My typical day
Freelancing and working from home can be fantastic – more peace to really focus on your work, more relative freedom with flexible hours if needed…but it can also feel lonely and isolated. Inspiring yourself day to day is not easy, but it does get easier if you make it part of your daily routine. It’s as simple as opening your eyes to the world around you, trying to find visual connections everywhere, leaving that mobile behind and trust me, you will soon see your creativity bloom.
In this 2 part series I let you have a wee peek at my humble world and how my typical day working from home unfolds. I’ll also show you some special parts of my city and my busy studio. I love reading about other freelancer’s day to day life, so here’s mine!
A morning walk around Malaga – my pre-work routine
I get up at a nice decent time – 8.30am. As I open my peepers I have 2 thoughts: 1. it is only 7:30am in the UK. 2. Is it my turn to walk the dog?
I walk my dog, Heston on alternate mornings. In true whippet form, he is pretty lazy so I often have to ruse him from a deep slumber.
Heston the office whippet doing what he does best.
After a shower, we head out for a half hour walk. This walk energises me and often inspires me in ways I never fully expect.
A good walk (or ‘paseo’ as we call it in Spain) is just the tonic for the creative mind to wake up. I live in the historic city centre of Malaga, a sprawling city in Southern Spain, and usually my walk takes me to the famous Plaza de Merced. Picasso was born in this lively square so in the morning it is always busy with tourists spilling out of their cruise liners, street performers and people making their way to work.
Tables are laid out for breakfast, young executives enjoy their café con leche whilst retired tourists order huge goblets of gin and tonics. I love the contrast.
Slower pace
As I observe the performers start to set up their acts, I notice how this city awakes slowly compared to my old hometown Glasgow. Everything is slower – people walk differently to the UK, sometimes even dragging their heels! Did I just get an idea for an illustration- Did I just!
Finding inspiration in your environment.
Just around the corner is the vibrant neighbourhood of Lagunillas. Even though it is smack bang in the middle of the city, this area has been neglected for decades and is in a sorry state of empty derelict houses and businesses and rubbish-strewn disused land.
Grafiiti in Calle Huerto del Conde, Malaga
Yet amongst all the rough bits we always find beauty. Some abandoned houses are decorated with stunning and intricate graffiti, the empty land has been reclaimed by well meaning gardeners and transformed into mini parks. The old closed shops slowly opening up as art galleries, bike shops and independent shops. It is an area in osmosis – an ever changing canvas where raw energy and community spirit meet.
Every Saturday, there are intimate concerts where you can enjoy fantastic live music – but your entry fee is not in euros, to get in you donate a few kilos of food to help the food banks in the area.
At my desk and ready to roll
Back home, I do my morning email ritual (reply, purge, archive) whist enjoying a strong coffee. I like to keep my inbox as tidy as my desk. I hate clutter and paperwork so my desk usually looks like this:
Aye…right! Usually it looks a lot messier at the end of the day as I collect cups, glasses and the odd snack but i do try to keep some order and avoid accumulating paperwork. I feel it clears my mind.
How is your typical day? What tools do you use to get creative when working on your own? How does your city or town inspire you? We would love to hear your comments.
