Freelance writing could be a beautiful experience if all you had to do was worry about getting paying clients. With the global pandemic threatening your clients, you might just be tempted to panic.
It’s even more hectic for a young African writer who has almost zero alternatives for tangible employment. Now, the government has asked everyone to stay home and adopt social distancing.
A lot of people experiencing depression at less than age 30 are probably hungry and working hard to rise out of hunger. Imagine how much more anxiety the Covid-19 pandemic is driving across the world and in Africa. What if the politicians are not tracking this thing right? What if the government is wrong? What if the lockdown gets extended?
Give an average person the assurance of 3-square meals, and they’d be super productive. In fact, most would choose an office that serves food over one that offers salary raise. Eating already cooked meals saves a lot of time but now even restaurants are on lockdown. Now, social distancing means cooking food that has been stocked up for the next 3 weeks or more!!
How do writers do the writing they need to do and make some money?
A lot of writers and freelance artists are probably stressing through this lock down that’s cutting across Africa. The government wants to stop the virus spread but who takes care of the young writer who relies on other businesses to make a living?
Give an average person the assurance of 3-square meals, and they’d be super productive.
Money is a terrible taskmaster. You’d get so busy doing your job, you’d fade away, or die of hunger without knowing. It takes a lot of discipline to always cook and eat while building a career. In this period, nutrition and staying hydrated is important for a writer’s career.
Coping mechanisms are quite important for those without restrictive work hours. Writers might be tempted to starve while writing or doing business. A lot of people would naturally overwork if they had no one supervising them. This is especially true for freelance writers who have no opening or closing hours. This lockdown might raise anxiety levels leading to overworking or extreme lack of drive.
It never stops. Work keeps building up to a spill over or anxiety continues to grow.
You have tasks divided into:
1. Actual writing.
2. Content Marketing.
3. Client management.
4. Social Media
5. Product design.
And of course, binge-watching youtube and browsing names of dogs that eat grass or something of that nature.
For writers to actually complete some good work, it might be wise to switch off the internet. Yes, the internet could be a major distraction. Always checking news updates might only keep you anxious and depressed. Writers should stay up to date but also keep creative energy up!
See an episode of a movie series while eating. This allows for a few minutes off work throughout the day.
Another fun thing to do is to play games while cooking.
Play games while cooking, chat, call friends, take pictures and share. This would make sure that there’s always time for food.
There are a lot of interesting ways creatives are coping with the sudden outbreak of the Corona virus. This might be a great time to share fun ways to stay positive and productive!
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