The freedom of creative work and entrepreneurship
I home-school my children. We don’t get up at 6, eat breakfast, get dressed, and start school by 7:20 like the other kids in my neighborhood. We don’t copy the school because we don’t need to. Our needs are different. Though the school must follow a strict schedule when it comes to start and end times, lunch and so on, I don’t really have to do that at home. Teaching in a family environment is very different. Of course, we also have to make sure that we are covering everything, but the times change depending on our mood and plans. Homeschooling gives us a measure of freedom.
Being a creative entrepreneur should do the same.
“By working only when you are most effective, life is both more productive and more enjoyable. It’s the perfect example of having your cake and eating it, too.” –Tim Ferris
Of course, you need balance. You need to make sure everything is being taken care of. As a creative business owner, you need to file taxes, contact clients/customers, create art or blog posts or whatever your work is, and more, but you may find it all more enjoyable and natural if you let it be just a regular part of life.
Melyssa Griffin says this:
“The 9-5 mindset can be damaging and limiting to a creative business.
Creative inspiration doesn’t typically come during a specific time each day. To succeed, you sometimes need to let the 9-5 mentality go, and allow yourself to work when you feel most inspired. Yes, this can lead to irregular working hours, but I also think it leads to better, less “forced” work. Generally, I aim to stick to the same working hours each day, but if I’m just not feeling inspired or motivated, I know that I need to take a break and come back to it later.
… The 9-5 mentality has been so hammered into my mind that it’s hard to accept that there are other ways (and times) of working. But when I let myself work when I’m ready, I know I produce the best work.”
By nature, most entrepreneurs and creatives are not traditional beings. We tend toward doing things differently and living outside the box. I think we just begin with these ideas of what working for ourselves should look like. We think we should work at a desk, not in our bed or on the couch. We should work 9-5 and not on and off all day or late at night.
However, the truth is that, just as in my homeschooling example above, you don’t need to follow rules that don’t apply to your situation. It’s ok to work non-traditionally. So feel free to go with your creative nature and mix it up.
