4 Things to Embrace as a Self-Employed Creative

Over my 10 years working as a food stylist in Johannesburg, South Africa, these are the things I wish I’d known right from the start:

1) Put work out into the world constantly

You can be super talented with big ideas, but if they are all in your head, you're not going to sell anything. You need to take messy action to create often, and share that work constantly. Even if it isn't perfect or you don't feel ready, you can't get away from needing a portfolio to land new work.

2) Get comfy talking money

Charging fairly for your creativity, and wanting your business to be profitable, is not shameful. Every day you'll be talking money, negotiating and sharing your rates with potential clients. Let's not hide from the fact that a large part of business is the exchange of money.

3) People do business with people

Your work is never viewed in isolation – it's a combination of your personality, and the results you can offer. There's a creative for every job, and you're not going to be a good fit for every project. Embrace and leverage these facts.

4) Boundaries are important

What they are depends on you and your industry. Some of my mine, specific to my role as a food stylist, are:

• Charging clients for the work I do, while being reasonable, fair and flexible to the unforeseens that inevitably arise.

• Only agreeing to style a certain number of shots in a day to keep quality excellent.

• Making space for my clients to trust me and allowing me to guide them in areas that I'm an expert – I'm not comfortable with being told how I should do my job as a food stylist.

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