When I think about the word ‘balancing’ in a professional context, I instantly think about prioritising tasks, time management and pretending to know how to use excel. What I learned as I semi-stepped away from my freelance illustration business was that I’d also need to balance a lot of emotions, especially shame and a sense of failure. My identity got a good kick in the shins too. This is something a lot of my creative peers have talked about, so I think before anything, expect there to be some feeling of loss of self, creative magic, identity, etc. 

However, as I rolled through this woe-is-me journey I realised something else. I don’t have to let go of my title as ‘freelance illustrator and business owner’. I have just adopted an extra title as ‘library worker’. More importantly, I’m not just getting a 9-5 job to pay the bills and make a general living, I’m getting another job to sustain my illustration and art making. That’s a powerful thing to acknowledge. I love something so much that I will give up 80 percent of my time to ensure I can keep doing it. So go easy on yourself. Be proud of yourself. You’re a side-hustler and that’s an incredible thing.

You do have to be strict with time. However, having a four day a week job actually allowed my freelance work to inherit a lot more structure. The free-rolling approach I used to have is very much a thing of the past. 

I have dedicated days – yes, including the weekend – locked in for my side-hustle. I wake up and get ready for my freelance work at the same time I would the library. I have a prioritised list of tasks to achieve that day and a scheduled lunch break and dog walks. It sounds cliché, but with less time, I feel I’m getting more done, because my time is now precious and I utilise it with genuine purpose. 

However, I’m not going to sugar coat it. There will be those big jobs that leak into your nights and take up a lot more time that you now have a lot less of. These times, whilst rare, can be challenging, so don’t be hard on yourself when the stress or anxiety creeps in. 

I’ve implemented some strategies to manage this. Be (politely) stricter with briefs. Also set realistic deadlines. I tell clients that I have another job and am not so available on certain days. Be real, be honest and know your capacity.

This is something I’ve really learnt in hindsight – the relief. The pressure and worry that comes with freelance work – of not knowing when your next job will be rolling in – is gone. I revel in the relief of knowing I’ll be paid every fortnight, and that my everyday costs of living are taken care of. 

This realisation not only offered financial relief, but also creative relief. I look back and realise my art practice had become influenced by what I thought would be more saleable. I had started to lose my ability to create freely before getting a ‘job-job’. To get that freedom back is probably one of the greatest things to happen.