Over the last decade, I have been working toward my photographic practice. My career has taken many twists and turns. Not only how I do things, but how I approach each part of the creative process. I’ve worked in small agencies and assisted other photographers in their studios and on location. One thing I always wanted was to become more independent and travel with the option of working remotely.
Everyone has their motivations when it comes to this topic. My goal was simply to experience more. Cliche I know, but this is something I yearn for. Slide my camera between it all and I can truly express how I see the world around me. I had seen a lot of benefits to the lifestyle but you never truly know the real downsides and challenges that await you.
“What is it like to live and work overseas?”
Throughout this blog post I’m going to answer some of the questions I have been asked from friends, family and peers. “What is it like to live and work overseas?”, and “How did you do it?” I’m going to try and dig a little deeper so that hopefully you’ll be able to get a better idea of the experiences I have had while living abroad. It’s important to mention here that everyone has a vastly different view and set of experiences before they consider taking on this kind of lifestyle change, and deciding what type of remote work is for you and only you. There are a clear set of jobs types such as Content Writers, Virtual Assistants, Social Media Marketing and Graphic Designers that would all enable you to work away from home. Don’t think that just being away is what you’re doing it for, you have to love what you’re doing above all else otherwise you won’t be able to enjoy your downtime.
The most important skill I had come to find was learning how to be self-motivated. More specifically, not feeling like you’re not working remote when your working from the same place over and over. You need to keep the routine fresh, and not get caught up working from your tiny or averaged sized apartment so when you're done for the day, you have somewhere to call home. My biggest support mechanism for keeping this exciting was, always planning work and social activities well ahead of time which gave me a better approach to being flexible, because you'll need it.
As simple as it sounds I found it extremely helpful by going outside of my comfort zone and doing things that locals wouldn’t otherwise expect from someone in their town or city to do. For some, you might need to learn a new language which can also enable you to share your story now and then but the main point here is to challenge yourself. You’ll need to grow a thick skin and this is one of the best ways to melt into a new way of living.
Ask the question!
Introduce yourself, ask questions, you’ll probably know if it’s the right time to chat or not. In my experience, speaking up, and asking the question has lead to many new opportunities which helped me set myself from the rest. Sure in time you can expect to see results if you slowly confronting your social fears in new circles but going ham to the bone can open you up to possibilities you never could have imagined and your personal development reaches new highs in a much shorter amount of time.
While I was away, living in The Netherlands for 3 or so years, I noticed photographers living locally walking around the city with their hands in their pockets with nothing to do. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a day off, everybody needs to rest, but it reminded me how sometimes it’s all right in front of you until it’s all just gone. So make the most of what you have while you have it. Make something out of nothing, change someone’s day by asking them a question. Understand that the fear of rejection is simply your own and if that’s the worst that’s going to happen, you don’t have many ‘real’ problems. I’ve found that being able to talk to strangers randomly really helped grow my confidence and helped me become able to share my passion easier. Sometimes it was very easy because I’m usually caught with my camera swinging around my neck other times, It would feel more forced This my friends is where you don’t want to be too pushy, it doesn’t feel right. Turn the conversation to the other side, if they’re interested enough, they’ll ask about you. Though this, of course, has also been the easiest way to not only make friends, but also clients, and this is where I want to share my secret with you. They can also connect you to other like-minded people in the area.
I’m not sitting here saying you have to turn everything into a job, but when you start this is one way to approach it in a way where you can adjust your perspective.
See working remotely in my experience has almost nothing to do with working but more about remotely. You have a purpose, but before anyone knows about you, you need to share and express your passion for what you do, otherwise, you're as good as the next.
By now you might be thinking, wow, this is about getting out of your skin and putting on a suit of armour made of confidence. Yes, you’re right. Honestly, I have surprised myself with how much it’s developed not only my social life but helped me better myself in other areas including, my skill set, appreciation for family and long term friends, business ethics and overall happiness toward life. If you’re already doubting whether you can do this, you might want to rethink your plan about working remotely. Read on as there might be some good news in store for those not so social outgoing.
Okay, we’ve had the ups, how about the downs?
I have heard wonderful stories, disaster stories, but you have to interpret them all differently because no two personal situations are the same. If you're not a remote worker and want to get into it. I'm going to put forward a few things I considered based on where I planned on moving and what I planned on doing when I got there.
I don't want to speak for everyone, but for me, The Netherlands had VAST differences from my home in Australia. Thankfully English was very common for locals which made life a lot easier. Sure I wasn't working directly in an office, but the way business is conducted there compared to Australia just isn't the same. I'm sure this is common no matter where they're from because you’re entering a completely new market. You just have to experience it yourself.
It’s one thing to tell yourself before you embark on your adventure that you have an open mind, but make sure you keep to your word. There is nothing worse than hearing when people become cynical just because it didn’t work out for them. I have endured visa difficulties while overseas, and I can tell you it’s not a fun time. However I did build my character further, challenge me in ways I never thought I’d be tested and I’m better for it. I must say I did everything in my power to make sure I didn’t let it reduce the quality of my experience, rather it fruitfully added to the ever wonders of what became my own experience. I’ve had so many great times, meeting new friends that I’ll be able to have for a lifetime, and nothing will take away from that.
Right now I’ve got a bit of the hard word out of the way I can focus a little more on the work itself and where it can take you. One thing for sure is that I don't necessarily have to be awake while the work starts coming in. What work are you talking about? Well, I have been lucky enough to be involved with a few agencies who license my photography. This has been the backbone of my income for some years and although almost all sales and potential sales are completely out of my control, it’s a nice reminder that the work I’d completed in the past will continue to serve a purpose and help other businesses grow in their own way.
Understandably, others don't have that freedom to create, where they need to be operating their desktop while their client oversees what they do. This work type does have a lot more team-orientated achievement, it depends on what you're looking for. This is the fundamental behind what I’m doing and trying to achieve that I never want to take for granted.
Moulding your new life into the play.
Once you’re actually on the ground and have got some work, you can start moulding your new life into the play. You'll find days disappear because you're so driven to create, you’ll be leaving a trail of craft behind as you continue to build your portfolio. In time you’ll be looking back and showing the work you created to new potential clients which too will result in gaining more of your motivation back. Once you reach this pinnacle, you’ll be creating something out of nothing and it will become apart of your approach to generate your income. Remember how important this is because there won’t be anyone else but yourself to kick you in the butt for slacking. If you don’t see this, it’s time to turn around and find something else.
I would recommend spending some time extending your network and doing some research about different spaces and cafes that offer decent wifi connection and good prices coffee so your not spending all your hard-earned money on your salivary weaknesses. A spot that isn't too loud for an otherwise silent workspace. You'll find the better places, cheap or expensive will attract other like-minded workers and will, in turn, expand your personal network but also open up new remote job opportunities.
For anyone still reading you might still be thinking, this is must be just like shooting fish in a barrel. Well it kind of is, but you have to think for yourself and your journey, what does it look like? More importantly, if it looks a certain way, how do I create that lifestyle? Is working remotely really what I want if I'm constantly confronting myself with new challenges so far out of my depth. For me, these challenges have been building and focusing my time on business while learning a new language and culture. Another one to remember is that just because you might be working remotely doesn’t mean you won’t have to get on the phone and make some calls, so if you’re trying to find a solution for hiding your social anxiety behind a screen, think again, this is for the strong and brave.
Okay, what’s the plan?
Whether you’ve got one main contract or a few ongoing gig's and a personal project in the works, that’s great. What I recommend is continually putting yourself out there. Don’t feel like you can’t prove to yourself you’re capable of doing something you’d never consider doing. What I’m talking about is surprising yourself with your commitment. You want to get to a place where you can’t even stop yourself from attracting new people and clients into your life, where everything you touch is turning to gold.
For new freelancers, it’s a good idea to think about signing up to a few job sites like UpWork, Fiver, and Freelancer.com. After you’ve been approved, make sure that you’re ready to set up the account that is going to separate you from others in your field. This might be difficult as more areas are mostly flooded these days so make yourself unique and make yourself be heard.
Now you're in control of your own schedule, make sure you allow time to be away from the screen. Personally, this took me quite a while to get right but if you have any of that self-driving motivation left in the tank, try and get to the gym first up or at least a few times a week to get the gears in motion. You’ll have plenty of time to think and plan and even come up with new ideas while working out. Not only has this given me a minute to get my head straight first up in the morning but also make me feel more comfortable about my self-expectations.
The bottom line is you’re typically on a freelance basis, where even if you’re working full time, you need that same level of dedication that it takes to make sure all your tasks are completed every time you sit down. Whether it’s planning what you’re doing on the weekend, and how you roll back into the new week is a mechanism that is always growing but needs maintenance, checking to see if it’s still the way the system works.
A few final things to consider.
1. Be genuinely interested in other people. It’s easy to become a workaholic when your self reliant. Use other people’s passions to discover your own drive.
2. Smile politely and calmly to strangers.
3. Remember names or at least be willing to apologies you forgot and use it in conversation.
4. Ask questions even if you think you know the answer, you’ll be surprised what you don’t know.
5. Be a good listener. Encourage people to talk about themselves.
6. Talk in their own terms related to their interest.
7. Make people feel important - and do it sincerely, it becomes a mirror.
There is plenty of real science that backs these techniques, so give it a go.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog post. I wrote this blog to remind me how to grow. I figured it would be useful for others and to hear their opinions and experiences. If you're interested in finding out more about working remotely or have any questions feel free to comment below and we can get a conversation going about remote workers.