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Freelancers, despite choosing self-employment for its freedom, often find themselves stuck in repetitive patterns that lead to boredom and burnout, says Dan Thornton in his recent article. He suggests that introducing small changes in daily routines, like altering workspaces, trying different foods, or adopting new hobbies, can rejuvenate creativity, enhance wellbeing, and prevent professional stagnation.
"You don’t need to turn your life upside down. Just plan some new experiences, even small ones. You might be surprised at how much difference it can make."
Are you familiar with the 1,000 True Fans thesis? It suggests that as a creative professional, you don't need millions of fans, just 1,000 true ones who will support you. Well, Jessica Abel debunks that as she highlights the discrepancy between the theoretical simplicity of finding 1,000 fans and the real-world marketing efforts required to reach and convert a much larger audience into true fans.
While the idea has inspired many, Jessica notes, "Getting those 1,000 True Fans, and keeping them, proves out of reach for almost everybody. When dejection and self-blame set in, it’s time for a little debunking." She offers insights into the challenges and choices creatives face in pursuing financial stability through their art.
Matthew Dowling of Freelancer Club published a great summary on what UK universities do to support student freelancers (namely at University of Plymouth, University of East London, University of Essex, Sheffield Hallam University, and University of Arts London).
See also our 2020 comprehensive review on Universities & freelancing in Europe.
"Feeling grim about your prospects?" asks Tom May at the beginning of the article and emphasizes that maintaining a positive mindset can lead to a turnaround in the most unexpected ways.
To put a concrete spin on it, he shares a few positive stories from the creative community – moments that have helped these freelancers keep going despite the gloomy climate.
The UK's IPSE has published its 2023 Self-Employed Landscape Report, which covers both the self-employed and freelance population.
There are over 2 million freelancers operating in the UK, an 11% increase since 2022. The results also show that 44% of the UK’s freelance workforce has been operating in this manner for over 10 years.
Here are some other interesting findings:
If you're looking for a good newsletter for freelancers (and independent consultants), check out Matthew Fenton's Soloist Sundays.
In one of the last issues, Matt reflects on the life and wisdom of Charlie Munger, brilliant investor and professional, known also as Warren Buffett's right-hand man. He shares his personal takeaways from Munger's quotes that have guided his career as a freelancer, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness, professionalism, reliability, and integrity in business.
Here's one standout quote: "I don’t know anyone I’d consider absolutely reliable who isn’t doing pretty damn well in life unless they had some truly extreme bad luck."
American business coach Sarah Duran is launching another very interesting and free virtual workshop Delegation Decoded. It starts on March 12 and focuses on the dilemma of delegating work to a virtual assistant — how to identify the right time to engage a virtual assistant and how to delegate in a way that will have the most benefit for your work. You can register for free on Sarah's website.
Re-reading Paul Graham’s long essay How to Make Wealth (hint: via a “startup”), it’s impressive how fully relevant it still is, 20 years after its publication, even though so many things have changed. The ongoing relevance suggests that Paul hit some fundamental, lasting truths about how wealth has been created in the West for centuries. If you haven’t read it yet, give it a try!
Billionaire activist investor Bill Ackman gave a fantastic new interview on Lex Fridman’s show. He has an enormous talent for explaining investments and the various market mechanics for laypeople and, perhaps more importantly, he’s honest.
For example, he details how he nearly went bankrupt at the height of his investing career. The whole interview covers many topics, including non-investment ones. However, all of them seem to share a central theme: the quality of governance. The conversation presents a simple, eloquent way how Bill puts complex things into neat explanations.
Legendary music producer Rick Rubin, who also wrote a bestseller on creativity, has been recording a podcast called Tetragrammaton for a year now, which has gained attention for its fascinating guests and discussions.
One notable guest was Steven Pressfield, the world-renowned author of The War of Art, Turning Pro, and other influential books for creatives. He discussed his approach to work and creative process, his reading habits, and his reasons for not reading much fiction.