The Many Hats We Wear

Are you currently or planning to be a freelancer?

Some people asked me what it's like running your own freelance business. No matter whether it is for photography, design, painting, or whatever you do, this content applies to you!

Freelancing isn’t just a job - it’s a balancing act. What professions do you think are in this list? Start making your notes on a piece of paper, and let's see what you got and what I missed.

We should be ready to dive into the unknown and wear different "hats" - sometimes, at the same time! For the sake of keeping our freelance business alive.

This one’s for all the self-taught, self-managed, self-everything creatives out there. See the unexpected job descriptions that you need to be familiar with and ready to wear to have a promising freelance journey.

Being a freelancer isn’t just doing your profession or doing what you are supposed to - but it’s also juggling roles you never expected to do.

1. YOUR PROFESSION HERE...

"...The Photographer, Artist, Designer, or Creative."

Whether you are behind the camera (computer, canvas, instrument, or your medium), you’re the visionary, creator, and mastermind. The one who sees what others don’t and executes it just right.

This is your main profession and the title you want everyone to know. You specialize in creating and making what you do best. Maybe you learn it in university or self-taught, yet you deliver something that is genuinely your forte. Keep that burning desire and passion to build your freelance business successfully.

There is no doubt that you have extensive knowledge in this field. Make sure to find your creative voice, signature style, or whatever makes you unique and stands out in your craft.

2. THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR.

"Vision before Execution."

You also conceptualize the overall ideas, mood, and integrity of the project. Also, think about the bigger picture that the client may not have considered to successfully execute the project while maintaining creative consistency.

You're not just making things look good, you're shaping the entire vision of the project. You think beyond the briefing, connecting dots the client hasn’t even seen yet. Mood, tone, storytelling? That’s all you. You anticipate challenges, maintain consistency, and keep the creative direction laser-focused. Your superpower? Making sure everything feels cohesive, aligned, and on purpose.

3. THE PROJECT MANAGER.

"Deadlines don’t care how creative you feel."

From pre-prod to delivery, this is how your ideas become realities. You are also staying organized and managing the resources. Ensure to deliver on time, within budget, and fulfill the clients' requests and make them happy.

You’re the one turning wild creative ideas into real-world deliverables. From that first kickoff call to the final file sent, it’s all about structure, timing, and staying one step ahead. Sure, things shift - they always do - but you adapt, recalibrate, and keep it moving.

You're juggling timelines, budgets, clients’ requests, and the occasional curveball, all while making it look easy and part of the process. Great work doesn’t just happen - it gets managed. And thanks to your management skills, it actually gets done.

4. THE SECRETARY & AGENT/LEGAL.

"Emails, calls, quotes, licensing, & appointments."

You also handle important tasks that often go unnoticed, such as arranging appointments and meetings. Additionally, you also manage and send emails, estimates, licensing, permits, and tons of documents & paper cuts.

You’re the one diligently keeping everything running - scheduling calls, chasing signatures and invoice information, and sending those "just checking in" emails that keep projects on track and clients remember your existence. You handle the paperwork like nobody sees, but your business depends on: updating estimates, revising contracts, double-checking licenses, finding permits - all the boring stuff, and some have a minimum of 5 pages (in 8 font size, back-to-back) documents that are actually critical to read and to sign off.

You're part clerk, part negotiator, part legal expert. And let’s be honest: without your patience, perseverance, and attention to detail, things would slip through the cracks fast. This might not be your main job description, but this effort is the reason your whole business stays afloat, paid on time, and legally protected.

5. THE ACCOUNTANT.

"Spreadsheets. Taxes. Budgets. Oh my!"

You may not love Excel, but it keeps your creative business alive and profitable. You also know basic math, taxes, and basic bookkeeping to keep the finance office off your tail.

Let’s be real: you didn't expect that you needed to do this. You thought money would just come in and out in a natural way, like breathing. But here you are - tracking invoices, checking expenses and your budget for the month, sorting business receipts, and trying to make sense of taxes before they sneak up on you.

You’re learning the language of profit, cash flow, debit, and credit because you know a business needs a stable foundation. And every time you stay on top of your numbers, you’re protecting your future - and giving yourself more space to focus on the work you actually love.

6. THE MARKETER / CONTENT CREATOR.

"You are your own brand machine."

From social media to networking, putting yourself out there is half the battle. You also create and post content for your brand's presence. Also, dealing with potential and returning clients.

You’re not just making stuff you love - you’re building a brand. That means showing up in networking events, saying hi to potential clients, or maintaining an online presence, even when you’d rather stay behind the scenes doing your thing. From your marketing materials, portfolio, creating posts and reels to DMs and hashtags, you're the one making sure your work gets seen by the right people.

You’re crafting catchy captions, scheduling content, jumping on trends (even if it is not going viral, at least trying to work), and nurturing connections, because in a digital world that moves fast, staying top-of-mind is everything. Visibility isn’t vanity - it’s strategy.

7. THE COPYWRITER.

“Words that are grammatically correct sell.”

You’re not just creating pictures/visual images - you’re also crafting narratives. From email, every filler on your text box, artist statement, and image captions to campaigns, your words shape the story just as much as your visuals.

You're not only creating work - you're writing the story behind your creation and brand. From social media captions to cold personalized emails to those tiny blurbs and artist statements that take forever to write, your words give your work depth, meaning, and emotion.

Whether it's a treatment, a pitch, or a perfectly one-liner under a photo or your work, you're shaping how people feel, connect, and remember. Good writing isn’t automatic - it’s part of the effort you need to execute. And you? You make every word count.

8. THE IT SUPPORT.

"Your own tech team (on call 24/7)."

Crashed drives, your website, software bugs - you’re also the one Googling fixes, reinstalling apps, and praying to the cloud gods. If you are not on the tech side, maybe fix the printer or router when the Wi-Fi is not functioning as it should.

You didn’t sign up for this, but here you are - fixing the glitches on your website builder, email domain, or ancient router covered in web. Corrupted drives? Frozen apps? Cloud Storage is not syncing or unavailable, or Wi-Fi mysteriously goes down right before a video call or project deadline? Yep, it’s on you to fix.

You're the one hunting resolutions in Reddit, Books for Dummies, or YouTube videos, working on it tirelessly and anxiously reading the instructions thrice, and whispering "please work" to your gear like it’s a living thing. It’s not glamorous, but keeping your business afloat means your creative world can keep moving.

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Being a freelancer isn’t just about doing the work you love - it’s about wearing every hat in the room.

One day you’re the artist, the next you’re the project manager, the accountant, the marketer, the tech support... and sometimes all of them at once.

You learn on the fly as you work hard for your business. You adapt. You Google things at 2 AM. Slowly mastering every job description here.

And through it all, you somehow make it look easy (even when it’s not).

This is a love letter to all the hats we wear - worn and not yet - and a reminder: You’re doing more than enough. And you’re not alone.

SO... WHICH HAT ARE YOU WEARING TODAY?

Shout out to you and share it with your fellow creatives who wear different hats - and let’s celebrate the hustle together.

Did I miss some "hats"? Feel free to add in the comments, and let's make this list longer.

If you had a great read or have provided any value, please tip or share it with your friends, family, colleagues, and co-creatives. Feel free to send your comments, questions, or suggestions. I would love to hear from you.

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