What motivates you?

As a freelancer do you sometimes dream of having a job, anything, even something menial, just so you don’t have to think; about all the decisions, finances and stress of every single bid, treatment, production and negotiation?

I know that when I owned The Collective Force & OPTNZ I had moments where I dreamed of the simplicity of sweeping the floor, and baking a cake rather than dealing with the multitude of demands a production company and photographers agency could manifest.

But something drove me to go solo at 23 (and never look back), and I know what that motivation was, and still is.

Freedom.

When you are freelance you’re free to choose who you work with, who you hire as your crew and surround yourself with. You get to make work that you love making between jobs, to say yes or no to the job (it’s always a choice) and you get to choose when to focus on your business and when to go to the park with your kids.

You are always free to pursue opportunities, and yes, they are still out there, if you are making yourself visible in the right ways.

2 weeks ago a photographer I work with was asked to bid on the biggest brief of her life; a global job from Asia involving flying to multiple countries.

Another photographer shared his personal project developed on my program in March and immediately got 3 very decent briefs from ad agencies as a result of an art producer, and some creatives seeing it. He’s sent me some of the completed work- all very folio worthy.

Several photographers I mentor have been contacted by agents about representation. Reps are still out there looking, even though you might have given up.

And a whole raft of photographers I work with have noticed a spike in agents, creatives and art producers following them on social media after sharing their new projects and websites.

On this American Independence Day, I’d like us to celebrate being free to make choices- something many people don’t have. And to work in an industry which although taxing at times, and forever changing, still allows you to be paid to be a creator, a maker and someone who is valued as part of that process.

Happy 4th of July, wherever you are!

If you want help getting more of the right eyes on your work, and the kinds of briefs I’ve just shared, apply for a free strategy/ discovery call with me here. We’ll look at where you want to be, and I’ll show you how to get there.