By writer and tutor Sue Walker

Work/Life balance: what’s that?

I’ve lost count of the number of times this ‘Work /Life balance’ issue comes up in the media. And when it does - especially on the radio as I am a constant listener - I want to throw my beloved Pure DAB out into the soggy garden!

Why? Well, because, like many freelances I’ve worked with, the whole notion seems to me the preserve of people who don’t work for themselves and have paid time off to get the balance right!

However, my own reactions aside, there is something crucial to be said about getting our time management sorted. What I call ‘the freelance disease’ – i.e., saying ‘yes’ to everything - can, over time, have a debilitating effect on the other parts of out lives and, consequently, a negative impact on our work effectiveness.

It does sound a chicken and egg problem: ‘I can only be happy if I’ve got enough work. But working all the time leaves me no time to relax, see people and enjoy life.’ The following strategies will help with this problem:

Plan ahead

Make a realistic assessment of the work that you have in the pipeline already.

• If you are fortunate enough to have some regular work peppered through the year, celebrate that. It may be solid, core business or other related work.
• Even if it’s not your core creative first love – e.g., if you are a musician but have guaranteed teaching work; if you are an actor but have regular gigs doing corporate role-playing; if you are a screenwriter but get regular film reviewing, don’t knock it. This work is a huge advantage and not just in financial terms. It's motivating to know that your work is in demand so reward yourself by planning in some ‘play’ time because you have been clever enough to have secured this work.

If you really do live from job-to-job, planning ahead in the same way is more difficult. However, it's still important to create time for yourself. So, when you get invites to weddings, civil partnerships, parties (day and evening ones) and other celebrations accept them and you will have something in the diary to look forward to.

Also, it is important to keep up personal contact with other people. (My last blog was on the isolation of the freelance - beware that). There are cheap and even free ways of doing regular meet-ups.

If you can’t or don't want to afford expensive coffee shops or bars then go walking; go to a free gallery....or if you can spend a little bit, combine meeting up with an activity: swimming, racket sports,.. whatever presses your buttons and, if your mate is in the same position, you can pick your time of day and get off-peak prices.

But there are not enough hours in the day!

Actually, there are. It may be that you’re not using them all wisely. Although it goes against our freelancing, hard-grafting instincts, it is easy to waste time, especially for those of us who work at home at our PC/laptop. Time on the web and social media is very important for us and for our work but it can seriously devour time that could be better spent doing other stuff. A suggestion:

• Do an audit of your time. Take a week and literally keep a diary of what you do (both work and other things).
• You can then go through it and assess where you could make beneficial changes.
• You might even find that you can get more playtime without feeling guilty!

And there it is: never feel guilty for wanting more ‘you’ time. We all need it and to ignore the call may end up with you being a workaholic...and workaholics aren’t always as smart at their jobs as they think.

Keep it balanced! Keep it fun!

 

 

 

 

Out with the old and in with the new

By Tutor and Life Coach Muriel McClymont

I was chatting to some friends the other day about how quickly 2012 was coming to a close.

As we chatted, I realised that two of my friends had completely different takes on what a year ending meant to them. For one, it’s a time to scoop everything up in a mental box marked ‘2012 DO NOT OPEN’, so they could clear the decks and start the New Year with a clean slate.

For the other, it’s all about time passing for them, and loss of precious moments. The coming year was something to be feared and avoided. They had a mental box in their head where they stuffed everything and marked it ‘2012 TO BE TREASURED’.

It got me thinking about what the New Year could be about, especially for freelances, many of who might have a bit of spare time just now. (Those musicians, performers and writers who are busy over the festive period, can use the Chinese New Year as their marker, which next year will be 10 February 2013.)

To start every year with a clean slate can mean that you forget about the valuable groundwork and preparation you have already done and runs a high risk that you throw the baby out with the bathwater.

To view the last year with rose tinted spectacles and approach the future with fear and trepidation can mean you miss fantastic openings and opportunities because you are measuring them up against an irrelevant and outdated yardstick.

Looking Back

It’s important to look back at both your good and bad experiences and honestly assess your efforts. Do some career de-cluttering. Look honestly at what worked and what didn’t. It’s the only way to avoid making the same mistakes again and to begin to create new options.

Go through your diary and work records for the year, remind yourself of all the things you have done and consider:

• What were the high and low points?
• What did you get right and wrong?
• What was the highlight of this year for you?

Weigh up some of the aspects that are really important to you against each other. For example, what made the money and what gave you most satisfaction? Were those two completely separate things? If so, how can you make informed choices that will bring these together in the future?

If you set goals at the beginning of this year, did you achieve them? If not, look more closely at them. Did you set goals that were within your control or were they really wishes and aspirations?

All the information you identify in this process of analysis is going to help you make better career decisions for this coming year.

Identify a few key learning points from your year to date to see if you kept coming against the same issue. Perhaps some investment in yourself is required such as a training course or a period of time where you need to gain some specific experience to carry on in the direction you want.

This process of analysis doesn’t have to be left to the end of the year. Ideally it is something you could do quarterly, or even monthly, to help you keep on track and to make sure that you are focusing on the activities that are going to give you maximum advantage.

Looking Forward

Only by looking forward can you plan, decide how you want your future to develop and set goals. You need to decide:

• What do I want more of?
• What do I want less of?
• What are my key objectives for this coming year?

If you don’t decide what you are aiming for, you can’t plan ahead with any purpose. Imagine jumping into a taxi and saying: “I don’t want to be here!” You would just get thrown out back onto the kerb! That’s no different to working hard on your career without considering where your efforts are going to lead you.

Once you’ve asked yourself these questions, take time to assess your answers and start to make achievable new plans with goals you are going to enjoy tackling.

Then, instead of choosing between a mental box full of either hopes or horrors, you can have a lovely filing cabinet, with useful summaries of the good and bad from last year, and a set of plans for a great new year.

More information and advice

If you want help on setting your goals, becoming more confident or dealing with the challenges of working freelance, look out for FEU Training’s workshops, join our ‘goal forum’ where you can ask questions and get motivating advice on an on-going basis or download some quick tips in our Digital Learning Centre. All these learning facilities are free to FEU members (i.e., members of Equity, the MU, the NUJ and the WG) so, if you hav

 

 

 

 

http://www.feutraining.org/digital-learning-centre/

By writer and tutor Sue Walker

Yes, it’s that old freelance joke: ‘What’s a bank holiday? In fact, what’s a holiday?!’

For some the festive season brings plenty of work opportunities. For example, it’s panto season so many actors will be rushed off their feet (oh, no they won't; oh yes they will) and that’s brilliant news.

However, for many of us, it is an incredibly quiet time work-wise. No-one seems to be hiring as they are all busy partying. In fact, if you’re like me, facing the biggest holiday season of the year can be like anticipating torture!

Rather than worry though, with a bit of forward planning, we can use this downtime to enjoy ourselves as well as get geared up for the New Year.

Money matters

It certainly does, especially with the added expenditure. You should already be getting your ducks in a row about what invoices you still have to send out; what is due and when as well as thinking about how to budget for the next two to three months.

Makeover time

If you haven't got much work lined up, it can be the perfect opportunity to catch up on things that you have been meaning to do like getting your accounts in order as well as putting some effort into getting set up for the New Year. For example, look at and re-vamp your marketing methods can really help focus your mind. Ask yourself:

• How am I presenting myself? 
• Am I exploiting all my existing work possibilities?
• Where are the new markets and how can I get my foot in the door next year?

Use the time to work on CVs; updating your web presence; drawing up ‘hit lists’ of existing and new/untried markets and creating new pitches (both written and verbal).

And keep all your social media connections up-to-date: don’t stop tweeting just because its downtime! Ensure that those you need to know, do know that you are still very much around and active.

Get the 2013 diary going

Even though I buy my next year’s hard copy diary in August, it isn’t until about now that I start filling it with plans and anything else that I can. But it is incredibly heartening, both psychologically and emotionally, to see that diary filling up and being almost ready to take over from the current one.

Now is the time to make concrete, time dated intentions, whether you keep a hard or electronic diary or both. Get them out and working. Try the following:

• Once you’ve drawn up your ‘hit lists’, put dates in for cold calls and speculative approaches
• Make firm dates to meet potential clients and former colleagues
• Put in industry networking events and think about what you might want to get out of them, e.g., to meet specific people? To hear a particular speaker? Just to mix and get out there?
• Think about any training or learning needs you have. Start thinking about how to meet them.

What else?

If you do any voluntary or unpaid work, you may want to offer your services a bit more if you have downtime. This can keep you feeling valued and avoid the isolation of not seeing enough people. If you haven’t done any of this, why not think about trying it now when you have the opportunity?

'Tis the season to be jolly

Finally, enjoy yourself! While you won’t want to waste your time, everyone deserves a break. Let’s face it, many freelances don’t get that many holidays throughout the year, so this is the time to relax and kick up your heels so that you feel re-energised and ready to go, go, go in the New Year!

‘May the force be with you!'

By tutor and life coach Muriel McClymont

“I’ve run out of steam,” wailed a new client the other day. “I sit at home staring at the same four walls, the phone is silently stalking me, and the dog is wondering, if I have so much free time, why I’m not taking him out walking!”

This had an uncomfortable ring of familiarity about it to me. I have definitely experienced a similar frame of mind in the past and I suspect many of you have too.

The problem when you reach this point is you come face-to-face with the force of inertia. You know, that science thing, where it takes enormous amounts of energy to get a train moving from standstill, and equally enormous amounts of energy to stop one that is going at full tilt!

When you’re stationary, getting going can feel like you are trying to drag the 9.20am to Edinburgh out of Kings Cross with your teeth!

If you are steaming ahead, then keep up the good work, and remember how important it is to maintain the force that keeps us in forward motion. But, if you’ve run out of steam and are parked in a siding somewhere, it’s time to rally all your energies and get back onto the main line.

But how do you get up to speed again? The answer is to take action, and take it now.  Sounds easy, and it can be, as long as you take lots of small steps and build up your momentum slowly. Remember that the train doesn’t pull out of the station at 60mph. It builds up gradually making progress with each small turn of the engine until it is eventually racing along on the open tracks.

Here are some ideas I use to take action:

• Update your online profiles, Linked In, Spotlight, Website and anywhere else you have a presence. Also, register your details on new sites.
• Make contact with the outside world. For example, phone someone, arrange a coffee with a colleague, stay in touch with what is going on in your industry. If you have friends in the same situation, arrange fortnightly or monthly meetings and arrange to do things together to keep yourself informed.
• Search the relevant publications or websites for opportunities you can apply for. Check if you have any contacts in that area, if you do, get in touch with them.
• Refresh your enthusiasm for what you do. Go and see something that inspires you. It doesn’t have to cost money as there are a range of free ‘inspiration’ avenues available in a range of venues across the UK, e.g., London’s South Bank Centre, Gateshead’s Baltic Centre and Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall all have plenty of creative events on now so check out your local area for what’s on near you.
• Physically moving can shift things for you mentally too and go a long way towards helping you to feel re-energised. Go for that walk now – it doesn’t have to be a marathon just a short jaunt to put the colour back into your cheeks.
• Consider volunteering. I became a school governor and have been amazed at the weight this carries with a lot of people. Also, I have gained some really useful knowledge and have made great contacts.
• Consider taking work that is not directly relevant to your career plan but is in the right area. One job I took on which was not on my career plan has allowed me to learn from the best and has given me great contacts for the future.
• Filing and tidying can really loosen mental stodge and make your work environment a more pleasant place to be. Get rid of the things that have piling up for ages. Honestly assess if there is any benefit to keeping them.
• Make sure you have sorted your online filing too. If you struggle to find an e-mail someone sent you a month ago, you need to improve how you manage your e-mail filing.
• Make a plan, set some goals and identify some actions. You’ll find help with this on the FEU goal forum, which can be found when you click 'ning network' on the front page of the FEU training website.
• Plan rewards for action taken and congratulate yourself on each step taken towards your success. Many of us are excellent at identifying all the tasks that have still to be done and how far we are away from our overall target. However, if that’s all you focus on, you can get discouraged by the seemingly endless struggle ahead . It is so important to stop and recognize how far you have come and how well you are doing. If you schedule in treats to celebrate every step in the journey towards your goal, you start to associate progress with nice experiences. You also make the progress of working towards your goal an even more pleasant one

What’s stopping you?

What is vital is that you do something, anything. And if it doesn’t work, do something else!

Sometimes we get so anxious about doing the ‘right’ thing, we don’t do anything at all and this creates a negative spiral of anxiety and inertia. We give that first minor step major significance then feel too pressured by it to give it a try. If you are stuck in this loop, within reason, any action that gets you back in circulation is the ‘right’ one. Even if it’s ‘wrong’, you will learn more about what you don’t want!

If worrying about other people’s reactions (e.g., if they will hire you or not) stops you from moving forward, remember it’s better to find out and move on (after all, the answer might be yes) rather than continue to build up negative possibilities in your head.

The less we do, the more fearful we often get about doing anything. If this is something you have experienced, check out the book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers. This book gives great advice and tips and exercises for getting back out there, when there is nothing standing in your way but yourself. I have certainly used it and I know many others who have been inspired to action after reading it.

So, commit to taking action now. It only takes one small step to get back on track again. You may even be surprised how quickly you build momentum and become a positive force to be reckoned with.

More info and inspiration

For networking opportunities and more inspiration from the FEU team and other creative freelances, check out FEU Training's free workshops, online advice and networking forums on this website.

By novelist, trainer and journalist, Sue Walker

Combating Isolation

One of the wonderful upsides of working freelance is that you’re not stuck in the same workplace with the same colleagues day after day (some of whom may well drive you mad!).

But the downside can be isolation: “I’ve spent all day on my own; not talked to a soul; only communicated electronically; ended up talking to the cat!”

Ironically, while advancing technology has made it easier to work ‘remotely’ and to get work in many instances, the downside is that it also means less human contact. This may be a good thing for some! However, many of us are naturally sociable creatures – at least to some extent. So, too much isolation can have several negative connotations including lack of motivation; lack of self-belief; feeling ‘rusty’ and inadequate when we have to meet people and in some cases depression.

What can you do?

Well, there are a number of key areas that we can look at to help address the situation:

Know Yourself

If you are gregarious and need to have contact every day (apart from the family and/or the cat) then you will need to think of how best to do that. You might want to plan a small social event into your diary a few times a week such as meeting a friend for coffee. Or, if you want to keep your days strictly for business, break the monotony by doing your research in the library rather that at home/office.

These days, many freelances are recognising the benefits of working with other freelances where they share the same space with 'colleagues', even if it’s just for a couple of days a month. The creative group energy can be a buzz. If you have a work ‘buddy’ that you think you might like to share space with then go for it (for more ideas on this, see our August blog ‘In the Loop’).

If you know that regular contact with ‘the outside’ is important to you, make a point of planning this into your week. We freelances know that we have to work hard and that every minute can be money but building this time into your week could pay its own dividends – you’re investing in your wellbeing and this can help you work more productively.

Your Environment

If you work from home, there are tremendous upsides such as a familiar, comfortable environment, no commuting and tax breaks for the use of your home! But, again, there can be a downside: your home/office can seem like a prison sometimes. When I feel like that I take a few simple steps:

• Work elsewhere for a while

The local library is free and when I can afford it I settle myself in a coffee shop for an hour or two. I find working in different surroundings often inspires fresh creative thinking too. Even working in another part of my home for a few hours and not just my 'office’ helps.

• The ‘N’ word

Networking doesn’t have to be a formal networking event that you have to force yourself to go to. In terms of combating isolation, it can just mean getting out to industry events and talking to people. You’ll also find it useful for picking up industry news and possible work leads.

If you’ve been to one of our FEU Training workshops for example, you’ll know that these provide great networking opportunities. As well as learning, we see people really connecting with each other and feeling so much better for it.

If you do recognize that you’re too isolated, it may seem like an effort to do something about it. However, it’s worth it because just a few small changes can make you feel brighter, more motivated and more creative.

Want to learn more?

FEU Training is running a number of free workshops around the country this year including the themes of combating isolation and confidence building. Look out for updates from FEU Training and your union.

 

Four strategies for success

By tutor and life coach Muriel McClymont

I remember watching the former co-founder of Apple Inc Steve Jobs addressing students at Stanford University a few years ago. I found it spellbinding and motivating and recommend you watch it.

Jobs is a great subject to study for success factors because he wasn’t born with social or financial advantages and no one opened any doors for him. I believe the key factors for his success were:

• he was always very focused
• he never considered giving up
• an inbuilt optimism meant he always believed it would work out somehow
• he didn’t recognise failure but analysed hurdles as feedback
• he was innovative and sponsored creativity in those around him.

These are the main traits that made the difference between Steve Jobs and many, many other talented and clever people who didn’t make it. If you speak to any successful person or see them interviewed on television, I’m sure you will identify all of these elements in some shape or form.

However, we don’t all have to be CEO of Apple Inc - success is a very personal thing that everyone defines differently. So, the first step we need to take is work out what success means to us if we're going to achieve it.

We have to own our ambition. There’s no point in spending all that time and energy being successful in order to fulfill someone else’s dream, or as author Dr Stephen Covey said: “…climbing the ladder of success, to discover it’s leaning against the wrong wall”.

To me, success is spending the majority of my time doing activities I enjoy and getting paid for them! So Steve Jobs’ successor can relax, there will be no competition from me!

Once you’ve worked out what being successful means to you, and what you want to be successful in, you are well on the way to working on the first strategy:

Focus

This isn’t necessarily a focus on success but a focus in a specific direction. Successful people usually care a lot about what they do. If they don’t, it’s hard to take it past keeping a roof over your head. So focus is often accompanied by a passion for the job although sometimes it’s not a passion for the job but a passion for the outcome that matters most.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta I’m sure didn’t have a passion for working in slums and dealing with so many tragic events. However, she cared deeply about improving the lives of the people she did her work for.

Likewise, I don’t think adventurer Bear Grylls has a passion for eating enormous insects or drinking his own urine but he does have a passion for personal challenge and getting a regular adrenalin fix!

Perseverance

“Never give up – never surrender!” was the slogan in the star trek spoof Galaxy Quest. Great catch phrase, and in the clip, although it’s a spoof, it demonstrates the point that if you have no intention of giving up, you have to find something else to try.

Inventor Thomas Edison took 3,000 attempts to create a working light bulb - what if he’d given up at 2,999? As he said: “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”.

So, perseverance, persistence and stamina have to be the successful persons armoury. According to film producer Samuel Goldwyn: “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”

Optimism

One of the key components of confidence is optimism. It’s about the recognition that you are on a journey, and are learning at every stage. Every new attempt has the benefit of all the experience gained from previous attempts.

I’m not talking about a blinkered and inappropriate optimism. I’m talking about a conviction that if things are not going well, that it is temporary, and somehow, if you stick with it, keep trying and keep adjusting your methods, things will come right. It’s not about waiting for someone to wave a magic wand, the key words here are, ‘keep trying’.

An optimistic person does not see a set back as failure but as feedback or a step a long the way to success. And, this sort of attitude means that you are less likely to feel personally wounded so you don’t need to waste vast amounts of time feeling bad. You can just get straight onto working out what you can learn from that event, and what you can do differently next time.

Innovation

Success depends on elements of creativity, innovation and flexibility. It’s about putting your stamp on whatever you’re doing and, if it’s not working, coming up with new ideas to try.

Remember we are all unique. No one has an identical set of genes, experiences, skills and talents. We all have something different to offer and we all have the capacity to be creative in our own field.

Improve your success rates

When you put this all together, it’s a pretty potent cocktail for success. So, as a starter to improve your success rates, ask yourself the following:

• Are you clear about where you want to take your career?
• How resilient are you? Do you have a record for persevering or giving up?
• Where are you on the optimism scale?
• Do you think in terms of feedback or failure?
• How innovative are you when things don’t work out as planned?

If you mark each of these questions out of 10, and gauge by your answers that there are some areas that need work, you can start improving your scores immediately, and take that information as feedback, and not feel bad about it!

You can sit down and brainstorm how you can do something about the areas that need work, in a creative and innovative way.

You can feel good that you are moving in the right direction, and things will work out for you in the future.

Helping you succeed

For free classroom-based and online learning opportunities that could help you be more successful, we’ve a wide range of opportunities at FEU Training specifically designed for creative freelances.

Diversifying your talents

By novelist, trainer, and journalist, Sue Walker

‘But I’ve spent all these years training and slogging to get where I am. I don’t want to do anything else. I can’t do anything else.’

Many of us will empathise with this sort of comment. It’s just so frustrating when we’ve worked tirelessly to develop a career in our chosen field only to find that, however brilliant we are at what we do, there may be long spells where work dries up.

Maintaining work consistency and making a decent living can certainly be a challenge in the creative industries - especially in a recession. However, this doesn’t need to be a reason to give up on what we love.

The reason why many freelances achieve long term success is that they develop additional skills that serve to support their ‘core’ business when times are lean.

Diversify or dwindle

To understand how to diversify our talents, we need to look at ourselves closely and honestly - a ‘self-audit’ if you like - that covers two main aspects:

• Our professional skills and experience and offshoots from this
• Our non-professional lives – what else we do, what we are good at and that we have a passion for.

Of course these two categories will be interconnected in many ways but, all too often, it is very easy for us to build a mental brick wall between what we do for money and everything else.

The professional audit

To do this you need to look at your ‘core’ business and think what ripples of related work can come out of this.

A common model for ‘other work’ is often the casual, non-creative job to pay the bills, e.g., bar work or temping. The good thing about these sorts of jobs is that they are relatively easy to fit in with your ‘real’ work and can be taken up in short bursts of time if necessary. However, unless you are researching a role or writing a novel or screenplay based on these sorts of situations, they are probably going to be less creative.

It might be a good idea to look for other work that you can do that stays as close to your chosen career path as possible so that you can use at least some of your core talents, keep in touch with your industry and stay motivated.

For example, as a writer, it seemed to me like a natural progression to start teaching others how to write. What’s more, I find that, as well as giving me an income boost between writing commissions, teaching others is very satisfying. Not only this, talking to peole in the same field, helps me stay creative and inspires new ideas.

Ask what other people are doing? Copy them, if it suits you. Be keen to look beyond your specific field. None of us can afford to be precious about our work. If you want to earn, you need to be flexible but the closer you stay to your first professional love, and the more you use your creative self.

So, if you write for a living, come up with the list of the numerous ways in which written communication is needed in the wider world. Even if you have worked in a narrow field for a long time, the experience and skills you have gained will be enormous. You will be able to sell them elsewhere.

If you are an actor who’s finding it especially difficult to get the roles you want right now, think beyond that. Where else are trained actors needed beyond the core business of acting? Also, why not make the most out of your skills even if you’re doing well? For example, comedian John Cleese made a successful business out of producing training videos for co-operate organisations and creatives.

Those who can......can also teach

Given that our professions are highly desirable, there will always be a market for us to pass on our knowledge and experience – for money. Teaching, in its widest definition, covers so many areas of learning.

The notion of ‘lifelong learning’ is well embedded now in the UK and there are countless opportunities to pass on your knowledge without having to go through years of teacher training! You can set up your own workshops; offer courses to a whole host of organisations and colleges; offer one-off masterclasses; get together with other freelances and offer any and all of these. And, once you get this off the ground, it can be a lucrative and on-going sideline.

If you want to do this, here are two tips:

• There is a qualification called Preparation to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS). This is a basic but important qualification to have and many institutions and organisations will demand it and/or look favourably on you if you have it. It is a short course and relatively low cost. Look for it at a local college.
• Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks. Even if you plan on working with adults, you may well be expected to have a CRB check – this covers working with ‘vulnerable adults’ (as well as children). Again, you may have to fund this yourself or a college or institution may pay for it.

The personal audit

This is about thinking what else you do in your life. What are you good at? What do you love doing? Are you particularly expert at a particular activity? Don’t be modest – think about this. It could make you money.

In my experience as a trainer, I have come across many previous ‘experts’ who have discarded their pastime as a potential money-maker. One that has arisen a few times is scuba diving! Not as bizarre as it seems. I’ve known creatives who have done this as a pastime to a high level, turn it to gold by teaching it; writing about it; even working in TV/film due to it! So, think about all of you – a 360 degree review may give you a whole new circle of developmental ideas.

Want to learn more?

FEU Training is running a number of free workshops around the country this autumn. If you would like to attend, look out for updates for workshops coming to your region or register your interest at [email protected] (if we have sufficient demand, we’ll come to you).

 

Staying motivated when the work dries up

By tutor and life coach Muriel McClymont

As a freelance, I have on occasions plotted out my workload for the next six months and realised I have more quality ‘me’ time available than is healthy for my bank balance.

In the past, this is where I would take myself into a corner and mentally thrash myself within an inch of my own productive work life: why didn’t I follow this lead? Why didn’t I attend that networking event? Why, why, why….?

Experience has taught me that this does no good whatsoever, and only delays what I have to do anyway. So now, I forgo the internal bullying session and go straight to dusting off my emergency plan and start working through it.

Here are five steps on my plan I’d like to share with you:

1. Speak to people

Never underestimate the power of human communication. Look out for networking opportunities. Mixing with like-minded people can remind you of what it is you really want to do and help you focus your efforts.

Chat to friends in the same line of business over a coffee. Maybe they will have a useful insight or suggestion for you. No guarantees, but worth a shot. They may even know of available work that would suit you right down to the ground.

2. Stay positive

When we’re struggling to get work, it’s easy to start doubting our abilities. So keep your MOJO up by:

• Reminding yourself of all the successful work you’ve done in the past and what you’re really proud of. Dig out all your great reviews, acknowledgements or letters of thanks. Find every scrap of evidence that reinforces that you are good at what you do, and spend time going through it all. Create a special file, so you know where it is if you need it again. I have a collection of e-mails from grateful clients that never fail to perk me up.
• Thinking back to what got you into this line of work in the first place: browse through material that inspired and still inspires you; look up your heroes and role models and recapture your passion
• Imagining how good you’ll feel when you clinch the next commission. Remember, this is just a blip and you’ll soon turn a corner.
• Talking to people who you know will cheer you up and remind you of how valuable and bright you are.

3. Maintain a balance

I know it can be extremely stressful when the bills are coming in faster than the work to pay for them. However, worrying yourself silly won’t help.

While you may need to work hard to create new opportunities, try to maintain a balance in your life and give yourself time off for good behaviour. Plan rewards (they don’t have to be expensive or elaborate) for when you have finished certain tasks such as calls made, appointments booked, e-mails sent, or details registered on relevant websites.

Catch up on a hobby you may have neglected. See it with new eyes, and you might see some opportunities to combine what you love to do in your spare time, with making some money.

Looking after yourself, giving yourself a well-deserved break and having fun whenever possible will help you return to tasks refreshed and more positive.

4. Exercise

In my world this means brisk walking, for you it could be jogging, swimming or sumo wrestling! Whatever your sport, exercise is now increasingly prescribed instead of drugs for depression. The serotonin the body produces when we exercise creates the same chemical changes in the brain as anti-depressants, without the side effects. So get moving.

Also, when you move your body, your thinking can shift into a different gear, sparking off new ideas and getting your creative juices flowing again. Getting out may also increase the chances of bumping into people who can help you.

Remember to jot down any great ideas you have, text yourself, leave yourself a message on your answer phone. It’s no good having creative inspiration, if you immediately forget about it!

5. Do something different

If what you have been doing is not working…  do something else. If that doesn’t work, find something else to try, and keep going. As physicist Albert Einstein said: “The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results.” So shake things up a bit – surprise yourself! You may want to:

• Look out old abandoned projects to see if the time is right now.
• Be creative with where you look for work. Perhaps work you wouldn’t normally consider, in an area you are interested in, will lead to other more relevant opportunities.
• Volunteer for appropriate organisations, if you can afford to.

I have done some weird and wonderful things in my time following this step. One temp job led to a great role that had me networking with all my heroes.

Several have been dead ends but still introduced me to great people who are now friends. Many I have to admit were unsuccessful, but I see those experiences as good material for amusing anecdotes in my memoirs.

So when the work dries up, while it may be tempting to catch up on the last series of 24, unless you are researching a part of course, this is avoidance, and should be, well, avoided. Instead try the steps above and see what happens.

For great networking opportunities see the range of free courses run by FEU Training.

By Novelist, Trainer and Journalist, Sue Walker

Networks, chance meetings and speculative approaches

Who do you know?

Yes, working in the creative industries is indeed about having, talent, skill and great ideas but that old adage of who you know is as true now as it’s ever been.

It's a freelance’s bounden duty to themselves (if they want to keep working) to forever look after their networks and contacts: cherish existing ones and create new ones.

This may seem (and is) common sense but a significant amount of us find this a challenge, especially if there have been a lot of knock-backs and struggles to keep in work.

The notion of ‘using ‘ contacts can be uncomfortable for some but successful freelances know that they need to keep each and every avenue to work open.

So, it’s wise to make a point of reviewing your existing contacts on a regular basis. An email, or invite for coffee, does no harm and can do you a deal of good. If there’s no response, then leave it for a bit and try again. Chances are, you are not being rejected – your contact may be busy with work and personal life. Persistence (without nuisance) is usually required.

Opening new territory - who do you want to know and who do you want to know you?

There’s no doubt that making your mark online and via social media to sell your wares is the way forward but it’s not the only way and, it may have an unforeseen downside if not kept under control.

Employers/clients and those who can give you work, still want to judge you in person. And they are far more likely to trust you to do the job, when they’ve met you face-to-face.

To make this happen you need to drag yourself away from your screen and email and get out there! Don’t be scared to meet up with people who may have work for you even if you’re a bit rusty at such encounters. Here’s a handful of things to try: 

Assuming you’re already networking online - if you are part of a virtual group anywhere, see if there is any interest in meeting up – try to find a reason for this such as a new idea that you would like to tell them about or to discuss some news that might be beneficial to them.

Find appropriate events to attend

Make sure you know how to introduce yourself, what you do and what you can do, succinctly and compellingly, in just a few seconds – finesse that so-called ‘elevator pitch’

Always be prepared, e.g., if you live round the corner from a great contact, you might just want to ‘bump into’ them from time to time and strike up some chat. Put yourself on their radar (though preferably not if they’re out shopping with two screaming children or a grumpy–looking grandparent!). Judge the moment.

Whenever you get the chance, talk with passion and enthusiasm about what you do. At many busy events you never know who might be listening.

Put yourself in any potential client’s/contact’s shoes before you approach – always ask - what can you do for them?

Your weapons of choice

As well as refining how you present yourself at organized events or more random moments, it is crucial to have something to offer – like a business card (still useful in many circumstances) and even a CV or résumé, if you’re attending a networking and pitching session.

There are often influential guest speakers there who you might get a chance to mingle with after and you may just be able to slip them your card/CV with a smile and a few well-chosen words to remind them of you later.

The most effective weapon is your enthusiasm and the ability to always present what you have to offer in the most interesting way. Be bold. Make it all about you!

And, finally, to quote another adage – fortune favours the brave.....

Want to learn more?

FEU Training is running a number of CV development and presentation workshops around the country this autumn. If you would like to attend, look out for updates for workshops coming to your region or register your interest at [email protected] (if we have sufficient demand, we’ll come to you).

Pitching for work face-to-face

By tutor and life coach Muriel McClymont

As skills for life go, learning to sell yourself effectively, has got to be right up there as a survival skill for freelances.

It’s no good being the best at what you do if, when you get the golden opportunity to meet someone who commissions your kind of work, you get tongue tied and mumble something noncommittal about not letting them down!  Would you employ you if this were the case? Don’t say yes!

A rose by any other name…

Selling (yes there it is, a nasty word for some creatives) but nevertheless an important skill - which can be learned just like any other. What you need to work out is how you can acquire this skill in a way that works and is comfortable for you.

If you really are struggling with the word selling, try looking at it from the buyer’s perspective. For example, when you buy a new computer, do you want to have someone explain as clearly as possible about everything it does and what all its advantages are? Or do you want someone to shrug and say it’s probably exactly what you want, but not back that up with the evidence – leaving you in the dark as to why it’s going to meet your needs?

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has left a shop thinking: "What’s wrong with those people? They didn't seem to know what they were talking about and I was ready buy?"

So look at selling as providing a key service that supports clients and helps them make the right buying decision that will be most beneficial to them. There you go, it’s virtually an act of charity!

Now for the science bit

Terminology sorted, let’s look at the actual skill. What do you need to do to present yourself effectively and so secure work? There are three key aspects: your preparation, what you say and how you say it – simples!

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

I can’t over emphasise the importance of preparation including:

• Research on whom you are trying to get work from and what’s important to them.
• Pulling out your specific skills, talents and attributes that the prospective client is looking for (each is likely to be different) and finding examples from your experience that most closely fit the bill.
• Deciding on your key messages and prioritising them in order of importance to ensure that you do get these across.
• Practising what you’re going to say out loud (to yourself, to others or into a recorder). This is invaluable and I’m often surprised to discover that what sounds clear in my head comes out as waffle when I say it for the first time but soon shapes up when I’ve verbalised it once or twice. Saying it out loud also gives you confidence for the real thing – just like preparing for a part if you’re an actor.
• Working out the possible gaps in your experience and how other experience could be used to plug these. Or, finding examples of where your ability to learn fast will compensate.

What you say

Your research and preparation will help you to:

• Find out as much as you can about what is required by the ‘buyer’.
• Identify areas from your experience, whether work-related or not, when you have used or demonstrated the skills and talents closest to what is required.
• Figure out how you can show how the skills involved in your achievements in that situation are a good fit for the opportunity in hand.
• Say what you can do, not what you can’t.

How you say it

You need to aware of how you come across to others. It’s about managing nerves so you can deliver what you want to say effectively, listen, observe the client’s response and make adjustments to what you’re saying if you’re losing the client’s interest.

Using appropriate and dynamic vocabulary that builds a clear and enticing picture in the buyer’s head, being animated when you speak, using positive body language and varying the volume, tone and tempo of your voice to make it more interesting are all important factors in getting the result you want.

To achieve this it is helpful to be interested in what you are talking about and curious to see whether your audience are enjoying hearing about it. As you'll have observed, when people talk about experiences they enjoyed or are proud of, they light up - and this kind of enthusiasm and passion is often irresistible. Also when someone shows a genuine interest in you, it's hard not to warm to them.

Non-verbal communication has a powerful influence too so:

• Match your dress with that of the client so that they recognise you (consciously or unconsciously) as someone who could fit in with their working environment. If you don’t know what to wear, it’s better to be too smart that too casual/scruffy.
• Use positive body language including good eye contact, smiling and a firm handshake and avoid distracting movements like chair swivelling, inadvertent hand waving and pen tapping.
• Be professional and polite, e.g., turn off your mobile phone and get to meetings on time.

It can be difficult to assess how we come across so ask friends to give you their honest opinion or, for a real eye-opener, get yourself filmed practising your pitch with a friend and you’ll certainly see where you can improve your performance.

It does take time and effort but getting to grips and observing the above will help you sell your work with panache, or if you still prefer, help a buyer make the right decision that includes hiring you!

Want to learn more?

FEU Training is running a series of workshops throughout the UK this year including one on pitching your work face-to-face (You’re Hired).

Look out for updates and let us know if you would like us to stage a workshop near you by emailing us at [email protected] including what workshop you are interested in and where you are based.