Finding Balance Between Photography as a Passion and Profession
Balancing creative passions with professional commitments can be challenging for freelance photographers, the line tends to feel blurry at times and while from the outside it appears to be a dream role (and it is!), in the thick of deadlines, briefings, and production, it can still end up feeling like work which can lead to those pesky creative ruts. To maintain that freedom and flow to be creative, it’s essential to find harmony or routine to maintain both creative satisfaction and financial stability.
Balancing Creative Passions and Professional Commitments
One essential ingredient to work in a creative field is…creativity. To be creative, at least in my case, I need to feel relaxed, have a clear mind and for it to flow naturally, rather than feel forced. When we’re working for clients, it can quickly start to fall more in the forced bracket, so striking a balance between personal creative projects and freelance work is crucial to keep your creative mind content.
Set Clear Boundaries: Establish specific times for personal projects and client work. For example, allocate mornings for client work and afternoons for personal projects.
Prioritise Projects: List all your projects and prioritise them based on deadlines and personal importance. This helps in managing time effectively and ensuring that personal projects don’t get sidelined.
Integrate Personal and Professional Work: Whenever possible, find ways to integrate your creative interests into client work. This can make professional assignments more enjoyable and creatively fulfilling. When doing this though, ensure you’re finding ways to enjoy the process!
Importance of Time Management
Effective time management is key to balancing creative and professional work. Without proper planning, it’s easy for one to overshadow the other.
Create a Schedule: Use a planner or digital calendar to schedule your day. Block out time for specific tasks, ensuring that both client work and personal projects get attention.
Set Clear Goals: Define what you want to achieve with both your personal and professional work. Setting clear, achievable goals helps in maintaining focus and motivation.
Avoid Over-committing: Be realistic about what you can accomplish in a day. Those giant to-do lists and never ending tasks can lead to burnout and can negatively impact both client work and personal projects.
Staying True to Your Artistic Vision
While it’s important to meet client expectations, it’s equally crucial to stay true to your artistic vision when possible…sometimes this won’t be the case if a client has specific branding or creative needs. However, if you can contribute your creative ideas, this balance ensures that your work remains authentic and creatively satisfying.
Choose Projects Wisely: Whenever possible, take on projects that align with your creative vision. This makes client work more enjoyable and aligns with your personal brand.
Communicate with Clients: Discuss your creative ideas with clients and find a common ground. This ensures that the final work reflects both your vision and the client’s needs.
Personal Projects as a Creative Outlet: Use personal projects to explore new ideas and techniques. This not only fuels your creativity but can also inspire your professional work.
Viewing Creative Work as Equally Important
Beginning to view your personal creative projects as equally important as your freelance work is a mindset shift that can significantly impact your overall satisfaction and success as a photographer. It can even start to see them blend easier together, meaning more projects and paid jobs that align with your creative vision.
Allocate Time and Resources: Dedicate time, energy, and resources to personal projects just as you would for client work. If you’re keen to grow your portfolio and find more clients that align with your career goals, this could even mean planning a holiday around somewhere you’d like to photograph - something I’ve done many times throughout my career.
Celebrate Personal Achievements: Acknowledge and celebrate the progress and achievements in your personal projects, share your work or even print your favourite image, a physical version is so rewarding!
Balance Financial and Creative Goals: While financial stability is crucial, don’t let it overshadow your creative aspirations and ensure you’re putting in time to find the right clients who will allow for those creative goals to be met too.
Strategies for Maintaining Balance
It can help to take a moment every so often and start to assess if you’ve got that balance, or if things are starting to go a little astray if you’re working on projects for income, rather than creative fulfilment.
Regular Self-Assessment: Periodically review your workload and creative satisfaction. Adjust your schedule and priorities as needed to maintain balance, even just tilting the scales 5% in the other direction will feel amazing.
Flexible Planning: If a personal project needs more time, adjust your schedule to accommodate it without compromising client work - while this is easier said than done, sometimes we just need to give ourselves the permission to focus on what we enjoy.
Seek Support and Inspiration: Surround yourself with a supportive community of fellow photographers and seek feedback when you’re feeling a little stuck or overwhelmed. We’ve all been there! Sharing experiences and learning from others can provide valuable insights and inspiration.
On a personal note, I’ve found that maintaining a balance between personal and professional work is an ongoing process, one I’m constantly trying to get right and of course, sometimes let slip when it’s a busy period. The client work I always enjoy are the jobs that give me free rein, and it’s usually because I’ve been commissioned after they’ve viewed my portfolio and trust I can deliver on their requirements. This is another reason why portfolio curation and having a website that showcases your services as a photographer is crucial, it could attract your dream client!
Your invite to join our creative community of travellers! If you’re not already a member, come and join The Travel Photography Club where we’re having discussions about topics just like this! The club is an exclusive online space filled with creative resources, challenges, and travel advice for photographers.
