19 Signs You're A Creative Gigging Freelancer

Today, we’re going to look at the signs you’re a creative freelancer. Do you know those people who do creative stuff and get paid for it? They’re called “creatives”. The best part about being creative is that you can do whatever you want. If your clients aren’t happy with your work, they’ll just drop you.

If any of these sentences sound familiar to you, this article is for you:

You have a hard time following directions.
You tend to be more interested in what’s going on around other people than yourself.
You have problems doing menial tasks like cleaning up after yourself or washing the dishes because they don’t seem important enough compared to your “real work” which may involve staring into space while listening to music and thinking about nothing at all except maybe whether someone left any milk out before leaving for school this morning (this usually happens after eating cereal).

Ran Segall | The Art of Freelance – YouTube

Takeaways
1. Being a freelancer offers creative freedom and flexibility.
2. A strong online presence can attract more gig opportunities.
3. Navigating variable income requires effective budgeting.
4. Passion and dedication are key to sustaining freelancing.
5. Networking helps in finding consistent gig work.
6. Balancing multiple gigs demands excellent time management.
7. Freelancers need to continuously update their skills.
8. Self-discipline is crucial for meeting deadlines.
9. Handling client feedback positively contributes to success.
10. Managing taxes and finances is an important aspect.

Table of Contents

1. You’re A Workaholic

Most freelancers, especially those who are starting, have the same problem they don’t know when to stop working. They think they should keep on going because there’s always something else to do and some other project that will pay the bills (if only they could get started!).

But here’s what happens: Your brain gets tired from all the constant mental stimulation, and it eventually stops functioning at its peak capacity. Then you start making mistakes and missing deadlines which is bad for business! To avoid this unfortunate situation, set boundaries for yourself so that you can still get away from your desk every once in a while without feeling guilty about it.

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2. Your Routine Is Unpredictable

You’re a creative gigging freelancer, so your routine is unpredictable. You don’t have a set schedule and you never know when you will get called to work on something new or have an unexpected meeting with a client.

That means you must be flexible, which can be difficult for those who are used to working 9-5 Monday through Friday. But if you can figure out how to make things work in the world of gigging freelancing, then all the good things will come your way (and more).

3. You Start Each Day With A Cup Of Coffee And A Fresh Notebook

Coffee and a fresh notebook are your morning routine. You drink coffee because you like how it tastes, and you write in your notebook because it helps you be more productive, creative, and organized.

Your first cup of coffee is important; if it’s bad or too weak, you won’t start on the right foot. But if it’s just right strong but not bitter you get yourself amped up for the rest of the day by writing down three things that happened yesterday (and why they were good or bad) before making any work plans for today.

Then, at 9:30 AM sharp (or 11 AM if you usually take a long lunch), after checking your email and chatting with friends online, you grab another strong cup of joe on its way to becoming ice-cold again before settling down at your desk with pen in hand so that by 10 AM (or noon) when everyone else has settled into their jobs for the day already, they see that you’ve already got things done…without them even knowing what those things are yet!

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4. You Have The Ability To Divert Any Conversation Toward Your Passion – Be It Writing, Music, Or Performance

As a creative gigging freelancer, you are passionate about your work. You enjoy the challenges of your job and relish the opportunity to help others. But what might surprise you is how much this passion extends beyond your work. You aren’t just passionate about your career; you’re also passionate about everything else in your life!

You are interested in everything from politics to sports, fashion trends, and pop culture news stories. You love music (and probably play an instrument), or maybe you’re into photography or graphic design instead.

Maybe you have a family member who inspires your creativity, or maybe it’s something as simple as watching movies together with friends that gets those creative juices flowing for you. Whatever it is that lights up that spark inside of you whether it’s writing poetry or playing music with friends after dinner you know that every part of life is connected by one common thread: passion!

5. You’re A Good Listener And Have Great Communication Skills

Here’s a secret: creative gigging freelancers are often good listeners. It’s true! Being a great listener is one of the most important parts of this job. You might be thinking: “But I’m not sure what that means.” If you’re trying to figure out if you’re a good listener, ask yourself these questions: Do I pay attention? Am I able to follow conversations easily? Do others say they enjoy talking with me? These are all signs that someone is a good listener.

In addition to being a good listener (and not just saying that), freelancers also have excellent communication skills they’re able to express themselves clearly and concisely in words as well as nonverbal cues like body language or tone of voice.

These communication skills are essential for working in any industry but especially when dealing with clients who may need some extra handholding or guidance along the way because they aren’t as familiar with something new like an app development project or website redesign process.

As someone else might be working on it every day instead of just once every few months like most people do when they take care of their websites at home without any help from professionals outside except maybe checking something occasionally during those rare moments when there’s nothing else left so

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6. You Live And Breathe Creativity

When you’re a creative freelancer, you live and breathe creativity. You spend more time thinking about your work than you do with your friends and family. You wake up in the middle of the night with ideas for the next big project and can’t wait to get started on it.

That’s because being creative is more than just a job to you it’s an addiction that drives all aspects of your life, whether it be improving your skills or finding new ways to bring something new into existence that hasn’t been seen before.

Creative freelancers are never afraid of trying new things; they’re always looking for innovative solutions that will help them stand out from the crowd and take their work to new heights (or depths).

7. Your Home Is Your Castle, But Your Workstation Is Where You Rule Your Empire

You’ve got a dedicated workstation. You know the difference between “home” and “office,” and you don’t mix up their respective uses. When you’re working, it’s time to work. When you’re on vacation, it’s time to relax and enjoy yourself not write articles or take conference calls or make those YouTube videos of yourself spilling coffee on your keyboard while live-streaming your creative process with all of your friends.

And yet when you walk into an office building? That’s not where the action is happening; that’s just where other people make their money so that they can afford to pay rent somewhere else later in life (or at least until their lease runs out).

8. You’re More Productive When You Work At Home Than In An Office Setting

In an office setting, you’re usually surrounded by other people who are also working on projects, so it’s difficult to focus on the task at hand. Plus, the distractions of the outside world (e.g., loud conversations or kids running around) can be a nuisance and make it hard for you to get your work done.

If this sounds like something that would get in the way of your being creative and productive while working from home then yes you need to find some inspiration!

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9. You’re An Adult-Sized Kid That Loves Toys…Er…I Mean “Office Supplies”

You love gadgets and gizmos. Toys, games, colors, and shapes. Sounds and noises. Sensory overload! Sparkling lights! A sense of wonder! A sense of adventure! A sense of fun!

You get a thrill from putting together designs that are visually pleasing to both your clients and their customers (if they’re involved). You want your work to stand out on the page while still maintaining a professional appearance and sometimes even adding some personality to it as well.

10. You’ve Got Your Finger On Trends

It’s no surprise that you’re a trendsetter. You didn’t get where you are today by following the pack, and your work reflects that. It’s also no wonder that you’re a trendspotter and tracker. You see things before others see them, and not just because they’re small or hard to find… but because they were always there. You’ve got your finger on the pulse of society and the next big thing and it’s probably attached to a mouse (where else?).

11. You Eat Takeaway Or Deliveroo Most Nights

It’s been a long day. You’ve done your best to get as much work done as possible and now it’s time for dinner. But where are you going to find the energy? Why should you even bother cooking, anyway? If you’re feeling too tired or lazy or broke to cook for yourself, why not just order takeaway or have it delivered? It’s so much easier!

Just like a creative gigging freelancer can’t afford the time or energy to cook a meal from scratch every night, they also don’t have the funds to buy expensive ingredients every night either. So they do what they have to do: order in or get takeaways most nights of the week.

12. A Lot Of Your Creative Endeavors Are Born From A Need To Be Productive

Every creative person I know loves getting their hands dirty with projects and being able to see the fruits of their labor. As a freelancer, when you have the luxury of choosing what project you take on next, it’s easy to get caught up in doing just that taking on more work!

But this leads us into an unfortunate cycle where we find ourselves working continuously without much time off or rest. The result is burnout and stress, which can ultimately cause one to lose focus and motivation on whatever they’re working on right now because all they want to do is rest and unwind after such a stressful period spent working non-stop with little breaks in between each project (which may or may not be related).

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13. ‘working From Home’ Is A Term You Hate – Because It’s Not Work, It’s Your Livelihood

Working from home is not a privilege, it’s a right! This means you can wake up when you want, stay up as late as you want, and take as many breaks as necessary. It also means you don’t have to worry about getting fired for being late or wearing inappropriate clothing. You can even work in your underwear if that’s your thing (sorry but working out of an office means putting on real clothes).

If you’re gigging freelancer who travels the world yet still needs office space – this is an option too. We’ve seen some pretty cool co-working spaces popping up where creatives can share resources and knowledge while working from their own independent offices.

14. You Have A Million Ideas But Struggle To Follow Through On Them

If you’re a creative gigging freelancer, you probably have a million ideas in your head at once. Ideas for new projects, blog posts, and side gigs all nudge their way into your consciousness as soon as they come to mind.

This is great! Because that means you’re creative. That’s one of the first signs that someone could be a creative gigging freelancer. The problem with having so many ideas though is that it can be hard to figure out which ones are worth pursuing and which ones should just remain in your head forever (sorry).

Here are some ways to make sure that those amazing ideas don’t stay trapped inside of your head:

Planning is key; Write down all of your thoughts so they’re organized and not floating around aimlessly in there (I mean…inside there). You’ll also want to prioritize them by importance or urgency so you know where to start first when making decisions about what projects/blog posts/etc., need attention most urgently.

Another thing I’ve found helpful is making sure that I’m not distracted by other things while working on something important like my novel!

If I’m trying hard on something like writing an exciting scene or finding inspiration for characters’ dialogue, then I’ll put my iPad away because otherwise, something else will inevitably distract me from getting things done efficiently enough before moving on to another task like checking email or signing up for new services that may help me do better work later down the road but aren’t necessarily important right now (or aren’t even related!).

15. You’re Often Guilty Of Getting Drawn Into Other People’s / The World’s Problems And Issues When You Should Be Working

You might be a creative gigging freelancer if you: Feel guilty about not helping more people. Even though you’re a business owner, and not everyone’s best friend or therapist, you still believe that your work should help people.

You want to make a difference in the world around you, even if it’s just by making someone smile with your content creation skills. If a client asks for something that doesn’t feel right to you (for example, they ask for something too political), then they may not get what they want from you at all or perhaps only after some persuasion from you!

16. You’re Always Behind On Your Admin

This is a big one, and it can be more than just ‘annoying’ if you don’t address it. Your clients are depending on you to be able to deliver their projects promptly, so while it may seem like an easy thing to put off until later, the longer you leave this stuff the more stress it creates and the harder it becomes for you to get back on top of things.

It doesn’t matter what kind of freelance business you have – whether you’re working as a graphic designer or web developer (or something else entirely), keeping on top of tax returns, invoices and accounts will help ensure that everything runs smoothly in the future months/years too!

17. You Rarely Buy Clothes If You Don’t Need Them For Work, Unless They’re On A 75% Off Sale

You don’t have much time to shop; in fact, you’re often on the move and seldom in one place for long. You aren’t flush with cash at any point during your gigging life and you can’t afford to spend money on clothes that will go unworn or barely worn. Comfort matters more than style. Your ability to focus is paramount; as such, comfort trumps fashion every single time (even if it’s not necessarily “cool”).

18. Making Plans To Meet Up With Friends Is More Tricky Than The Average Person

You have to be flexible, and if your friend’s birthday party falls while you’re working out of town on an important project, chances are they’ll understand why you can’t make it (and they may have already planned their party around when you’ll be available anyway).

Or if your friend wants to get lunch this week but your client needs some last-minute help with a major rewrite of their marketing plan at 2 pm on Friday: well, tough luck! Not everyone is as lucky as creative gigging freelancers who get paid for our work instead of having regular jobs where we get asked by our bosses when we think it might be convenient for them next Tuesday morning.

19. You Hate The Idea Of Being Told What To Do

The idea of being employed at someone else’s company fills you with dread/anxiety/hives. You don’t want someone else telling you when and where to work, and how much to charge for your services. You feel like you’re good enough at what you do that they should just let you get on with it without interfering.

This is a really common feeling among freelancers, but there’s no denying that some people have trouble with authority, and being self-employed doesn’t change that. It’s important not to let this kind of mindset get in the way when it comes time to take on new projects or even find clients in the first place (which we’ll discuss below).

Final Thoughts

If you’re a creative freelancer, then you’re probably thinking about how this applies to you. You have your ideas about what it means to be a freelancer and what it’s like working as one.

I hope that this article has helped shed some light on the different types of gigging freelancers and what they have in common and even more importantly, how these people approach their work differently than traditional employees.”

19 Signs You’re A Creative Gigging Freelancer