A Creator’s Guide To Working From Home — Tips To Remain Creative

It can be hard adapting to a home office when you are used to commuting to your workplace or attending shootings and meetings regularly.

Suddenly we are alone with ourselves, and that can be both appealing and daunting at the same time.

I joined the remote working and freelancer life around two years ago, but it has always been familiar to me since my dad has always worked remotely and my mom started working remotely, then went on the freelance path to end up building her own company.

As a content creator and photographer, I think it has been quite different for me because, aside from establishing my own routine, I had to find myself ways of being creative and inspired most of the time.

Of course, right now we are in a completely different situation — there is a global pandemic going on and we are being forced to remain home. We didn’t choose to be here, and that can be challenging for creativity, productivity and, especially, our mental health. So please take my advice with a grain of salt and don’t feel pressured to do this if you are feeling overwhelmed or anxious. Rest your mind, this will pass.

MY TIPS & TRICKS

All that being said, I wanted to share with you the things that normally work for me. Take what you consider might help you and make the most of it!

01

SET A ROUTINE

You may have seen this a thousand times already, but having a daily routine is pretty important when staying in. Give yourself time, try different schedules, and see what works better for you. One thing I do every single morning is drinking lemon water with turmeric. It’s my little ritual, and once I do that I feel like I am already on top of my day.

Remember taking breaks every now and then, and exercising is always good.

02

SEEK INSPIRATION

I use mainly Pinterest (you can check my profile here!), but I also love going through photo books or other artists’ profiles and websites. Be open to being inspired by everything around you — movies, music, cooking, the light at a certain point in your room… Your everyday life can also be a starting point to create something new or to develop a future project.

03

CAPTURE YOUR EVERYDAY

Speaking of your everyday life, capturing it can be a huge source, not only of inspiration but of relief. It can be by journaling, taking photos, drawing, or whatever you choose. Aside from taking photos, I write in my journal as frequently as I can.

04

DON’T STRESS

I have said it before and I will say it again — you don’t have to be productive all the time nor to create every single day. Sometimes you need to take a break. My main recommendation in these kinds of days is starting with (or simply doing) easy tasks.

05

ORGANIZE

Not only your home office environment but also your hard drives and folders. Try different systems to organize your files and stick to the one that makes the most sense to you. You will feel relieved and way more focused once you are done.

06

DOWNTIME

Spending 20 minutes a day not doing anything — either by meditating or simply getting your eyes off the screen and look at the ceiling doing nothing — can help a lot with anxiety and lack of ideas. Maybe you don’t notice it right after the first time, but trust me, your mind needs a break!

07

GO THROUGH OLD PROJECTS

Whether it’s photography, design, or music, going through previous projects can be more useful than we think. It reminds us of why we started, and you will see exactly the points where you evolved and got better. I encourage you to revamp these projects and give them a new look.

Re-editing old photos is one of the things that I enjoy the most when I’m bored and lacking inspiration. A lot of the times I end up experimenting with new edits and coming up with something different to implement to my photos.

I really hope these tips were helpful enough and you are able to remain creative and active. Take care of yourself!

SEE YOU SOON,

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PATRICIA