In a volatile market, freelancing offers both opportunities and challenges. We talk to three creatives about how they are finding it out there right now
The terms feast and famine are never far from a freelancer’s lips and never more so than in the last decade, a period rife with global uncertainty. But, nonetheless, many of us persist. Figures from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) suggest that in September 2022 there were 3.1m job roles in the creative and cultural industries. Of those jobs, 989,000 (32%) were self-employed – more than double the rate of self-employment in the wider UK economy (14%).
Covid-19 had a profound impact on freelancing, altering how freelancers work and engage with clients. Jon Enoch is a London-based freelance photographer, who shoots lifestyle and portraiture for a range of clients including in the sports and drinks sectors. He was the overall winner of the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2023. However, it hasn’t all been plain sailing.
“The pandemic shut down the photography industry practically overnight in March 2020,” Enoch recalls. His work, which often involves capturing social gatherings and people, was particularly hard hit by lockdowns and social distancing measures. During this time, Enoch turned to directing self-funded film shorts and focused on marketing his work to stay relevant.
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Source: Life as a creative freelancer in 2024
