by Leo Wiles
26 April 2017
Hi gals. I have a question. I’ve just hung out my freelance shingle (after years working as head of an in-house features team). Part of the reason I went freelance is because I felt like I was bored, frustrated and stuck in a creative rut. So while I know I’ll miss the regular paycheck I’m looking forward to having a bit more variety in my work. Any tips? Sara
Sure. Because I’ve been here, as have many of us. It sounds like your day job became suffocating and monotonous, but it would be negligent of me to say that freelancing can’t fall prey to that, often more so. To make money, you’re often stuck writing about things you’re not interested in. However, there are a few strategies for avoiding that creative rut when you’re freelancing – here are mine!
Choose your client wisely When I was doing PR, three to five years was pretty much my limit – and enough time for me to have written every thing I could conceive of for subjects such as water conservation and telecommunications. It was only when I worked for a Spanish sculpting house that I knew I could be there forever. The client had international scope, a huge turnover of product lines, a stable of fabulous designers and a huge pool of stories to pull from. In other words, creative stimulation at every turn.
Change the formula Often we can fall into the same writing style, which can eventually become stifling. Assess your writing and identify the habits you fall back on, or turns of phrase you use a little too often. The antidote to this is to wide your reading for inspiration, and even setting yourself tests to write in different styles.
Pursue your potential Often we’re hired for the type of work we’re known for, and not the work we’d be truly passionate about. So stop telling people that your forte is home insurance and mortgage broking when you know you would do even better at interiors or reno makeover type stories. My point here is you need to turn your rut into a trail towards the interesting and original avenues that you want to pursue even, if it means leaving your current comfort zone.
Think outside the square You’ve found your dream client, but your writing feels stale after doing the same thing over and over. So, why not have a heart-to-heart with the client about diversifying your output? Instead of the weekly double-page spread containing a 750-word feature, suggest mixing it up with long form, short form, first person, third, direct quotes indirect etc.
Re-boot your brain with tiny tweaks Re-arrange your desk, change your desktop image, swap your coffee mug for a new kickarse mug you found on Etsy. Change your chair. Stand instead of sitting! Work in the local library instead of at home. Do one do all of these to shake things up and get your brain matter clicking into a new creative gear. If that’s proving ineffectual, shut your eyes and envision what life outside the rut might look like. Once you’ve nailed down the new vision decide what the next steps are – be it study, outsourcing to a sub-contractor, or approaching new clients.
How do you sidestep a creative rut?
