This is both completely unreasonable and totally feasible.

It’s unreasonable because if we deplete our stocks we need to replenish them. When the milk in your fridge runs low or your fuel gauge hovers close to red, you buy more. You fill up, no question.

Yet when our ideas dry up we moan and wail and gnash our teeth, but do nothing except try harder. And when that fails we stick our heads in the sand and hope like hell our muse will show up before our deadline does.

Here’s why I say you can have your creative cake and eat it too.

The only thing standing between you and the Nile River of ideas is that you’re not replenishing your creative stocks. You need to take a leaf out of Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way, and fill the well.

One of the ways she recommends doing this is by going on a weekly Artist Date. On its own, this is excellent advice, but couple it with regular digital sabbaticals and what you have is a creative combo, bar none.

As CEO of a busy communications agency, I’m all too familiar with the pressure that comes with the need to hit it out the ballpark on every single job. Finding balance in an industry where burnout and the death of creative spark are commonplace isn’t easy, but by utilizing these two simple tools I seem to have found the sweet spot between work and play.

Why you need to go on regular Artist Dates

An Artist Date is an opportunity to reconnect with your creative self. If that sounds too new-agey for you then think back to when you were a kid, always up for adventure and ready to take on the world. That’s who you’re trying to reach.

The older we get, the more we lose touch with our creativity. Suddenly we’re teenagers and looking cool and impressing our friends is more important than playing make-believe or drawing or painting. And then we’re in college, at our first job, and suddenly we’re all grown-up and doing important adult things like buying stuff and meeting deadlines and paying bills.

The biggest problem with being an adult is that it’s time-consuming. We’re always busy. Whether it’s work or family or kids or getting to the gym, it doesn’t matter.

The second biggest problem is that we’re almost never alone. For a lot of people this isn’t a problem, but for many of us, an hour or two of uninterrupted solitude is like a tall glass of water for a parched soul.

What is an Artist Date?

At its most basic, an Artist Date is where you spend two hours a week (more is always nice, but that’s the minimum) by yourself doing something completely fun and frivolous.

Rule #1: You absolutely have to go by yourself. You can’t invite your kid, your partner, your BFF or your dog along. This is non-negotiable.

Pro Tip: We can all benefit from time alone, but if the idea of this freaks you out then you probably need it more than most.*

Rule #2: You absolutely have to have fun. You can’t work, you can’t do chores, you can’t do anything that even remotely resembles a “have to.”

Pro Tip: If you find yourself trying to negotiate or justify an Artist Date that’s actually work disguised as fun then, again, you probably need it more than most.*

*I’m not judging here; I speak from experience.

Pick a time that works for you.

Look for a space in your calendar when you’re least likely to be missed (the kids are taken care of, work is under control, and so on). If getting your two hours proves tricky, bargain for it. Make a deal with a colleague or friend or family member and then return the favor.

What’s important here is that you don’t feel stressed when you take your two hours. You must feel confident that nothing will go awry while you’re “off the radar.”

Enjoy yourself.

This is your opportunity to fill your creative well, to replenish the stocks, and get the juices flowing again.

Make the most of it, but remember to have fun. You can do anything you like: watch a movie, go to an art gallery, browse craft shops, visit a market. Whatever. It’s totally up to you. The one and only rule is that it’s something you want to do.

Digital sabbaticals

As the name implies, this is when you set aside technology and soak up some real life. Shut your laptop, turn off your phone and head outside for a hike or to the couch with a good book (and perhaps a pile of chocolate).

Taking a break from being online is good for our overall wellbeing, but it’s especially beneficial for our creativity. We’re all so quick to talk about how we live in a world of information overload, but at the same time, we’re loath to turn it off.

We think we’ll find ideas there and occasionally we do, but more often than not our “aha” moments come when we’re in the shower or out for a walk. In other words, about as far from the online world as we can get.

We need boundaries.

We humans spend a disproportionate amount of time staring into screens. Be it the television, our computer, our cell phone or our tablet. They’re all devices that take us away from real life.

They have their place, absolutely. I’m a digital marketer, so you won’t hear me arguing to the contrary. But even I have to concede that we’ve taken the business of being “online” a step too far.

We need to change that, but how?

Start small. Like with the Artist Date, designate just two hours a week to being completely offline. Once you start feeling more comfortable, aim to up the ante. Go for an entire afternoon or evening, then a whole weekend.

Initially you might feel anxious, like you would at the start of developing any new habit. Things feel out of the ordinary, you feel out of sorts. Push through. The good stuff is yet to come.

Eventually, you’ll start feeling more relaxed, more in the moment. You’ll notice a free and easy feeling that wasn’t there before. That’s because nobody can get hold of you. Ergo, nobody can bug you.

Do these two things every week and three things will happen. Your ideas will start flowing again, you’ll be happier and you’ll be more relaxed. And all because you made the effort to take some time out for you (and your artist).

What’s next?

• Schedule your first Artist Date and digital sabbatical. Separately. (I’m looking at you, workaholics.)
• Explain your plans to the people that matter, so nobody ends up worrying because you’re MIA for a couple of hours. This will also avoid unnecessary interruptions.
• Have fun.

Are you ready to go on an Artist Date or take a digital sabbatical? How will you make time for these opportunities to recharge?

Our stable of clients has since grown significantly (yay!), and I no longer have the luxury of time to spend crafting great copy.

We have two full-time staff writers who handle the bulk of the work, but when there’s overflow, we rely on freelancers. We’re in the very fortunate position that we’re busy more than we’re not, but for me it still makes better business sense to contract in based on current workflow.

Those freelancers play an integral part in our company.

They’re not just names in a database — these are professionals I know I can rely on to deliver top notch work on (or even ahead of) deadline. And make no mistake, they might not be in the office with us, but they’re still very much a part of the team.

To date I’ve worked with more than a hundred freelance writers and have learned a lot from my different experiences with them.

This is my advice to freelance writers who are just starting out (and some who have had their foot in the door for a while now):

1. Read the brief

When you get a brief, read it. Then read it again. Heck, read it a third time if necessary, but whatever you do make sure you understand exactly what’s expected of you. The main items you need to determine is the purpose of the piece (why are you writing it?) and the target audience (who are you writing for?).

Remember, before you put finger to keyboard is the time to ask questions, not when you submit your first draft.

2. Do some additional research

One option is to write whatever the brief outlined. If you write well enough and deliver on time, I’ll hire you again. You might not be my first choice, though.

The fastest way to get on my speed dial is to over-deliver. Do some additional research, and wow me with a few extra nuggets of information that turn the article into one where you read every word rather than scan for the bolded parts.

The more you take the above-and-beyond approach to your work, the more I’ll hire you and the more I’ll recommend you.

3. Don’t write about a subject you don’t understand

There’s a time and place for winging it — say, when you need to come up with a solid explanation for why your kid’s tooth is still under his pillow the next morning.

When you have to write 1,000 words on a topic you know nothing about, winging it is definitely not the way to go.

At best you’ll look like you’re obviously new to the subject, at worst you’ll come off like a complete fraud. Either way, the result isn’t going to be good.

Instead, research and ask questions until it makes sense or rather leave well alone. I’ll have more respect for you if you’re honest and turn a job down than if you try and fudge your way through it.

4. Familiarize yourself with the website or publication  

You’ve probably read this advice more times than you can remember.

The thing about advice that keeps popping up is that it keeps popping up for a reason.

If you don’t know who you’re writing for, your chances of producing copy that’s on point and in keeping with the publication’s style are slim.

All you need to do is read some of the articles or copy that’s already been published; I’d say at least 10 posts or pages to get a good feel. Request additional editorial guidelines from your client and go over those thoroughly as well.

It’ll be a couple of hours of your time, but make no mistake, they’ll have been well spent.

5. Don’t go off the radar — communicate with us

I get it, when the creative juices start flowing the world recedes. All I ask is that you touch base once in a while to let me know you’re on track. Likewise, if things aren’t going so well.

I’d prefer you ask questions or flag potential issues ahead of time so I can avoid a disaster, rather than become intimately acquainted with mitigating one.

6. Deliver on time (or keep us posted if you can’t)

It’s all very well producing great work. But if you don’t deliver on time, chances are I won’t hire you again. I’d much rather use a good reliable writer than a great unreliable one.

That said, I do realize life sometimes happens. When it does the best thing you can do to make yourself stand out in a sea of freelancers is give me fair warning. If I know you’re not going to make your deadline, I can roll out a plan B.

7. Run spell check

Run a spell check before you submit your work. It’s a simple click of a button and takes mere seconds to complete. Using spell check doesn’t make you less of a writer. Rather, think of it as a safety net, there to catch the little things you might have missed.

It’s human to make mistakes and you’re welcome to break the rules on purpose, but if I have to edit typos that could have been picked up in a spell check, it’s not going to reflect well on you.

8. Get your fees agreed in writing and send your invoice as soon as your work is approved

Nobody likes administrative tasks, but avoiding them isn’t going to do you (or your bank account) any favors. Once we’ve agreed to work together, send me a contract to sign. This will help us avoid those horribly awkward situations that are generally brought about when we make assumptions.

I’d also like to pay you as quickly as I can, but that’s not possible if you send me your invoice three months after the work was completed.

It’s not just about ensuring you can put food on the table; your late invoice messes with our accrual accounting system, which makes my accountant grumpy.

One last comment on the subject of paperwork and I’ll quit nagging. Please specify on your invoice what the project was and who it was written for. That way we can make sure we bill our client — and put some food on our own table, too.

Have you learned any of these freelancing lessons the hard way? What tips would you add to the list?