One of my favorite up-and-coming Youtubers is Mik Milman, and last week, he released a video interviewing clinical psychologist Dr. Ali about the hardships of being a freelancer and how it can affect your mental health as a creative.
Mental health is important; that goes without saying. But taking care of yourself is something that takes constant work, and it's difficult to know where to start, especially as a photographer, where we can spend weeks in a dark room editing photos or reading photography blogs under the guise of "research" (or in my case, writing them). Dr. Ali, host of YouTube's PsychShow, and Mik have a fantastic and unedited conversation about burnout, mental health, and how to take care of oneself as a freelancer. What is especially nice about this video is that it is less "interviewer and interviewee," but more so a conversation between friends, which is always appreciated.
Some of the key points in this video in my opinion are a few things like the importance of a schedule, say going to the gym at a specific time each week, and social interaction. Humans are social creatures, so it makes sense for us to have a need to see each other. Mik also brings up the idea that us photographers shouldn't look at each other as competition, but rather brothers and sisters in arms, which I wholeheartedly agree with. In the words of "High School Musical:" "we're all in this together."
What do you think of mental health as a freelancer? Is it something you struggle with now or have in the past? Let's start a discussion.
Definitely if you struggle with depression and/or anxiety freelancing is not an ideal fit. There’s nothing wrong with day job and benefits. Most freelancers don’t spend every day doing what they want. The predictability of a day job, checks that arrive on time (and always clear), and health benefits might be better for your health than living hand-to-mouth, daily rejection, and dealing with cheapskates.
I don't think this is universal. Freelancing gives me freedom. If I'm having a bad day or a bad week: I don't have to ask my boss for a day off. I'll just take the day off. And I live in a country where I don't have to worry about a job providing "health benefits." Freelancing has given me the ability to manage my health.
exactly. i have the freedom to deal with my internal issues and construct a flexible schedule that works for me where a normal 9 to 5 would get me fired for constantly being out of the office.
plus, when you have anxiety, just because you have a consistent paycheck rolling in in no way helps reduce the neuroses that can cause anxiety. it's less about external triggers than it is internal. in my case, it's enclosed spaces with lots of people and few escape routes, which is most offices.
it's difficult for someone who's never experienced it consistently to understand or relate, especially when i can look back on my 20 year-old self and see how callous i was towards mental illness then grow to become a victim of it.
but of course that's just my own personal experience.
I think you and Mark bring up excellent points. I'd like to make a follow up video to the one posted with specific tips on how to deal with mental health as a freelancer. Maybe you would be interested in contributing a video clip with a tip or two?
Nope. I'm not in a position to give either advice or "specific tips" about dealing with mental health as a freelancer. That's a dangerous thing to be asking a stranger on the internet to do IMHO.
I loved watching this. I heard a psychologist speak about creatives, that how interesting it is that the very people who suffer form depression and anxiety are attracted to our biz. They have to deal with a good deal of stress being a freelancer or working for themselves in their own company. He found it interesting that the personality type is drawn to a career where they will have to be stressed and anxious.
Thank you for sharing, David. I think this is an important topic to discuss and I'm glad to see Fstoppers pick it up.