Over at Freelancefolder today, Laura Spencer wrote a fantastic article about the creative truths that freelancers should know. While I agreed with everything she said, I think that the list shouldn’t be for freelancers. This list should be for the average joe. The person who doesn’t believe they are creative, the person who rarely thinks that their ideas are top notch.
Freelancers love their creativity, they relish in it, and already know how to use it. It is those outside the realm of freelance that don’t always understand how to be creative (or the fact that they already are).
For example, Laura explains the 4 characteristics of creativity: Persistent, Unconventional, Imaginative, Flexible; all 4 of which are found in almost every freelancers “about me” page. Really, read a few, you’ll see. Where they aren’t found is on the pages of your average business – which is exactly where they should be! Businesses in the ‘corporate’ world, use terms like “customer focused, driven, committed, etc”. They are terrified to be thought of as unconventional and persistent.
Those are scary and uncontrolled terms…which is exactly why they should be words that corporate businesses use more often.
She then talks about how you can be more creative. With the exception of slow down, all the others are ones freelancers already do. We allow ourselves to dream, because if we didn’t, we would never take the risk into freelance. It is our dream that someday we will have a famously successful solo business that allows us to even go for it. We always consider alternatives, especially when it comes to alternative ways to save money. Freelancing is all about balance, and finding alternatives helps to keep that balance. And lastly, well if we aren’t following our passion already with freelance, then why are we doing it?
Again, freelancers already know how to be more creative…it is the everyday guy or girl who needs to dream, find alternatives and be passionate.
What do you think? Should this article have been aimed at the average joe or was she right in writing it for freelancers?
Related posts:
- What is the link between depression and creativity?
- Why would you charge someone trying to find work?
- Is creativity better shared?
Kirsten
