Freelance Life

Regime:

• Biggest hurdles are psychological 
• Knowing yourself is key (be honest with yourself and identify a regime that works best with your period of peak productivity - do you work best in the morning? etc)

Life hacks:

• Things (app) helps to organise tasks for projects and makes to do lists.
• Bad habits are hard to break. SelfControl (app) blacklists certain websites that are a distraction to your productivity.
• Buffer (app) sends out social media posts for whenever you plan them to go out making it quicker than individually sharing each post and becoming distracted by your phone. 
• Allow structured procrastination 
• The occasional off day (not day off)

Beating the block:

• Nobody to bounce creative ideas off generally when working freelance.
• Finish the day with a set amount of ideas/drawings/concepts (these might be bad but having something on paper in your studio space is a good way to get the juices flowing the next day).
• Know who you can bounce ideas off. 

The Human Touch 

• Try a skill swap 
• Put on an event (reunion/workshop/exhibition)
• Real life networking (essential for winning pitches)
• Portfolio masterclasses 
• Follow up on initial meetings 
• Appreciate your followers

Defend your castle 

• Agree your fee first (take the budget seriously, be transparent)
• Have clear/consistent T&Cs (30 day payment terms? Late terms? How are you going to get paid? - sort it up front - state copyright) 
• Join an industry body 
• Be reliable (will get you repeat work and favourable treatment when getting paid)
• Be organised 
• Deliver your work on time 
• Be nice 
• CHASE CHASE CHASE (contact the right person in the finance department so you can separate the person you need to be stern with from the creative
• Be prepared to turn work down 

Why should you consider turning work down?

• Requests free work, work for 'exposure' (need to consider the fact that this is how you make a living)
• Asks for an impossible solution, product or asset 
• Requests for you to work below your normal rate (always ask for more than you expect to get and consider it a negotiation)
• Offers to pay in the form of project proceeds or other services 
• Keeps expanding the scope of work without extra pay 
• Wants you to work on areas outside your expertise (this opens the opportunity to sublet the brief - invite an expert and adviser the commissioner of that person's rates etc)
• Owes you money 
• Has unclear objectives