The saviour that is a damn good idea
How backing your own ideas brings hope, a way to learn, and some of your best opportunities.
“Where did the idea for the Freelance Jungle come from?
Conference prep always takes me back here.
Can I answer, "my own self-doubt as a freelancer"?
In 2010, I:
· Saved up $3000 in my bank account
· Stuck a speech bubble to the happy golden labrador my guide dogs’ calendar had for the month of March that said, “I’m free!”
· Said goodbye to my hectic but stable agency job as a senior account manager
By 2011, I was:
· Cash flow poor and eating two-minute noodles for Christmas dinner
· Constantly stressed about leads
· Determined to prove myself
· Making all the mistakes possible
I launched a survey for freelancers and 166 people responded from around Australia and found out it wasn’t only me.
From here, the Freelance Jungle was born.
Image: Cappy the Capuchin monkey table mascot from the Freelance Jungle meets.
Where do ideas come from?
Change, real change, rarely comes from benevolent people in power. There is far too much red tape, ego, financial thinking, and too much to navigate for that to happen.
No. Change comes from shifting hope from an external force into an optimism you experience. That means allowing it to bug you and catching that bug with a piece of paper, an early conversation, or a pin on your board. Then taking that scrappy bug of an idea and introducing it to some action.
Idle thought meets the chemical reaction of people, time, creativity, and curiosity to push beyond “gee it’d be nice if…”
And weave past the obstacles to:
· Reject the comfort of cynicism
· Decide the pain of staying put it worse than the pain of change
· Embrace the unknown
· Renounce perfectionism
· Do something
Hopefully an infectious thing that brings the other bug lovers running.
Now is a time for ideas
The exhaustion is real.
I started writing the Freelance Times (the satirical look at freelancing life you can read here, here, and here) because I felt powerless to help after:
· Years of natural disasters
· The Covid years
· Lockdown
· Restarting as if nothing happened
· Fighting big tech
· Meeting the inflation years
Humour felt like the only thing I could realistically bring to the table in the face of some big problems. I’ve realised I might be onto something.
I don’t have to ask:
· What can I do to fix things?
I can instead ask:
· What do we need to be optimistic again?
Laughter and the chance to not be quite so serious about freelancing became a reasonable choice.
Comedy became hope. A little firefly within an idea’s jar to help me see things more clearly.
Ideas let me know I can (still) do something.
When thinking of ideas, instead of punishing yourself with thinking of the outcome (as we often do, when measuring profitability or whether something is time-worthy), the questions might very well be:
· How much hope does this idea inspire?
· What have I got on hand to pursue it?
· How quickly can I execute it?
· Who’s with me while I do it?
· How does this idea make me feel?
· What does this idea gift me in the present?
It’s approval to embrace an idea for bringing its own brand of optimism knowing full well optimism brings the sense you can change things.
Find yourself in a room full of ideas
Saddle up for film and TV conference Crew Con to network (multiple cities) or learn (online) Sept 5th and 6th.
Chat ideas with me over dinner at the Green Man’s Arms in Carlton, Melbourne on Sept 10th.
Come to Swarm and see the many hands that make the ideas happen on a community level on Sept 12th (online or in person).
Experience how content can spark your better ideas at the Content Byte Summit.
F*ck around and find out with ideas at this unique Western Sydney conference on Sept 22nd (use code FAFOFRIENDS10 to get 10% off!).
Explore you next idea with me
Let me know your appetite for all things digital via this POLL (it’s helping me design spring and summer online offerings!)
Introduce your idea to me during Office Hours, a Patreon supporter exclusive on Sept 25th.
Need more than 15 minutes? You can book me by the hour, create a spark under your business via your very own three-part workshop, or make a strategic change with coaching and a customised plan.
Read about why I think we all need a freelance specials board to reduce client confusion and my unexpected optimism after an evening in Port Kembla. I also tackle lead gen 101, wrap your head around biz dev with these questions, overcome client rice sensitivity, review your attitudes to productivity, challenge wank words when you’re happy to do shit, reframe your marketing attitudes, what to do with the f*cks you want to give, find an alternative to marketing manipulation, the real reason to create,
Get inspired by other people’s ideas
Vivian is encouraging freelance productivity via Teamd. Rah is helping you start your podcast adventure on the right foot. Check out Sarah’s new website for Tasmania’s Western Tiers tourism. Grab yourself a bargain at the Trainwreck Tea spring sale (PS: I highly recommend the love and loss tea for grief AND for inflammation management!).
For the readers, Helen has a new middle grade book out. Anf wrote about his adventures in Mexico. Alexandra introduces you to Kentucky’s Ark Encounter. Pat wrote about walking with wombats in Tasmania. Lisa wants you to meet the Prince of Fortune. Check out Erin’s sketchbooks for kids.
Rose’s video explores overcoming perfectionism. Ceramicist Kush shares their showreel. Listen to Miriam talk on the Vocational Voices podcast.
Find community with Didi when facing suicide loss. Carolyn is sharing their art via Instagram. Diane would love to hang with you on Instagram. Explore art and disability via Melanie’s Patreon. Alex is inviting you to their studio.
Help me make client management easier
Finally, I have an idea how to fix freelancer-client relations, but I need your help. Share this around and encourage anyone who works with freelancers in their organization (or if you contract them yourself) to answer this survey.
Did this newsletter spark ideas? Share them with me in the comments below.
Love and other ideas that bring hope,
Rebekah
This is the most helpful/info-packed newsletter in my inbox 💜
"What do I need to be optimistic again?" That's a question I've been pondering often this year.
In recent months, I have found myself in a space of negative thinking, limiting beliefs, and self-doubt. I'm still working on shifting my focus to optimism and possibility.
When it comes to ideation, coming up with ideas isn't the issue (my wife can attest to this!). It's my ability (or inability) to bring them to life that stops me in my track.
Jumped on a call with my great friend and mentor @jiajiang this morning about a book he's writing, and he introduced me to a concept he's calling "system smart". In Jia's words, system smart refers to "your ability to learn and use systems, tools, habits, and rituals to help you be the best version of yourself." (more on this here - https://blog.jiajiang.com/p/system-smart-your-third-intelligence)
I resonated with this. For over a decade now I sat by and watched founders/CEOs that I've worked for implement systems (including tools and teams) that enabled them to break free from having to do everything themselves to make a living, and be able to spend more time doing things like travel, be with family, raise children, get fit, etc.
Anyways, I'm seeing some dots connecting here...
Thanks for the shoutout Bek. I appreciate you.