think about it: what have you sacrificed to achieve the things you’re most proud of? What are you prepared to suffer for in order to do something you’re passionate about?)
“when you are deliberate about where you want to work, who you want to work with, how and why you want to work there — then you’ll give a damn”
In the end, there’s no such thing as a perfect job. But I do believe that when you create one for yourself — and by this I mean when you are deliberate about where you want to work, who you want to work with, how and why you want to work there — then you’ll give a damn. You’ll give a damn because it’s on your own terms; you’re clear on the value you’re giving and the value you’re receiving.
Tessa is on Twitter and Instagram. If you’d like to collaborate with her, be in touch at tessablencowe@gmail.com
