January 2022: Finding your freelance space
After 15 years I've got an office!
Happy New Year! How are things with you?
My question today is, where are you reading this? Are you in a home office? Do you have a home office? Where is ‘home’ for your business?
You see, I’m writing from what is becoming my home office, AKA Freelance Feels HQ. One of the spare rooms of the house we moved to. And it’s truly the first time in my on-off freelance life that I’ve had a dedicated space to call my own.
It feels so strange to say that - and there are a mixture of reasons. One is that I’ve often called other people’s offices my home. From magazine features desks to co-working spaces or even cafes and hangouts. After I took redundancy from a newspaper job about 5 years ago, I made a sort-of-office in the corner of the living room of my flat. But it never took shape. A lonely little desk with a laptop, an afterthought. I kept working in other offices, or at the kitchen table or sofa. I wasn’t ready.
I thought I never really needed a ‘Freelance HQ’ - but I’ve realised I think I never felt my business deserved one. I was a here-there-everywhere kind of freelancer, always flitting between different contracts and new places. Putting down roots and making part of my home my official office was like going steady with someone I’d only ever dated - perhaps asking them to come for dinner rather than meeting at a bar. (Hey, those of you who know me will know by now I love the analogy of why freelancing is like dating!).
Freelancing is scary. I think it’ll always be scary. Putting down roots, making an ‘actual office’, meant I was committing to the scary. It means I’m saying ‘I’m not going to go back to anyone else’s office now - or ever. EEK). And now I’m doing it.
As the title of this first newsletter of the year implies, this is more about finding the room (the actual room, not a stand alone room as I know we don’t all have a spare bedroom!), the area. It’s about creating a freelance space for yourself. Giving your ‘freelance’ the space it deserves, to flourish and grow. Showing up by saying ‘Hey, business, you deserve this!’.
It’s not just about walls, windows and desks. It’s also about how you feel, what is around you, how tidy it is (I’m not the tidiest!), even what it smells like.
So I’ve thought long and hard about this space of mine.
When we first moved to this house, I was based in the attic - a large converted room, which always felt like it would be the office from the very first viewing. My partner has his desk up there, and he seemed to settle right in. Me, not so much.
I felt like I was in someone else’s space. (Not because he ‘owned’ it with his stuff, far from it! There was lots of room and a desk, shelves and so on for me). I would often come down to one of the spare bedrooms to make calls, or record podcast episodes. And I realised I liked this room more than the attic.
We call it the ‘Terrariroom’ because I chose some ace wallpaper to hang on the walls, in keeping with the vibe of freelance feels and the cacti. Here it is:
So here I am, making my space. My den, my Freelance HQ. It needs some work, some tweaking, but I feel at home. I hope my business does too. It’s not just about the pot plants, or the wallpaper, or the mood board or the lighting - it’s about feeling right, and connected in the space. It’s about sitting down and thinking ‘yes, I can work here, I can plan and let things take shape’. So far this morning, I’ve got quite a lot done here so I think it’s going in the right direction. I’ll add updates to Instagram.
Tell me where you work and why!
Do you have a goal for your business in terms of where you’re based? Is a home office the dream, or a place in a co-working space? Maybe the idea of a home office makes you wince - I’m sure it does for many freelancers! Are you happy on the bed, or the sofa?
A final question for you, is ‘Do you have a freelance word of the year?’.
Mine is ‘Patience’, and not just so I can keep humming Take That…
I often rush into things, shout about launching new ideas before I’ve fully planned them, or expect things to happen quickly. This year, I’m going to try and be more patient and see what comes.
Do you have a word of the year? I’d love it if you wanted to share it with me! Click the link above and comment with your word and why it’s important for you.
What’s coming up…
Coaching: Relight Your Freelance Fire is taking bookings for FEBRUARY. More info and a booking link on the website www.freelancefeels.com/relightyourfreelancefire
I am also running some workshops in January - on being a media-friendly expert on Jan 6th and on finessing your freelance CV (Dates TBC for that one!).
Read, Listen, Subscribe…
Read: More on words of the year in this thread from Louise Shanahan, host of the 15minutefreelancer podcast.
Listen: Here’s the podcast news! I mentioned on Instagram that I was plotting changes to the podcast - and the change is that I’m going to have a break from new episodes. I want to reflect on what I’ve done so far, and possibly change up the format. To do that, I need to step away from making episodes.
BUT - there are still plenty to listen to! There are episodes to listen to, including Millie Gooch for Dry January, Lucy Watson on Veganuary, Tom Kerridge talking about the impact of Covid and the pandemic on the hospitality industry, Escape to the Chateau DIY’s Beck Jones, Dragon’s Den alumni Rob Law, and Apprentice runner up Bianca Miller-Cole. (I LOVE the Apprentice and Dragon’s Den, both coming back this week, yay!).
Subscribe: My chums at Museflash are running their pitching course again! I’ve done this and it is so so useful. It starts on January 31st, and you can find more info at museflash.academy