What? There's no "I" in TEAM!
Well, if you only live life by spelling in the English language, then you're right. Absolutely right.
If you live life as a freelance individual - carving out your own niche, then you'd better find another dictionary.
It's been in my conscious thought for some time now, that I want to be paid for who I am - what I do, how I do it. Freelance graphic design isn't just a job description, it offers a mindset, requires a skill set, and even more importantly-requires transparency within individuality.
When I get hired for a gig, it is my ultimate goal to be able to do the job requested. Yes, I need to bring in my knowledge and perspective, educate & hope that an opportunity for artistic expression may become available. That's just the fun stuff. There are the "details" of contracts, billing, self-promotion, attending meetings, mixers and upkeep of my portfolio. Tweeting funny quips, posting relevant data on facebook - all of these tasky things that my creative brain doesn't often enjoy doing.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a team? My accountant could do my billing - I'd never have a financial discussion again! My intern could run my social network so that I wouldn't get caught in the quicksand filled twitter timeline! My other intern could clean the papers & do the piles of necessary filing that happens, even in a small studio like mine.
And then, I'm reminded of the freedom that I have - the only pressure of finding clients is from my own stomach - not those of my employees. I admit that it's a very daunting thought to have people "under my belt" in that way, am I responsible enough? What if I don't get a client and can't pay my people?
These thoughts are huge, and admittedly, I don't even want that responsibility right now.
So back to the headline, why do I need to put the "I" in TEAM?
Because I am my team. And for my team to function smoothly, efficiently, and effectively, I need to be in my best shape.
***side note***
I don't know if you've ever studied biorhythms, but they are SOOOO fascinating!
As a Scorpio, it's a given that I would love this stuff. When I got the app for my phone, I really started freaking out. All of my "explosive" moments perfectly lined up with the dips in my biorhythms. Any super emotional day or WTF kind of day started to make sense!
seriously, those guys make the best biorhythm app of all time...
***side note out***
Last week was an amazingly busy week for me. Actually, last 3 months were an awesomely busy time for me. It's awesome, because my business is thriving! I'm not kidding, I'll be walking on the street, recognize someone, and exchange info for a gig. It blows my mind how the universe is hooking me up right now.
So I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, you know? I'm taking all the work I can, because I know these are tough times! I'm stoked to be able to build up my portfolio with projects that I'm proud of, working with people who are doing such great things with their businesses!
But what happens when I get tired? When I need a sick day? When my biorhythms come crashing down all at once?
I go off the grid.
Fortunately, I hit my peak on Friday, the end of most normal workers' week. I realized that it needed to be the end of my work week as well.
No coming in to my studio on Saturday, not even working late on Friday like I usually do. And Sunday? Well, working on my own projects isn't really work, is it?
So I went for it, told my husband, and cancelled my social events. I wouldn't be attending to anything except myself. And the best thing - it felt perfectly right. Not selfish, not guilty, but absolutely right.
How could I think that if I don't take care of myself, that I won't be able to offer my best to my clients?
How well can my business continue to thrive if I don't take the time to take care of the team running it?
So I'm actively keeping this awareness in sight. Some days I will need to schedule in meetings with my team, so we can go on a retreat. Some times I'll need to schedule my team to work late in the office.
Either way, if I give myself a heads up, I can do my best to be prepared for the worst.
I'm looking forward to another gnarly work week. I'm super grateful for the opportunities to clearly schedule my work, and my play. And, I'm thankful that I have such great jobs.
To my clients: Thank you for your work.
To my peers: Be brave: Schedule YOUR time!
To my friends: Thank you for understanding why I wasn't there this weekend :)
I encourage you all to focus on what you need to be healthy & thriving in these very interesting times. Feel free to share what helps you!Labels: design, reading, relax
