Different work scenarios and the creative freedom they offer.
Is there a perfect work scenario for the Creative?
The perfect work scenario for creatives is where we do only what we love doing.
This wish is a sharp contrast to what’s obtainable in the real world and a quick look at the ambiguos job requirements of organizations proves this. There are exceptions to this though like tech start-ups where roles are less superfluous but this is only an exception and many would find themselves working in scenarios where they work outside their desired skills.
When it comes to work, creatives in today’s world would either work in-house (as staffs of a firm catering to its creative needs), as agency workers catering to the creative needs of multiple firms and as freelancers with no major obligation to anyone but themselves.
Each of this presents a unique work scenario for the creative when it comes to a strict use of their skills.
In-house scenario:
Many firms are not setup on a creative basis but require the needs of creative individuals for marketing, branding and advertising purposes. Rather than outsource their needs, hiring their own in-house creative personnel is a preferred choice.
The in-house work scenario is the only category where creatives get to contribute on a long term basis toward the creative identity of their firms.
For creatives the job they do here matters to them on a personal level because of this long term involvement.
“One of the most exciting things about working at a company is your ability to shape its brand, even beyond just suggesting a color palette and font family. You are closer to the people who champion the brand’s voice” Lisa- Creative circle
However, this is also the only field where creatives have to mostly perform outside their skill set, especially where small firms are concerned. For instance, a designer in a small firm is the go to guy for everything tech related, from image resizing to performing computer maintenance on systems.
If the job title is something like creative marketing manager as advertised on Nigerian job advertisement boards, then he is in charge of designing creative materials for marketing and advertising to the actual marketing and sales itself.
All this isn’t bad, as having solid marketing and sales skills will do anyone a ton of good but your the aim was to only do creative related work then there’s need need for a change in mindset.
The Agency scenario:
Agencies are business set-ups that provide creative services to multiple firms.
I call agencies the sweet sour spot because agencies only sell creative services and what you would ever do here is creative work. In an agency the guy in front of you is a marksman in Figma, the other in Photoshop and you all speak the same raster-svg based lingo.
The kind of work done here is also more versatile since work is performed for multiple firms seeking multiple creative solutions. There’s no long term personal interest to any of these clients like the in-house staff would have. But there’s an ever evolving experience to be gained from working on dynamic projects.
“ If you enjoy different challenges and managing multiple types of projects, as well as a fast and more versatile pace of life then agency work is more for you.” Sarah Warby, Marketing Director at Sainsbury’s.
When it comes to creative related work agencies usually have huge creative workloads that require an “all hands on deck” effort so If you love designing magazine publications you won’t ever work on only this, due to the diverse creative projects your firm handles.But there’s is the guarantee that no matter how far removed it might be form your favorite tasks it would always be related to the creative field.
The Freelance scenarios.
The word freelance is a reference to medieval warriors who owed no loyalty to any lord. These days Freelancers do the same thing by placing their creative skills in place of swords to the service of clients and the jobs they like.
Since there’s the freedom to choose the clients they work for, freelancers are probably the only creatives who perform jobs strictly to their liking.
Take Jenni Gritters founder of LCC who setup her freelance business with the aim of only writing for publications that focus on healthy living.
However, this glamorous option isn’t for every freelancer and those starting out in order to keep up with financial obligations would still work for Lords on assignment they don’t like.
So about the perfect work scenario!
The freelance scenario seems to be the best scenario right? But it’s not a scenario many people are willing to commit to as financial stability might be more important to them than the romantic notion of doing only what you love.
It ultimately comes down to a tradeoff between stability and unpredictability.
The corporate world is the safest bet for many in respect to paychecks and the long term commitment they want to put into their work.
Agencies as I say are usually the sweet spot; They offer financial stability and a high level of diversity which the freelance world offers and without the threat of seeking clients.
Freelancing is the ultimate world for creative choices but there is always going to be effort to put in to get clients. Those who have been able to do this effectively have found freelancing to be rewarding.
This is one of those cases where one size won’t fit all and as acreative you should be prepared to adapt and make the most out of any work situation you find yourself .
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