If you’ve been following this blog or receiving my newsletter, you probably know that I’ve been wrestling with some questions lately. Though I have been working as a freelance designer for a while and have had some success with it, I realized that I cannot continue doing things the way I have been and experience the kind of professional designer/client relationship that I believe is necessary for doing my best work. In fact, I had trouble nailing down what it is specifically I would really like to do.
My overarching passion is to help people to believe in what they are worth and to share their unique voice with the world. In my current circumstances it makes the most sense for me to do that from the context of raising a family because I am right there in the middle of that specific struggle. Whatever I choose to do occupationally must serve this overarching passion. The pressure of trying to make a living out of my speculation, and even the process of discovering/deciding what specifically I want to do in my current circumstances, puts me in danger of burning out and potentially giving up.
Today, I feel far from giving up, but I am facing some realities that I must address if I want to make meaningful progress toward building my passion. For this reason, after a great deal of thought, I’ve decided to shake things up a bit and take a new approach. I wanted to take an opportunity here to share some of my decisions with you, and invite you again to come along with me on this journey.
I’m going to list several aspects of my brand and communications that I’ve taken into consideration with my recent decisions. I wanted to point out first some of the changes that I’ve decided to make to my NEWSLETTER and BLOG as they affect you all the most directly:
NEWSLETTER
I’ve been sending out a newsletter once every other week and have decided to make it once every week instead. For any form of communication, once per week should be the minimum frequency in order to have effective, meaningful contact with your audience. Rather than share a brief overview of what I’m working on each week, I plan on making the newsletter a place where I share the story of where I’m going and the practical/valuable lessons I’m learning along the way in the context of raising my family. I’m calling it “In the Boat With Ben.” These full articles will also be in blog format on my website, and because I want to provide exclusive value for those of you who have signed up for my newsletter, I will also be sharing exclusive content from time to time, more behind the scenes looks into the things I’m building and early announcements for new things I’m offering.
BLOG
The blog will pretty much stay the same as it is today (In the Boat With Ben), but I will continue to sharpen my focus on the journey that I’m taking toward building my passions and how this plays out in the context of family.
DAY JOB
It’s time for me to get a day job. Not only is it time, but this is really the most important thing for me to focus on right now because the financial well being of my family depends on it. For some, the idea of getting a day job feels like giving up, but I’m choosing to look at it as an opportunity to build a solid foundation from which I can discover/decide what I’d really like to do occupationally and build my passion. I’m also not looking for a quick fix here. I know that this day job could potentially be my foundation for a while, so while it doesn’t necessarily have to be something I absolutely love doing, it’s got to be something that is sustainable for the foreseeable future. I’ve got to think in terms of years, not months. If it ends up being something I love, that’s a bonus, but even if it’s not, I’m willing to do it because I believe that my passion and the value it will bring to the world is worth it.
Currently I am entertaining some offers to lead the music for some churches, possibly taking on monthly design contracts with multiple business/organization, and asking friends if they know of anyone hiring who could use my skills. I plan to keep you all informed of the process and the things I learn along the way.
ART/DESIGN PROJECTS
I have a few projects that I plan to complete, but I’m actually putting one on hold that I’ve been working on for several weeks. This was a very difficult decision, because I’m really enjoying this project. My HD wallpaper series, that I’m about 11 weeks into (out of the 30 I originally committed to) was taking about 5-7 hours per week, so I am going to have to place that on hold indefinitely so that I can devote that time to building my foundation. I’m also suspending my self-initiated logo designs for now.
PODCASTS
I will continue being a part of the seanwes podcast, but am putting my plans for launching the “In the Boat With Ben Podcast” on hold for now. Rachel, my wife and co-host, are still recording episodes so that when it does launch in the future, we will already have a strong archive of content.
CLIENT WORK
I am still taking on client work. This year I’ve had a wide variety of projects, including a website, logo design, commissioned art piece, flier designs, and am currently in the process of producing an audio-book. The difference is, I’m not bending on my values. If a potential client comes along and is not willing to work within my process or pay the full value of a project, it’s not worth the time that project will take away from building my foundation.
It’s been a huge honor for me to be able to share my journey with you so far. I hope my story is encouraging and inspiring, or at the very least, poses some questions for you to consider in your own journey. I look forward to this next leg of the journey and am excited to share it with you. I’d love to hear any questions or comments you have. Feel free to share a comment here or contact me directly.
Peace,
Ben