10 Sanity-Saving Life Hacks for Freelance Creatives
This job is one of the best ways to slowly lose your grip on what it means to be sane. These hacks will help you avoid the biggest pitfalls.
Being a creative freelancer is a great way to make money doing what you do best. However, this job is also one of the best ways to slowly lose your grip on what it means to be sane. Freelancing can be rough on both your wallet and your mind. These hacks will help you avoid the biggest pitfalls.
1. Start with a day job and switch when you’re ready.
Creative life is not for everyone, especially when you’re just getting your feet wet. The money can get tight, you might not be able to pay your bills on time, and people will tell you that you were wrong for choosing this career.
You’re not wrong. You just need to have a slow start and build up a livable wage that you can rely on before you truly set flight. This time, your anxiety is right: you don’t have to jump right into freelance work, you can take baby steps into the industry. Trust me when I say your sanity will thank you.
2. Have a weekly organization day.
Do you know how to count your books? How to make sure you have all your accounts paid for? Do you know how many articles you wrote, how many minutes of film you edited, where your new shots are? If you don’t, set aside one day a week to organize your life.
3. Dump people (and clients) who make fun of your work or financial struggles.
In the creative arts, haters are a dime a dozen. Haters do nothing but bring you down, hurt you, and then exploit you if they can. Sadly, the more successful you are, the worse your haters are going to be.
Haters can include (but are not limited to) people telling you that your choice of career is wrong because “artists don’t make anything,” people shoving their success in your face while smirking at your struggles, people who tear apart your work, and people who treat you like a dollar sign. Ghost them.
4. Hit the gym or take a walk every day.
If you’re like many people in the creative world, you are going to be isolated, which will affect your mental health as time progresses. Sitting in front of a computer screen wrestling with self-doubt and imposter syndrome all day, every day, is not good for anybody. Making sure you get enough physical activity can give you a major mood boost. A trip to the gym or just a walk around a park are great ways to release pent up feelings, regulate your body, and avoid agoraphobia.
5. Do not disrespect the kaffeeklatsch.
Kaffeeklatsch is a German term for a “coffee chat.” Literally a social gathering where people chat over coffee. Get to know the term: it’s going to be a major source of your sanity. Much of the difficulty that comes with freelance life is loneliness and isolation.
You owe it to yourself to go out, meet with others who get you and your work, and chat once in a while. If you neglect the occasional outing or party, you will end up in a very bad place faster than you think.
6. Outsource tasks you hate.
Freelancing means you’re running your own solo business. However, you don’t need to all the work yourself, nor W-2 everyone you recruit for a little help. You just need to get the tasks you hate done — and if they are on a regular basis, you might as well have your go-to freelancer.
Don’t be afraid to outsource your tasks. No one is an island!
7. Have a go-to buddy for sanity checks.
Are people asking too much of you? Do you feel like you’re asking for too much or that people are being unreasonable? Does your work really suck? Now would be a good time to call a trusted friend to give you a third-party perspective on the situation.
This hack is called a sanity-check: a good move for whenever you feel like you need to have a second opinion. It’s too easy for your brain to get stuck in a downward spiral of lies you tell yourself if you don’t have a friend to tell you the truth out loud.
If you need to find a person you can connect with who can be your go-to buddy for sanity checks, join Oba’s Facebook community. We all get it over here.
8. Force yourself to take a break for your own sake, regardless of your schedule.
The most common reason that creatives quit their field is because of burnout — a million people talking to them, a million little demands, a million things to learn, and a million strings to hold together all at the same time. Burnout is preventable, but only if you learn to say “no” to overwork.
If you can, take at least 3 hours per week to do nothing. No gym, work, conference, or caretaking for others. Just use those 3 hours to do YOU. Our minds and bodies all require rest–it’s a need, not a want!
9. Learn to close your office off to others.
People generally don’t take freelancers’ time as seriously as 9-to-5 workers. You need to learn to say no to interruptions. Close the door. Turn off your phone. Unless there is a serious emergency going on, worktime is your time, and others must respect that fact.
If people hit you up for social stuff, tell them that you’ll hit them back and offer to meet up with them later. A simple time management hack like this one will save you from getting behind on deadlines.
10. Remember that it’s not always what you lack, but what others do.
When you’re a creative, it’s common to feel like you’re not enough. Your portfolio is great, but for some reason, you keep getting passed over for bids and deals. You have the gift, but no one is paying. It’s normal to start asking, “What does this other person have that I don’t?”
The problem is not you. Sometimes, the issue is clients not realizing that they want you, or not communicating well with you, or them just forgetting what they wanted to tell you. You can relax. If a gig doesn’t work, the gig doesn’t work. Just keep at your work and others will start to see you for what you can do.
As creatives, we like to joke we’re in a club full of the certifiable. But, really, this creative freelance journey is a crazy, wild ride, and your sanity will take a toll. No matter what, we want you here making the world a better place with your art for as long as possible. Remember the importance of surrounding yourself with people who can help you practice these habits so you can hang on and enjoy this creative trip!
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