Go with the Flow
I've been thinking a lot about the concept of flow lately, both in general and in relation to my own work. Being deeply engaged, hyper-focused, tuning out the world around you; in short, effortlessness. Obviously a desirable state for anyone who expresses themselves creatively in their work, and a source of frustration when it just doesn't happen.
I've been struggling to pinpoint why it eludes me at times (too frequently as of late), and at the same time this struggle has been running parallel with my own attempts to "grow a backbone"...that is, learn to say no and not take every client who comes my way. I certainly don't need to take every job, and I'm slowly realizing that by doing so I am sabotaging my success by taking away the time I could spend working with clients whose projects do intrigue me.
So imagine my delight and relief when I found How to cultivate mad-hot creative flow, love what you do and double your fees in today's Freelance Switch. It was almost like walking into a physician's office and having the doc diagnose me before I even opened my mouth!
Jonathan Fields writes that flow begins in your very first contact with a project. I do know that intellectually, but it has yet to make it into full-time practice.
In fact, you need to actually make the opportunity for flow an integral part of your decision to accept a new client or project. For example, when I consider taking on a new client, beyond gathering a lot of information and getting as good a beat possible on the personality and work style of the client, I think seriously about whether the nature of the relationship, the content, the timing and the overall project is likely to cultivate flow.
...more often than not, I use a simple gut-proxy…passion. I ask, “Am I becoming increasingly excited the more I learn about the project? And, can I get passionate about working on it?”
For me, if the answer to either is no to either, I pass.
Here is what made the connection and really hit home for me:
...when you consistently fill your time with jobs that empty you out, you leave fewer opportunities to create opportunities you love or take on jobs that would fill you with flow. And, you pretty much ensure that you’ll build a career and a clientele that increasingly frustrates the hell out of you, burns you out and leaves you struggling to deliver passable, let alone remarkable work.
This leads to a vicious cycle of passable-work which leads to low/moderate perceived value which leads to low/moderate fees that leave you to feeling like you’ve got take any client who walks in the door just to pay your bills.
Wow. He's so right. And there was a reason that flow and client quality have been floating around in my head...they are related. More so than I cared to admit.
Guess I'd better ask Santa for a new spine...
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