The Freelance Diaries 4.0 - One Month In

Here we are at instalment 4 of this series which means I have been full time freelance for around a month now... I have survived. So I feel that it's time for a little check in and round up of how everything is going as well as some things I've found along the way

So the Good:

- I've really enjoyed the freedom freelancing has given me in terms of location, working times and being able to adapt my work to how I'm feeling, how my brain works and other life admin that has to happen.

- I'm really excited by the projects I'm working on and the new creatives I'm meeting and working with

- I've been able to reflect on my practice and the types of work I want to be doing and why enabling me to seek out new exciting opportunities that also fit my creative goals and ambitions

The not so good:

- Just because I can work from anywhere doesn't mean I should. While I love working elsewhere to break up the week, this past week not being at home at all I have found it alot harder to concentrate entirely on my projects and have missed the routine of getting to my desk in the morning.

- I have thought about securing the next project more than I anticipated I would and have needed to slow down and remind myself that I have time and good things will come

- I've found it hard to be as strict with my work/life boundaries as I would like to be with that pull of just answering a quick email now I've seen it being slightly too strong sometimes to allow me to enjoy all of my downtime.

What I've learnt:

- Freelancing is definitely suiting me and my lifestyle at the moment and I am really confident that I made the right choice.

- Putting too much pressure on yourself to constantly be applying, interviewing and seeking projects isn't necessary or enjoyable and you can just take some time to enjoy the projects you're working on at the moment.

- There are more ups and downs than when working a full time permanent role and these are felt more intensely for me, but they're also a part I really enjoy about project by project producing and had actually really missed.

What's Next...

this has been a very me focused four weeks of posting which I have enjoyed as it's forced me to reflect and think about why I am doing what im doing, how I am feeling and how it can be achieved. However, now that I've got a bit of a rhythm going these are going to move towards more monthly features as I want to talk about things that are more directly informative giving you information, ideas or inspiration for your own journeys and passing on the tips and tricks that were passed along to me so I'll be posting some more information heavy content very soon which will hopefully be useful... fingers crossed.

So I shall sign off a month in saying thank you for embarking on this journey with me for these first four weeks, have great evenings and keep going! Just to be on brand I am also sat in the Vaults theatre bar writing this which is important as Vault Festival are losing their home! Vaults is so key for sharing new work, allowing new writers and emerging creatives to develop their craft and in my opinion absolutely key to the diversity, development and continuation of a thriving theatre and performing arts ecology not just in London but across the UK. They are running a campaign to help save the festival for net year which you can find out more about here: https://vaultfestival.com/save-vault/

So if you're in London do try and catch a show, buy a drink and support new theatre makers to begin a journey in this wild, weird and wonderful industry!