As a new year’s resolution, I decided to write a poem a day to maintain my passion for creative writing and develop new content as time passes.
By doing this, I’ve discovered a few interesting things about my writing process and how that translates into my freelance work. Whether it means maximizing my daily schedule to get work done or simply keeping me inspired throughout future projects, writing a poem a day, so far, has given me a ton to be thankful for. Maybe you can use what I’ve learned to boost your own success, too?
Just hear me out…
You Can’t Wait for Inspiration to Strike
First and foremost, regardless of what your freelance job is, you can’t wait for inspiration to strike.
Quite often, freelancers have to work at odd times throughout the day to meet a deadline. There have been days where I’ve shot up at 3 AM to finish copy for a landing page, or I’ve found myself pulling over on the side of the road to quickly revise a blog post for a client who needed an update. With that in mind, freelance success doesn’t come to those who can’t kickstart themselves into work-mode on a moment’s notice.
Believe it or not, your creative aspirations follow the same rule. One of the main reasons why I started freelancing was to ensure that I could always have time to focus on creative writing. However, I soon realized that I needed to treat my creative pursuits the same way I handle freelance work. By forcing myself to write a poem every day, I’m getting into the habit of being creative—a routine that set for myself fueled by the same discipline I use to maintain success for freelancing.
I’ve met artists and creators before who admit that they can only write or paint or sculpt when they receive a flash of insight, but this only leads to bad habits of creativity. Your artistic work is a process that demands the same dedication and hustle that freelancing does. With that mindset in place, you can start to take advantage of your talents, rather than them taking advantage of you.
Put Time Back on Your Side
Now that I’m able to put my creativity in line at will, the other benefit I’ve found from writing a poem a day is that time becomes a helpful factor.
One of my biggest challenges has always been finding time to write. Regardless of it being freelance related or creatively, time is a beast that I always wrestled with and often felt helpless against. Not to mention, there have been plenty of times where I would wait until the last minute to work on a project or campaign and realize that I should have just tackled assignments in small chunks.
This is where writing a poem a day has made a huge difference. On the artistic side, the thought of writing an entire book of poetry or a novel is too overwhelming, but since writing something every day since the start of 2020, I’ve already amassed close to 60 poems—a typical book of poetry is anywhere over 75 pages. At this pace, by the end of the year, I’ll have over 300 poems to use to create 4-5 new books or at least have new manuscripts to send out.
Now, I take this same approach for freelance writing. Each week, I look at all my deadlines and tell myself to simply write one thing each day. In most cases, deadlines for freelance work are spread out with average turnarounds of 7 days. So by writing just one thing (sometimes I write 2-3 things) each day, I find myself always ahead of schedule, which puts time back on my side.
More than anything, the idea is to use time as a way to advance your success as a creator. Too often, we freelancers feel like it’s a never-ending race against the clock, but with a few small adjustments, you can make time an ally that keeps you ahead of the game.
Spark Your Creativity with Something New
Of course, I realize that poetry may not be for everyone, but the main takeaway is to spark your creativity with something new.
For me, a poem a day is what helps me realign with my creative side. I find myself paying more attention to small details that I can expand into a full stanza. Thoughts that flutter in and out of my head find their way onto paper and I can expand on them at will. If I overhear someone at the grocery store make a fascinating observation or if I read something in the news that piques my interest, I take note of it.
That being said, the same principles apply to freelancing. When I sit down to knock out more assignments, my mind kicks into a new state of creative flow. I find myself more aware of current events. When it comes to breaking ideas apart and streamlining concepts, I’m able to come up with catchy headers and weave information into complex guidelines with ease. Overall, the creative routine translates to the pragmatic. Both rise to a new level of success that sustains my interest and passion from one endeavor to the next.
Feed Your Success with Meaningful Work
I urge you to find your own creative interest that you can pursue every day and infuse it into your freelance lifestyle.
Sooner than you think, you’ll be able to transfer that pursuit into your work, which only feeds your success with a deeper meaning and overall satisfaction for what you accomplish. With Fiverr, our aim is to ensure that your freelance career is met with meaningful opportunities, but more importantly, we want you to always prioritize your deeper passions and have the support to make your dreams come true.
Aside from networking with potential clients and booking substantial work, you can always find more resources on the Fiverr Forum, as well as helpful articles on our blog. Remember, we’re here to assist you and your freelance career—I hope my own habits can help you pave your own road to success.
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