As I transitioned into making clips full-time after university, I didn’t realize how isolating being self-employed can be. I used to be able to walk into my office at my student newspaper and see a bunch of lovable pals, there to chat, vent and collaborate with. Now, as a solo clip artist working from home, I need to go out of my way to find opportunities to make sure I get the real-life human interaction my extrovert personality needs to survive. Working by yourself isn’t everyone’s ideal scenario, and while it’s certainly not perfect, I couldn’t be happier being an independent entrepreneur.
As a person who is particular with the content she creates, having the freedom to be my own boss and being the only person accountable for the final product of my work is wonderful. My solo videos are 100 percent my creation from start to finish; if I had a long-term business partner, I’d most likely be micromanaging them in order to achieve my vision.
Admin work takes up most of my time, which is something I can do from anywhere.
My brain is all over the place when it comes to a solidified work schedule, so being a solo creator allows me to navigate that without the pressure of relying on someone else, or a partner relying on me. Though some days, I do think having a set schedule would be good for me.
While I love that I work alone, I do think I’d prefer working with someone else at times. I often fantasize about duplicating myself or telling a camera-holding partner where to go to get the shot I need. I’m constantly envious of creators who are part of a team or couple. Not only do they get to bounce around ideas and co-create, but they don’t have to deal with working alone for hours on end and can typically accomplish more work during their day. Clip and cam couples have such in-sync work modes that I yearn for a future romantic nesting partner who will work alongside me in my business.
If you’re a solo creator like myself who wishes you could have the same multi-tasking skills and other perks couples and teams have, I have a couple of tips that have helped my day-to-day business operations.
Work Elsewhere
Admin work takes up most of my time, which is something I can do from anywhere. I frequent coffee shops, laptop in tow, to complete my emails, messages, postings, editing and more. Going elsewhere to work gets me out of the house and into the world.
Find Other Self-Employed Friends
Having local pals who are used to the solo-creator lifestyle can make you feel less isolated! I’m lucky to have found a good group of friends with flexible schedules who are able to join me for spontaneous adventures and co-working sessions. Creator pals who are outside of the industry can also offer unique opinions when you’re picking their brains.
Collaborate With Industry Folks
Even if you’re mainly creating solo videos, meeting up with industry folks to collaborate can still be a good idea. You can collaborate on safe-for-work tasks, like making photo sets, shooting vlogs or fetish content, or being each other’s camera operator. If you decide to do a NSFW collaboration, you can hype up the content you’re making and treat it as a special occasion for your fans. Meeting up with my industry friends never fails to inspire me.
Hire People
Whether it’s for editing, videography or photographers, it’s okay to outsource jobs. I like hiring friends to help me out for bigger projects, or for tasks I know I can’t accomplish alone. Sometimes, it takes another person’s talents and skills to make what you’re working on shine.
Working alone and for myself is the best, but increasing human interaction throughout aspects of my solo business keeps me inspired.
Gwen Adora is a content creator who can be followed on Modelhub.com/Gwen-Adora and @GwenAdora on Twitter, as well as @GwenAdoraxo on Instagram and Snapchat.
