Freelancers: Building a values-led, financially thriving practice

Freelancing in the arts can feel like running a marathon on a treadmill that keeps speeding up. The sector runs on short-term projects, funding cycles that make your head spin, and far too many of us are paid late, paid less, or – my favourite – paid ‘in exposure’.

In England, 73% of cultural freelancers earn under £25,000 from freelance work, and 68% can’t save for a pension. The problem is real, but it doesn’t end at precarity. It starts there.This piece is about building capacity in your practice – in mindset, money conversations and leadership.

We are not extra hands – we are the operating system

Freelancers are too often treated as bolt-ons to institutional plans. But the creative economy is structurally dependent on independent talent. Most work is organised as short-term projects, and 69% of freelancers work mainly or entirely freelance.

We need to change how we see ourselves in the ecosystem. We are not peripheral. Once we internalise that, we stop playing small. We step into entrepreneurial leadership – not in a corporate way, but in the “I know what I bring and I’m going to negotiate accordingly” way.

Growth mindset (but make it gentle)

A growth mindset isn’t about toxic positivity or being okay with every bit of pushback. It’s about nudging yourself from “Why me?” to “Why not me?”. It’s a habit of searching for possibility, of learning in public, of treating setbacks as information rather than verdicts.

You might send a proposal for £3,000 and the client comes back with: “We only have £1,500. Can you still do it?”

Fixed mindset: “I always ask for too much. I am pricing myself out. Maybe I am not as experienced as I think. I should just say yes, or I’ll lose the opportunity.”

Growth mindset: “Interesting. What can I deliver well for £1,500? Is there a phased approach where we start small and build? This is a negotiation, not a verdict on my worth.”

The fixed mindset makes it about you – your value, your worth. The growth mindset makes it about the work – what’s possible, what serves the project. Both responses are human. But only one leaves you with options.

Outcomes over hours

When we see ourselves as an extra pair of hands, we ask: “How many days do you need?” When we see ourselves as partners in outcomes, we ask: “What change are we creating together, and what will it take to get there?”

That shift – from day-rate provider to value-creator – changes everything. Your practice becomes a strategy, not a scramble.

Money, kindly

One of my favourite themes to discuss with freelancers –  money. Money conversations can feel exposing. So, let’s talk about what happens in our heads before we even get to the proposal.

Picture this. You’re catching up with a colleague over coffee, they tell you about a brilliant event they’re working on and ask if you want to be involved. You light up. You get excited about what you could create together, share ideas and connections. And just as you are standing up to leave, you add: “Umm… is there a budget for my time?”

If that’s ever been you, you are not alone. But when we treat remuneration as an afterthought, we signal our work is an afterthought. What if the budget question came up front? Not aggressively, just clearly: “This sounds exciting. Before I start thinking through ideas, can you share what the budget looks like?”

It’s not rude, it’s professional. It’s also kind – to you and them.

Values are your decision-making tool – make them work for you

Your values aren’t nice words on a website; they’re the filter you run decisions through when you are tired, when the money’s tempting, or when something feels… off.

If you’re clear what matters – co-design, accessibility, transparency, whatever is non-negotiables – saying no gets easier. And saying yes feels better.

If you have never articulated your values, try this: write down three principles you protect when push comes to shove. Those are your values. Name them out loud.

You’re not solo – even when freelance

Personal shifts stick when we practice them together. Find two or three peers. Run a monthly 45-minute huddle where each person brings one challenge and one win. Share proposal templates. Rehearse your money scripts out loud.

Building a partnership stack helps too – identify a producer, access consultant or evaluator you trust so when bigger projects come in, you can say yes without overextending yourself. The collective shift is where the magic happens.

But be kind to yourself

If you have tried this before and slipped back, you are not failing. Old stories are persistent, especially when spoken in rooms we want to belong to.

Keep company with people who share your standards. Let the practice be collective. We don’t have to play small. We can play on purpose – together – that’s where joy and fair pay start to reinforce each other.

What should I do?

This all sounds great in theory, but where do you start? Every freelance practice is different, and context matters. The following five points are starting points, not universal rules. Each comes with a prompt – answer it honestly and you have your first move. Take what fits, adapt what doesn’t.

1. Name your minimum
What’s the lowest fee that covers your costs AND leaves you feeling respected – not resentful? That’s your Minimum Engagement Fee. Don’t go below it.

2. Rehearse the conversation
Who’s the one person you trust to say your fee out loud to? Tell them. Practice saying: “My fee for this is £x” without apologising. Notice what happens in your body.

3. Identify your non-negotiables
What’s the one thing you will not compromise on, even if it costs you the gig? (Late payments?  Being asked to work for exposure?) That’s a boundary. Protect it.

4. Find your people
Who are two freelancers you would want to share wins and losses with? Message them. Suggest a monthly coffee where you bring one problem, one win, one lead to share. Do it consistently.

5. Publish one small thing
What’s one insight from a recent project that might help someone else? Write 150 words. Post them. Tag a peer. Start the habit of learning out loud.