How do you talk about your work? I like telling data stories - about my career, cool data projects I see, upskilling opportunities - through weird art! It’s also good practice for making visuals/art for the indie video games I create.
Part of being a freelancer is constantly promoting yourself/your work and being present in the communities of practice you work within. It does get draining. Running a small business means you’re wearing all the hats (accountant, PR manager, writer, worker). I’ve also been around long enough that new grads, veterans, and individuals looking to switch careers come to me for like guidance or brainstorming. I love that! That labor can also be draining.
I like switching up what I work on, including how I promote myself on socials like LN. That’s also why I call myself a “Data Consultant” rather than some specific kind (e.g. DAM Consultant, Python Consultant, Data Migration Consultant). This year alone I’ve worked on data topics like: digital preservation, tech specs to AR technologies, a CollectiveAccess to ArchivEra data migration, still image authenticity issues, TikTok/Instagram algorithms, US sovereignty violence, and a Godot engine video game.
In development, we have a concept of playtesting or sandboxing. It’s where you play around with settings/features/architecture in a virtual environment to understand how things work, if you like it, and why not. Don’t be afraid to play. Make a messy GIF. Record your work. Write down the things you do for labor.