Posting this blog totally counts as content, right? (*asking for a friend…)

Running a business as a creative freelancer: designer, strategist, content creator, illustrator, or space-savvy consultant – often means pouring your energy into client missions. You give them the best visuals, the sharpest messaging, the cleanest strategy. Projects move. Clients are happy. But when did I last wash my hair?

And what is left for you?

The classic freelancer dilemma: By the time you have given your best thinking to others, do you have anything left for your own brand?

My parents asked me, half-joking: “Do you ever have anything left in you for your own stuff?” If I had a euro for every time I heard that, I would have enough to pay the person now managing my Instagram. I work in communication but ghost my own feed. The only thing consistent about my posts is how consistently they do not happen. Classic shoemaker’s kid situation.

The Burnout Loop

You are not lazy. You are not stuck. You are just tired. After solving other people’s problems all week, there is rarely enough creative fuel left to redesign your portfolio, fix your website, or even write that one clever LinkedIn post you have had in mind since February.

Why It Matters

Neglecting your own business does not mean you are lazy – it usually means you are busy, and that is a good thing. It means people are paying you to do great work. Still, it can be frustrating when your own online presence starts to look like it was last updated by your 2019 self. Because nothing says ‘thriving business’ like a portfolio that still lists a 2022 project as ‘coming soon.’

Some Do Not Even Try

Others know they will never “get to it” – so they skip it entirely. That is where collaboration steps in. Outsourcing your own brand work to someone who is not depleted by your client list can be the difference between looking busy and becoming booked.

What We Have Learned

We see it all the time – the sharpest minds with the blurriest brand presence. It is fixable.

Right now, I am part of a small creative loop where we produce content for each other. It is not polished, but it moves. And it works.

If this hits close to home, you are not alone. Just do not give up. Even if it is messy, start again tomorrow.

You do not need a perfect plan. You just need to keep showing up for yourself, even if it is with dry shampoo and a half-written post.