Hi!
One of the hardest things to do for the self-employed is to treat one's work like a real profession. I hear this from all sorts of self-employed people, but it seems to be especially challenging for artists.
So I started thinking about why being productive is easier for people who punch a time clock or work on salary...and how I can make it easier for myself.
When I worked for an airport shuttle service, most decisions were made for me. I had to be in uniform and clocked in at a certain time and had a list of very specific tasks to complete in the first half hour.
Then I had a particular route with a set of written-in-stone rules complete with a script for how to communicate with the dispatcher.
I knew exactly what to expect and had to comply if I wanted to keep my job. (great tips, by the way if you know someone who needs work).
School teaching started out more like being self-employed but became more scripted and micro-managed over time. I never did figure out that one. Movin' on...
When I chose to cut the cord and paint full time in 2017, suddenly I was making ALL my own decisions;
Like when to get up, when to start work, how much to produce, what professional development to embrace, what tools to purchase, how to discuss projects with clients, when to take lunch, when to quit for the day, not to mention which social media platforms to use and how to say no to non-essential things that cried out for my attention.
I think it all boils down to having something to look forward to.
When you work for someone else, they provide the vision, which they may or may not share with you, and you provide the 'get to it-iveness.'
So how does someone with a Type ISFP (Introversive, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving) cope when suddenly thrust into a role best fitted to a Type A?
I actually think I may sorta kinda understand it.
Have another vision ready. Dangle it, like a carrot right out front.
Remember that art residency? I talked about it for almost a year. I had something to plan for. So I put pedal to the metal and produced.
Then when it arrived, I did a Type ISFP thing and allowed myself to adjust the plans. I didn't pen myself in with a long daily to-do list. I just had three things to remember each day; start a new piece, work on a piece already started, and have fun!
I produced a lot more that way so I revisited that idea this week.
Here are the results:
