April 2025 - FIVE good things

and the freedom to change your mind

Welcome to the newly titled ‘Freelancing from a Field’. I write these newsletters on the last day of every month in the hope they might help other freelancers and the freelance curious. My writing aim this year is to be consistent enough to make it to edition no. 012 in December. So here goes edition 004 and if it makes it to publication I’ll be a third of the way through (eek, now I’ve just realised that we’re a third of the way through 2025 already).

Two out of four episodes of the podcast series I’ve been making have been released. After months of logistics, recordings and editing it’s very satisfying to have them out in the world!

Click on the image to listen / add to playlist 🎧

I love the variety that comes with making radio and podcasts; researching, interviewing, recording, writing scripts but editing is the part that I really love. I have to be careful though because that love can become a bit too intense. Sometimes I’m so engrossed I forget to eat or, even worse, drink ANY water, although tea consumption usually remains high. I enjoy editing in the evenings when my son is asleep and the house is quiet but this means I start going to sleep later and later, often immediately after staring at a screen all evening. I’ve been aware recently that I could easily be edging towards burnout again unless I give myself a helping hand.

So, here are five good things, apart from Last One Laughing UK, that have helped me get through April:

1. The freedom to change my mind

Yep in what some might describe as branding suicide, I’ve changed the name of my newsletter from ‘Read the Room Reflections’ to ‘Freelancing from a Field’, a mere four months into starting it! It was actually what I was originally going to call it and then last minute I panicked and thought I should probably put the name of my production company in for ‘branding continuity’, which is a phrase that I’m sure exists but is not one I’ve thankfully ever had to say out-loud. Then I realised that for anyone browsing around and seeing the title for the first time ‘Read the Room Reflections’ doesn’t actually mean anything, whereas with ‘Freelancing from a Field’ it’s obvious what the newsletter is about straight away.

So that’s my explanation and of course I always need to remember that:

a. no-one really cares apart from me anyway

b. I no longer work for a massive corporation where everything needs a least 54 sign offs before so much as a font is changed 😉

Hurray!

2. Growing from seed

Those with a good memory may have noticed that this is an immediate contradiction to March No.4!

“this year I’ve decided not to grow anything from seed. I thought I might cave in when March rolled around but actually I’m fine. I’m enjoying the break! Growing from seed is incredibly rewarding but it’s also time consuming and it’s ok to go a year without doing something and then see how you feel next year.”

Hear me out! I probably would’ve stuck to it but then my five-year-old came home from school one day and asked me if we could grow food again this year. Thrilled he wanted to do something so wholesome, I immediately gave him the position of head gardener. We had a brilliant afternoon outside planting all the seeds he chose into trays (sweetcorn, leeks, peas, beans, radish, beetroot and sunflowers) and now he has of course lost all interest! No, to be fair, he does enjoy watering them but he’s just not one for succession sowing.

Since then, I’ve realised a lot of our seeds aren’t germinating because they are pretty old and so now in a complete turn of events, I’ve decided to plant them ALL, which to be honest IS really time consuming and runs the risk of me having way too many plants (as usual) but oh what a thrill when they do germinate! Also I love the feeling of sinking my fingers into warm compost. I think it’s the antithesis to laptop tapping.

3. This substack post by Stevie Mackenzie-Smith on ‘fishing for rejections’, particularly arts funding / opportunities.

   Fishing for rejections

   Last year was the first time I applied for funding and it was so exciting when one of my applications was successful. It meant I was able to go to a week-long media event in Berlin that I would not have been able to afford otherwise. Here’s my write up in case you want some further reading 😉

   Full transparency, I put in five ideas into a recent commissioning round this year and found out at the beginning of this month that I didn’t get any. I think old me would’ve taken a lot longer to get over that hit. But my general rule is I’m allowed one day of sulking after a big deal rejection and then I move on! I’ve become so resistant that I don’t even need the full day anymore because yes it would’ve been a big deal if I had received a commission but it’s not a big deal if I don’t. It just frees up some time to ‘fish’ for something else (and probably make a spreadsheet like Stevie’s!).

   

4. Pots + Premium Bonds

   I’m reluctant to put this one in because I am NOT in anyway qualified to give financial advice. However, because I registered as a sole trader in May 2024, this year will be my first self assessment tax return, so I’m a bit nervy about it. I have set up a ‘pot’ in my Monzo Business account which automatically keeps back a set amount for tax when I receive a payment. I find this really useful as I don’t have to think about it. Originally I was just leaving it there and not touching it but then I read in a few places you can stick it in an instant access savings account or premium bonds. So now I have a two-tier system of pot then transfer to premium bonds. I can access the money instantly when the time comes and while it’s sat there it might win me some prizes. I’m sure more seasoned freelancers have their own methods down but I thought this might be useful for anyone in their first year or thinking about going self-employed soon. Also if you have a different approach that works for you, or know of any pitfalls with mine, then please let me know!

5. New music from Pulp!

   This makes me so happy 😀

   (I promise I don’t only listen to bands who were big in the 90s!)

I love to hear from you here in my lonely field, so please drop a like or leave a comment if you have read and enjoyed! I’m always up for chats with anyone but in particular other freelancers / the freelance curious.

BONUS!

Check out the lushness of the Wales Coastal Path in the sunshine. I went on this walk with Bert after a heavy week of editing and it was one of the highlights of my April.

Wales Coastal Path - Clarach to Borth