On July 10th, 2024, by 9:00 AM, upon returning home, after dropping my son off at school, completing grocery shopping, and handling a couple of errands, I entered my home office, and I felt a momentary stab of anxiety when I did not find my work laptop in its usual place. I stood there in loss and confusion. It crashed upon me that yesterday had been my last day as a full-time employee. Memories of twenty years spent in the IT industry flooded my mind – project plans, customer deadlines, meetings, and the fast-paced corporate environment with all its perks. Being a full-time creator was certainly going to be a change.
“You are a full-time creator now,” I heard myself say. My heart raced as I acknowledged the reality: I had done it.
Perhaps the question those in my social circle most ask me is how my life has changed as I moved from being a paid employee with a specific job description to an independent content creator. I will briefly touch upon the significant and noticeable changes, but the smaller shifts often affect the tone and quality of one’s experience.
Here are some significant changes that we will discuss briefly:
Financial Accountability
Transitioning to a career as a solo creator brings both challenges and rewards. Unlike traditional jobs with steady paychecks, income can vary significantly, demanding careful financial planning. I liquidated an investment and gave myself a monthly allowance, assuming that I would not rely upon creative income initially. I regularly conduct monthly reviews to monitor income and expenses, making adjustments as necessary.
9-5 or 24/7
I used to start work on time and close my laptop on time – no weekends, rarely after hours. The direction of the business was not my concern. I just needed to deliver what was expected of me. As a solo creator, I control my schedule, allowing me to create, rest, or work as inspiration strikes. I can and often do work on weekends. However, I utilize my corporate habits to optimize efficiency, and I do this by taking stock each Sunday night. I also review the success of my creative endeavors of the past month to assess what worked and how I can improve, helping me adjust my strategy.
From Job Title to Impactful Presence
My identity has shifted: I was an employee with a specific job title, but now I am my business. My focus has shifted to producing content I am proud of and to impact my audience. Establishing my identity and clarifying my goals are essential and foremost in my mind, as every interaction can create new business opportunities. I am conscious of how I define and put forward myself.
Embracing Versatility in a Dynamic Role
I take on various responsibilities in this role, including editing, marketing, planning, brand management, and accounting. I am also free to choose clients, projects, and collaborators that align with my vision. While this lifestyle comes with risks, implementing my vision is highly rewarding.
These large changes are bold and obvious, but my life has changed in a myriad of subtle ways that were not initially evident. When combined, these small changes amount to a qualitative shift in experience. Let me share some of these:
Being a Full-time Creator Changed my Daily Routine
Although I have my own schedule, I have the flexibility to adjust according to my own creative and personal needs. I am my boss, and I need not explain myself for family responsibilities. Based on the client’s deliverables and demands, I can shift and accommodate as needed. This advantage is also a vulnerability as it opens me to abuse of my freedom, personally and by my family. This time flexibility has led to a paradoxical need for even more boundaries.
Change in Social Habits
I agree to coffee dates, attend events with photography enthusiasts, and accept offers for photo shoots. Further, I don’t overthink my decisions. I have learned to relax and “be myself”. As an introvert, my habit of avoiding socialising has needed to shift because the nature of my work demands meeting people and networking, and I have learned that I can do this and, to my surprise, even enjoy it. This has been liberating.
Being a Full-time Creator Means Embracing the Unexpected
I define myself as a storyteller who expresses himself through short films and photography, and I have always gravitated to writing. I have a blog and a newsletter, and I’ve contributed articles to other sites. Over the past five months, my unexpected primary income source has grown to be through writing on travel, photography, and filmmaking. Although it was not part of my original roadmap, this change occurred gradually and has led to a sense of personal fulfillment. I have gone with the unanticipated flow.
Evolving Social Media Feed
My social media feed was “neat” for years and focused solely on natural landscapes. However, when I showed my Instagram to a friend recently, I realized that my profile has expanded to include portraits, model photos, and travel images of bustling city life alongside Instagram reels. This mix reflects my diverse work and has surprisingly grown my following after two years of stagnation.
Is it Solitude or Loneliness?
I have worked from home since the pandemic. However, I interacted with my team daily, and we often met out of the office. I sometimes feel lonely, prompting visits to coffee shops despite my careful budget. While I enjoy a blend of focus and solitude, the largely digital audience also leads to feelings of isolation. Although it sparks creativity, overcoming the lack of real-life community requires resilience and self-motivation.
Healthier Lifestyle and Outlook
Since becoming a solo creator, I have committed to healthier eating habits and have seen a positive weight shift. With more flexibility in my schedule, I now hike and go to the gym regularly, which keeps me active and fuels my creativity. What had been an erratic pattern has become a commitment to my physical well-being, which has boosted my confidence as I share my journey with my audience.
Being a Full-time Creator and My Buying Habits
I think carefully about pulling out my credit card—a steady, solid salary allowed for a casual spending hand that I now curate carefully. My home coffee machine has never been so well used, and that flat white at the coffee shop is a conscious treat.
It is Okay to do Things for Free
I need to make ends meet, and while my time is valuable, it’s essential not to be trapped by this approach. I learned this lesson unexpectedly through a friendship developed with a renowned cyclist-photographer I had long followed. When he arrived in South Africa, I spent time with him, taking photos and guiding him. This collaboration led to my work being noticed and published in local and international magazines, generating unanticipated income and opening further doors.
In the final analysis, though I have not yet nearly attained the level of my previous earnings, I still stand firm in my decision. My life has changed positively despite the drawbacks and financial constraints. I am happier within myself in no small way because of the qualitative shift in not only my work experience but in how I conduct myself in my daily life and because I can do what I am happy doing – express myself through creative content.
