TAKE A BREATHER

Stephanie Cost explains how to manage your natural creative rhythm

It’s crucial to recognise the inhaleexhale pattern of life as a creative person. You’ll experience periods when you’re inhaling – you’re just taking things in and being inspired, reading all the time, watching TV, craving being in nature, and so on. Then there are periods of exhaling, when you produce good work.

It’s hard to transition from being in school to being a freelancer, because that breathing pattern is now up to you to recognise and regulate. Identify what you loved best about the stage of your life you’re about to leave behind, and replicate it. Did you love being a student and having structure? Make a syllabus. Did you appreciate having people give you feedback regularly? Seek out a peer group. You may not have loved your assignments, but you

had them– in a similar way, you need goals you can put on your fridge when they’re done. But most importantly, have faith in yourself, and remember to inhale when you need to.