Work Smart during Hard Times
We’re coming up on three weeks...a month? Two months?...Let’s call it a frustratingly indeterminate amount of time...in quarantine. You have reorganized your pantry, exhausted TikTok, made a sourdough loaf, day drank, and filled out 17 quarantine Instagram quizzes. Watching the 60-somethings power walking from your bedroom window at 2:00 pm, you yearn for that type of drive. We can’t promise you that, but we are sharing some helpful tips. Not to overwhelm you, but to keep you excited about life, eager for the future.
Can you work when work is nowhere to be found? Is it possible to leave this crisis stronger and more equipped than you entered it? We’re answering those questions with a resounding “YES”!
Find your tribe
Unlike most hardships, COVID-19 is affecting everyone in an almost identical way. Communities that are usually thriving in the outside world have taken to the web and are still thriving! Find them. Reach out to fellow creatives and business owners and stay in touch. Take advantage of video conferencing apps to look at each other face-to-face. Attend creative conferences online and join chat rooms to keep your work and community front of mind.
Sharpen your tools
We are always wishing we had more time to “actually learn SketchUp,” “improve my illustration skills,” or “finally take that Photoshop tutorial.” Now, we do! If you’re finding yourself with stacks of time you’ve never had, actively work on your existing skills, or learn new ones!
Grow your network
Just because bars, cafes, and restaurants are closed doesn’t mean conversations aren’t happening. Spend some time growing your creative network and get to know some folks you’ve always wanted to. You’ve got something in common with literally EVERYONE right now. A low barrier of entry for conversation.
Up your social media game
When was the last time you uploaded a project to your Dribbble, Instagram, or LinkedIn account? It may be old work, process work, never-gonna-see-the-light-of-day work, but it is still work most eyes have never laid eyes on. Give people something to look at and remember for the time when this is over.
Polish your portfolio
Do you still have student work in the portfolio you send to clients? I’m sure it’s beautiful, but you’ve been busy! Clean out the cobwebs and add some recent work that you’re proud of, rewrite your bio, update your photo!
Simplify your processes
It’s tiring reinventing the wheel every time you have a client sign a contract? You may not even be using one. Save future you time and stress and automate some mundane tasks. Design a right, tight contract that you can use over and over. Find a time logging system that works for you. Design a proposal template that you’re proud. Or, buy one! We love Hoodzpah Design’s proposal template that’s reasonably priced and geared towards creatives.
COVID-19 is weird, ever-changing, and scary. So, remember, you aren’t alone, we are together! As a human family, we are showing that we’re stronger than a virus. Let’s come out better on the other side.
