I’m standing here with a FREE HUGS sign
Friendships form in weird places and give you space to live in ways you didn’t expect - and that's OK, because we need them so very much in freelancing.
April is Stress Awareness Month. It was an utter accident that I will gladly pretend was a conscious decision on my part as I announce <drum roll> Hug a Freelancer Month! What began as Jess (designer for the Freelance Jungle, A Good Death, and Six Onions) and I talking about client management has turned into an extravaganza of client management and self-care. The conversations must have been enthusiastic and well-formed because we have grabbed Olly and the crew from Rounded (bad ass Australian accounting app) along for the ride.
So, now there is a month-long celebration of freelancers and the chance to remind people (even yourself) to be good to you.
Here’s how this came about
There is a lot of talk about what we as freelancers need among freelancers. Similarly, there is a lot of talk from clients to other clients or their staff on what they want from freelancers. Mainly, those conversations go on within the ecosystems they serve. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because we learn how to manage things better or gain tips on how to tackle issues.
However, there are a few issues with clients talking about client problems and freelancers talking about freelance problems in that we:
· May not hear the other perspective often enough and lack the empathy to bridge the gap
· Assume that if we encounter it once or twice, it represents an industry or pervasive attitude
· Risk accepting the problems we face as an epidemic or unfixable
· Avoid reflecting on these challenges and their potential solutions
· Remain siloed even within the client to client, freelancer to freelancer experience, increasing our disappointment and stress as we share negative tales
· Forget that we all want the same thing – hassle-free outcomes on exceptional projects.
In short, we’re not exchanging ideas and working together, even though we both benefit from working together better. We’re not tackling these issues as two sides of the same working puzzle and even sometimes view them as adversarial. That skews the view – and it divorces us from accountability.
It’s time to meet at the table and talk earnestly about what a fun, rewarding client and freelancer relationship looks like.
With the Hug a Freelancer (or Freelance Appreciation Month if you’re still social distancing), it’s about opening up the dialogue to get the two sides of the project talking. Instead of assuming there is this mythical thing called ‘common sense’, we’re developing the idea of setting standards for each other and professional expectations. Rather than fortifying the top-down notion of the client and freelancer relationship, we’re reframing it as collaboration between two seasoned professional parties. And instead of focussing on the problems, we’re building some achievable, real-world solutions when the communication snafus creep in.
And that’s what this awareness campaign is all about – getting two parties communicating better over a shared interest in projects and work. That sounded like a terribly dry title for something that could be a lot of fun. So, we landed on Hug a Freelancer.
What does this involve?
In the simplest terms, the Hug a Freelancer campaign involves:
· Giving freelancers permission to appreciate ourselves and the work we do
· Provide tips on self-advocacy
· Advocates for two parties working together to manage a project
· Reminds clients we need help to do our best work – and what that help looks like.
How we do that includes:
· Providing toolkits for each market to help work together effectively
· Advocating for the vital testimonials and case studies we need as freelancers while reminding clients to reflect on the good work we do
· Promoting freelancers being accountable as managers of the projects we work on
· Looking at case studies between freelancer and talent alike
· Providing helpful information on feedback, project management and having a good relationship between freelancers and clients
· Reminding everyone that choosing activities and tools that help connect client to freelancer helps reduce the likelihood of miscommunication, stress and/or depersonalisation.
From the Freelance Jungle, this extends the work we do in the group every week to help freelancers manage clients better, feel confident and advocate for self and project alike. For Rounded, it’s an extension of the work they do in teaching us to advocate for getting paid, manage cash flow, manage projects better, and work to raise the knowledge bar for happier freelancers.
It’s also personal, too
To make my life as a freelancer easier, I want freelancers to be better at standing up to their clients, managing their projects, and self-advocacy. I don’t want to inherit the clients who have paid the lowest dollar and expect a cheap, full-time employee. I also don’t want to smile and counsel individual clients on how it’s not appropriate to not pay me or feel it keenly as they mismanage internal politics of their organisation so poorly, I am the one who is stuck in the middle.
But most of all, I want people to stand up for each other – and ourselves. I want this utopia of a connected community (cue optimistic film score here). One where we all understand that we’re all working on the same thing. Clients want their projects and their business to work. We want the projects to work because it makes our business function, too. We just need to get better at not allowing assumption, misconceptions, miscommunication, trauma and the stinkier side of business and capitalism to derail what could be a beautiful thing.
Maybe I sound like a hippie, but I don’t understand why respect, collaboration, and working from a charitable and actionable feedback perspective is so often difficult. Maybe you do, too.
And if so, you should totally check out the Hug a Freelancer month web page and play with and download all the rad things.
Take a gander at the client-side of the equation on my freelance services web page.
Even if you don’t care about anything else, please help reshape the industry by participating in research about client management now. When you answer and supply your email, you also go into the draw for glorious prizes including up to 12 months of free from Rounded, fat social media spotlight shout outs, and a six-hour workshop with me to build your business dream.
Sharing more hugs with wonderful things to enjoy
Here are the pros and cons of disclosing your mental health condition in the workplace. If you like the podcast the Content Byte, this may be the summit for you. Our friends at Creative Plus Business are putting on a rocking seminar on recruitment in the arts and creative sector. Evaluator and grant writer Martina Donkers is singing the praises of time off. Uncover the amazingly talented business women of the Central Coast in this blog. The amazing disability advocate (and dear person) Carly Findlay lived out everyone’s dream and met Geena Davis (!!) as part of the ‘being seen on screen’ talk at ACMI. Join MEAA as they push for a fair go for freelancers this May. Listen as Guy Rowlison tackles mental health via his podcast, Brainstorm. Join the advocacy to keep a serial killer behind bars via true crime podcast, The Frankston Murders. The Walkley Foundation is launching a new fellowship for Australian women long-form freelancers working in regional Australia, co-funded by Are Media and The Australian Women’s Weekly.
The best hugs are for yourself
Never forget that in a world of trying to connect and be all the things to all the people, sometimes the simplest forms of love should be self-directed.
Ask yourself these questions of appreciation:
· When was the last time you got to play without obligation?
· When was the last time a client appreciated your work?
· When was the last time you produced work that made you feel satisfied and accomplished?
· What can you do today in 20 minutes to show yourself kindness?
· Write a list of ten words that sum up business you in a positive, loving way.
Thank you for reading and for being you. Each of you is a part of a wider tapestry we all call creative life and freelance living.
Love and other reasons to hug people at random,
Rebekah
Thanks Bek for the lovely 'hug' and shout-out, can't wait to check out more about this fab campaign