Creative Storyline (Future Video Script?):
It’s quite easy to get distracted. I mean, who really wants to sit down and edit all of those photos? You have been working so hard, already. Just take a second to think about all of the work that you have already put in:
As a freelance photographer, I find myself exploring and challenging my creativity by shooting outside of niche. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
You connected with the client
Chatted about their needs
Came up with an idea for them
Built a treatment
Revised the treatment
Wrote the contract
Got the talent, but not that one
Built your production team
Did all the permit work
Set a date
Changed the date
Changed the date back, this time for weather
Scouted the location
Prepped the gear
Photographed
Imported all of the images into the hard drives
I mean, at this point, doesn’t it seem like a break is needed? Will somebody, please, just hand me my phone so that I may scroll Instagram, check the analytics on my website, give my friend a call, maybe just quick text message to that old college buddy I have been meaning to reconnect.
Okay, phew, that was kinda nice. Sorry about that, everyone, I was just getting a little stressed out. Here, you can have my phone back… oh, but let me just call my mom real quick, it’s been a little while… she didn’t pick up, “I wonder what she is doing?”
Hey, what should we have for dinner?
Do you know who won the super bowl in 1938? Was the NFL even around that year? I guess I should wiki this…
Dang it! How did I go down this worm-hole.
Okay, let’s get back to editing those images. Where was I. Ah, yes, I need to make my… BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ
“Oh hey man, thanks for calling me back, it’s been so long. What are you up to?… Oh yeah, I can talk right now, I mean, I should be editing, but I have time to chat, it’s been far to long…”
Hour and half later.
Ah, yes, it’s time to… BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ
“Hey Mom! How are you?… I know, I am sorry it’s been a while since I called last, what have you and Dad been doing?…”
Two hours later.
“Ah SH$&”, these images are due in a couple of days, I really need to get to work! Okay, time for the phone to go… BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ
Oh, “Hey Client! How is it going?… Mhmm. Mhmm. Oh… Mhmm… Dang. Okay. Yeah, I can do my best to get these images to you a couple of days early. Oh… tonight? EEEK!”
Saying yes, is also saying no to other opportunities. As a freelance photographer, I have to weigh the opportunity costs of taking a job. A skill you learn overtime. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Tips and Tricks for success as a Freelance Creative:
How to stay focused as a freelancer?
Caffeine. Okay, yes this works once you sit down and get to work, but that is only if you do not get distracted along the way. So, here are 5 tips to staying focused as a freelancer:
Turn off and put away anything you do not need
Set a timer, every 90 minutes, and take a break to refocus
Have a “work space” that you can go to
Have a working playlist that is only used while working… I suggest something without words like LoFi
Always get dressed, even if you are working from your bedroom!
As a freelance photographer, not every photograph will become a portfolio piece as you meet the clients needs. The good news is, you will build a portfolio over time from the work and spec work you photograph. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
How to stay motivated as a freelancer?
Know Your Path
Motivation is a trick that is hard to overcome, but the key here is to be doing something you actually want to be doing. How do you know that you want to be doing it, here are three questions to ask yourself:
What did you want to do as a child?
What do you think about when not working?
What are you good at? This can be a soft-skill like analytical, being an ideas person, etc.
Overcome Monotony
If you find the common thread between these three questions, that is a great place to start. But, even if you are on the correct path, you can get bogged down by monotonous tasks. The easy solution would be to hire somebody to do these tasks, but if you don’t have the money… what do you do?
Work harder! That is the typical response, but no, that is not the solution. The solution here is to set blocks of time to manage what you do. A routine is wonderful in the world of business. Block out the times to do the tasks, then when you are financially ready, allow somebody else to do those tasks for you.
What can you do if you are already committed, but you are losing motivation? Most likely you are not loving it, so do everything you can to finish ASAP. Once you are done, review what went wrong. Remember, you said yes! So that means there was some kind of incentive for you to take the client onboard. Learn from the opportunity and adjust for the future.
To overcome the monotony of photographing the same things as a freelance photographer, go out on your own and photograph a personal project. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Personal thoughts on workflows as a freelancer…
While I was writing this, I was giggling. Overall, I would say that my work flow is pretty sweet! Being a freelance photographer, I can control my own schedule, for the most part. In the end, the client will dictate how and when things get done at a 10,000 foot level (maybe a hot topic here), but the small details are my own process, which I like.
I am not sure when this developed, but I have always been a late worker. Throughout the day, I like to do things. Everything from photographing to surfing to working out, those are all daytime things. Towards 5 or 6pm, however, I start getting into a headspace where work is ready. So, I pour myself a cup of coffee, maybe a pot, and start to work. It is during the night, that my head is clear and the eagerness inside of me stops yearning to do something.
Often I am up late, 2 or 3am, working on the computer. From time to time, I wake up early, but those days are growing rarer and rarer.
There isn’t much here in terms of metaphorical take-aways. The message is clear, distractions happen, learn how to handle them. In the end, I wrote the above as a stress relief exercise and to spew out an idea that I had been festering away in my brain for the last few days. In many ways, it was pestering me so much, I just wanted to get it down on paper so I could forget about it.
What are your thoughts? Should I make a skit around the opening creative story?