Ever feel like you're the only freelancer staring at a blank screen at 2 AM?
The Loneliness Factor
A while back, I decided to jump onto the freelancer path. It felt like this exciting formula: 1) I'm the boss of my own time (which sounded amazing) + 2) Work on cool projects for set periods. Simple, right?
Well, after a while, I realized the road was pretty bumpy. Full of potholes, moments of "am I sure about this?", doubts, and a big one: loneliness. It's something we don't talk about much, but I bet if all freelancers could magically teleport into the same room for a bit, we'd all look at each other and just get it. We'd recognize ourselves in each other, feel less alone. Imagine that sci-fi experiment – sharing that feeling of being part of something bigger than just us as individual artists.
Think about it: we get up, jot down an idea, maybe days later turn it into something visual or narrative. We try to make sense of things, often staring at multiple screens all day – phone, desktop, laptop, smart TV. But somewhere else in the world (Tokyo, Barcelona, Munich, Rome, Atlanta, New York, São Paulo, you name it), there are others just like us. Thinking up ideas, trying to create something, pushing through good days and not-so-good days.
That's community, isn't it? Even if ours feels fragmented across devices and time zones. We don't always know who's on the other side, and maybe we never fully will. But just knowing that others are having similar experiences creates a spark of togetherness, of a collective, a group.
It’s crucial to remember this, especially when you feel isolated on this weird journey of being a creative freelancer (designer, animator, whatever!). In a world drowning in information and screens, it helps to reconnect with that initial thrill we get when we see a piece of art that blows us away. Chances are, that piece was made by someone maybe 12,000 km away who, at some point, had to start sketching, writing, and probably felt pretty alone doing it.
So, if you ever feel that way, know that you're not actually alone. Somewhere, sometime, someone is creating something that will eventually be seen and loved by many. That's part of our job. Let's look after our community, our artists, our heroes (if we have them), and ourselves. Let's value the effort we all put in every single day.
✦ Here are a few tips that help me keep my priorities straight throughout the year – hope they help you too:
My Approach to Staying Focused 👀 All YeaR
Yearly Goals: At the start of the year, I break down goals into short, medium, and long-term. Then, I assign rough deadlines and prioritize them.
Sunday Prep: I use Sunday evenings to organize the upcoming week (Notion is great, but any tool works). This helps fight off the classic "Sunday Scaries" – it's always good to have clarity on what you can tackle each week.
Morning Management: Mornings are usually prime time for admin tasks: contacting people, outreach to potential clients, communication, prepping social media content, scheduling calls/events – basically, anything related to managing time, calendar, communication, and getting your name out there.
Creative Flow Time: After a few hours of management, dive into your creative flow. My sweet spot is using Pomodoro timers for 1-2 hour blocks with 5-10 minute breaks. Crucially: Try not to juggle too many different "flow state" tasks in one day. Let's say you have a personal animation project and writing for another client. Aim for fewer, deeper sessions. In my experience, trying to cram in more than 2 (maybe 3 max) deep work sessions per day hurts the quality. Less is more here.
Balancing Client Work & Personal Projects: When you're booked with paid projects, that naturally takes priority. BUT, if you planned your year well from the start (see point 1!), you'll know what personal or business projects you want to tackle. You can slot those into the gaps when client work is slower, using your planned "flow" sessions to stay productive on your own goals.
Reflection
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Your Space to Reflect | Questions for Your Own Creative Path
How do you deal with freelance loneliness?
What are your go-to strategies for staying focused throughout the year?
What does 'community' mean to you as a creative freelancer?
