Misconceptions about Freelance Artists

That is MY hand working on a REAL work project. Today I want to tackle the misconceptions most people have about us weird creatures- THE FREELANCE ARTIST....First on that list is that we don't really WORK like everyone else.

We don't really work. We're at home playing with our cats and watching TV. False. We work usually 7 days a week with no days off and no vacation or sick days. Your Saturday is not my Saturday. Weekends are just another work day.

That is my work hanging in an apartment sample room for some condos. My hands made that work. This is my work for my OWN PERSONAL BUSINESS. This is 1 of 3 jobs I juggle. Yes- 3!

This is more of my work for my own personal business hanging in a residence.

Freelance Artists can just come and go as they please with flexible schedules or no schedules. False. Our schedules are just different than everyone else's. This is COMMERCIAL work I do for a company who puts work in hotels and various places. There are deadlines for this work and I get paid when the work is done and turned in. So if I want to pay rent? I work and finish projects and turn them in.

This is more work for commercial hotels- this is Job #2 of 3

Personal work for personal clients sometimes involve long hours, travel and very physical labor. So MY business is JOB 1, commercial work is JOB 2 and....

I do payroll for a small business to keep a bit of money flowing in. This is JOB 3.
All jobs keep me super busy, 7 days a week. Freelancing is most assuredly WORK. So as Im refining my business goals and trying to streamline everything -Im learning I need to start setting boundaries about what I can and can't do on given days, hours and projects. This goes for my own household and myself. Stopping down to make lunch and do errands in the middle of the day usually kills my workflow. So as I try to implement my work schedule I want to hip my friends to WHY I can't always come out to play.
Having a studio outside the house has its merits- Im seeing that now. People can't bother you if you're "at work". At home I put on my work apron and that means "im working- no i can't stop to play in the park today". My cats dont get it yet.
And most of my friends don't get it either. 😂

Comments

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