There’s a general attitude in many freelance associations, meetings, conferences and blogs that’s becoming increasingly popular. It’s what I call the “starving artist” mentality.
Basically, it’s the general feeling that good-paying work is hard to come by. That it’s a struggle to make a good living as a freelancer as companies lay off employees and hire freelancers (without paying them benefits). That clients beat you down on price, expect you to bend over backward and then take forever to pay you.
That it’s a “war” out there, and you need to do everything you can to survive.
There’s a reason why we like to engage in these conversations. We create a bond with someone when we talk about a struggle we share. Especially if there’s a lot of emotion around the issue.
But guess what? If you engage in these discussions, they will absolutely KILL your performance!
And your income.
They will lead you to even more situations where you’ll be forced to work for peanuts. They will help attract even more terrible clients. Which will make you even more miserable. And so the endless cycle goes.
Here’s a fact I’ve learned the hard way. You get what you think about most of the time. If you talk and think about the struggle, you’ll get struggle. If you engage in discussions about lousy clients that don’t appreciate quality work, you’ll get more lousy clients.
I don’t know why that is. And frankly, I don’t care why it works. I just know it does. Just like I know my cell phone works and my MacBook is running fine (yet I have no idea what’s going on under the hood). So I’m mindful of what think about, what I talk about with others and what I feed my mind.
And I stay the heck away from people who want to get down in the mud and talk trash. You should too.
I know, I know. Those “let me tell you about this clients that screwed me over” rants can be cathartic. But engaging in them is like having a big fat slice of triple-chocolate cheesecake. It tastes wonderful. But you feel like crap an hour later.
What do you think? Am I crazy, or do the conversations you have with others affect you at a deeper level?
And isn’t it better to spend time thinking about how to improve your situation rather than waste valuable time complaining about it?
(Photo courtesy of Zazzle)
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AMEN Brother! I know this site is for freelancers of all stripes, but I see what you’re talking about in the copywriting world. I’ve visited the discussion boards and read the blog posts where freelance writers talk about what a struggle it is to get .10 cents a word. Ten cents!!
I see the posts where people talk about their “creativity,” the “writing process,” and how being a freelance writer is supposed to be “romantic.”
These are code words for staying broke.
Here’s the deal: if you want to be successful, meaning you make more than enough money to meet your financial obligations, take a few weeks off every year, save money, etc etc. then you need to hang out with other successful people OUTSIDE OF YOUR INDUSTRY.
This means that if you’re a writer, don’t hang out with writers. Hang out with complementary professionals — i.e. hugely successful Web marketers or bookkeepers or designers or business owners. You’ll not only get some really good ideas, you’ll see how and why others have become successful. You’ll learn to think the way they do.
Even better, these people, who aren’t your **competitors,** will refer work to you.
Great post Ed and thank you for writing it!
You’re so right about this, Dianna. Hadn’t thought about the “hang out with other people” angle. Nothing wrong with hanging out with fellow freelancers. But that’s the only type of socialization many solo professionals do. Why not seek out successful professionals in other fields?
To your point, I had dinner last night with a client of mine who’s a hugely successful businessman. Founder and president of a multi-million-dollar company. Fascinating story, this guy. Came from very humble beginnings and worked hard. He made it up as he went along. Anyway, the point is that I got GREAT value from hearing him tell his story and learning more about how he thinks and how he views the world. I honestly feel that our conversation last night will have a very positive impact on my work. Not only because he thinks BIG, but because he provided me with a different perspective on things and what it takes to accomplish great, worthwhile goals.
In fact, now that I think about it, some of the most impactful conversations I’ve ever had have been with super-successful individuals (not just financial success, BTW) outside of my industry/business.
Ed,
Exactly. Some of the best stuff I’ve learned comes from other professionals — those who aren’t writers but business owners / executives / industry gurus / entrepreneurs, etc.
I can take a class on how to be a better writer. I can’t take a class on how to think bigger.
Spot on, Ed! In my profession (translation), there is constant bellyaching about rates, terms and conditions, customer relations and whatnot, but in most cases the problem is indeed traceable to the complainer himself, who doesn’t understand how to structure an offer to explain value, who gives shoddy service that isn’t worth half of what the client is willing to pay or who doesn’t understand basic business and contracts. Often this is a carryover of the employee mentality, the expectation that others will provide the framework and operating parameters for one’s activities.
The ones who don’t have these problems face other troubles: too many people interested in their services and willing to pay good rates usually
I love this post and totally agree with it. I started freelancing just before the economic slump which meant that every time I told someone what I do, I’d get, “Oh, that must be rough! Bad timing!”…which hasn’t been the case at all. I’ve considered myself an experienced professional and businessperson since day one, that’s how I sell my services, and I seek out and get the jobs that are aligned with what I have to offer.
Of course I have to work to get clients, but I agree that bellyaching about ‘unfortunate circumstances’ becomes an excuse to not do something to improve your situation!
Dianna – How true! Reminds me of the legendary marketer Jay Abraham. The guy has made tens of millions because he’s mastered the art of taking ideas from dozens of industries and applying them where they’ve never been used before. Every time I hear someone (in any business) say something like, “That’s not the way it’s done around here,” I feel even more compelled to revisit that process or strategy! Thanks for joining in, Dianna. You’ve given me an idea for another blog post…
Kevin – I agree. I’ve been in the mud many times. And when I was finally honest with myself, I realized that my complaining was just a self-defense mechanism…and a poor one at that. That’s why I love to read about the great turnaround stories (Harley Davidson, Apple, and so many others), because they’re a constant reminder that challenges are opportunities in disguise. They beg for creativity and action — not complaining! Appreciate your contributing to the discussion, my friend! We love your input.
Marlene – It’s amazing how little competition there is when you start treating your freelance business like an actual business (rather than purely a creative outlet or a hobby). You obviously do that, and I can tell it’s a big reason why you’ve had great success. Thanks for your comment — great stuff!
A positive attitude is always helpful in anything you do. Freelancers should be positive about their choice! Although it is not for everyone, it is great career choice. Just remember “why” you became a freelancer and the positive aspects you thought of when you made that choice, and don’t let other people dampen your spirits!
I do agree that it is important to keep your mindset positive, however, it is also important to be able to tell someone about your difficulties. Just don’t tell *everyone* about the bad stuff. Find a trusted friend or mentor, get it out, get some advice and move on!
I love the idea that you get what you think about most of the time. It’s true. Thanks for a good, thought-provoking post!
Dava – Absolutely! Nothing wrong with having that one confidant whom you can call to vent, open up or get motivated by when you’re down in the dumps.
And re: you get what you think about most of the time, I understood this idea on a conceptual level when I first heard about it 15 years ago…but I didn’t really “get” it. Over the last couple of years, it’s really sunk in. And now I’m continually amazed at how powerful my thoughts (good and bad) are.
Glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for your input and kind words!
I absolutely agree! I’m reminded of the chorus from one of the songs my kids used to listen to called “The Think-Do-Feel-Good Polka,” “You think it, you feel it, you do it!” Great post!
Thanks for this post, Ed. Very true words! Speaking from personal experience, whenever I was getting down on myself and my confidence faltered, I floundered most. When you don’t earn any new clients or assignments for a while, having a personal sob-fest can be pretty tempting. I’d mope, question my abilities and my career choice, begin believing artists were meant to starve in exchange for having a fulfilling job that they loved.
Funny enough, whenever I came out of the slump and got over the mopey melodrama, my luck would magically improve. Maintaining a positive and professional attitude at all times is fundamental. It isn’t just in finding a love match that confidence plays such a fundamental role when it comes to attraction. Even if business isn’t great, pretend that it couldn’t be better. Potential clients will be knocking at your door in no time. It really is the X-factor.
Janine – You make a very good point. This is why as solo professionals, we need to invest time and money on motivational and uplifting tools. Personally, I like books, CDs from Jim Rohn and other motivational speakers. I also work on visualizing the outcome I want and try to feel as if I’ve already achieved it. I love to watch inspirational movies that move me and help get out of a mental/emotional slump. I also have a couple of colleagues I talk with on a regular basis. We keep each other on track and on purpose.
Something else I’ve recently done is to create my own “mind movie” (www.mindmovie.com) — basically a vision board on steroids. REALLY cool stuff!
I see these tools and strategies as “health food” for my mind, heart and soul. So I’m happy to make the investment.
Ed – we should do something on the blog about visualization.
I also made a mind movie (Ed recommended it to me) and MAN is it powerful!