BEFORE...
The sky is the limit...
Jobs are flying off the shelf - work is getting busier and busier... Logo's, Stationery, Pictures, Posters, Banners, Signs, Brochures (another x3) Games, Play Boards, more Banners, more Logo's, Sails, a giant bus crashing through a wall into the Sheffield Transport Museum...
Another crazy project... to plan, design, artwork and produce 2m high wall panels for a children's play cabin situated in the museum based on a 100mm Corgi model bus. It was printed on pvc foam boards with front window apertures machine cut from the graphic panels and featuring an access door.
The work kept coming...
More logo's, exhibition graphics, another x18 banner stands, t-shirts, social media banners, podcast graphics, game packs, clothing catalogues and leaflets and another brochure...
AFTER...
Everything is changing...
Well, here we are again-but life is not the life we were living when I last wrote my thoughts down a few months ago... We managed to get to 400 jobs (yeah!) but only just, before the crisis landed on our shores (and everyone else’s for that matter). Work was going great guns - the office was incredibly busy, the phone was constantly in use, quotes were piling up, lots of print was in production and I was designing in my sleep... life was as busy as it had ever been then STOP!
Who knew six months ago of the impact that Covid-19 would have on each and every one of our lives - the loss of loved ones, the stress of isolation, missing family and friends, stress and anxiety, general uncertainty, job no job, furloughed or finished...
May I take this moment to add that anyone reading this who has suffered loss during this terrible time - please accept my deepest sympathies and a big hug, this time is painful enough but the thought of not being able to say goodbye to 'loved ones' at this time just leaves me numb x
Along with tourism, the cultural and creative sectors are among the most affected by Covid-19. Creative‘s are having a particularly tough time on the job front and it has become a very stressful, upsetting and an anxious period for the majority of self-employed designers, sole-traders, freelancers - in truth, the whole industry.
Being your own boss brings challenges even when things are going well, so in these dark days life can be extremely treacherous. Until the government find a vaccine we will all have to work and trade under the ‘New Normal’ banner (I’ve already heard this term far too many times for the good of my health).
Almost apologetically, I must say, I was one of the fortunate people that had submitted accounts - therefore receiving some financial support but I know a few friends and acquaintances (mainly freelancers) out there that didn’t meet the criteria and are on the bones of their derriere. This crisis is a massive threat to the survival of many companies and bodies in the cultural and creative sector.
The current situation is particularly critical for these sectors due to the huge loss of revenue opportunities, especially for the freelance market. A lot of our industrie's work comes from within the arts (museums, libraries, theatres) where there are now major budget issues and also where a lot of small companies and freelancers ply their trade and which now could face bankruptcy.
I feel blessed that I had no real options apart from setting-up PJR Creative when I did (all due to the shocking, unforeseen circumstances in my previous employment) forcing my hand. Without which, I doubt if I would have ever had such an opportunity to head out on my own. This string of events allowed me to start up in the relevant time-frame to submit seven-months of accounts (even though my earnings were a lot lower back then) making me eligible for the government payment. Gladly, they have already made one self-employed payment and the next 3-monthly contribution is due to land in the next few weeks (phew!)
So after a wonderful second year in business, Covid-19 really caused my business to fall of the rails at the end of the financial year I am starting to see the effects in black and white (and red) now.
We also received some devastating news at the end of our financial year - our lovely accountant Robin, sadly passed away earlier in the year. He was a kind man who really helped me when I need it most at the start of my business journey. He created idiot-proof formulas and spreadsheets, he was always available at the end of the phone when I needed (a lot of) assistance and he always provided sensible and well-thought out advice when I needed one of my many problems sorting out...
R.I.P. ROBIN - you will be sadly missed, thank you for always finding the extra 20%!
One by one our jobs were put on stop, postponed or even cancelled - at the last count, this applied to 26 of our jobs!!!
We were working on some large projects too, a host of festivals that were planned throughout the summer of 2020 (cancelled), Education Brochures (schools closed), Technical Brochures (furloughed). Promotional work for Beamish Museum (events cancelled - museum closed), signage for three Golf Clubs (temporarily shut - but no money now available due to loss of earnings), a host of flyers, posters, menus and catalogues too.
Fortunately for us we had three clients who were still ploughing on when almost everyone was furloughed or working on skeleton stuff. Our remaining ‘active’ clients were in a similar situation to ourselves and we had each others undivided attention allowing us to work for long sessions with quick turnarounds as we had little else to concentrate on as we ventured on in the middle of a baron wasteland...
A month later..
And ...the phone eventually started to ring again, it felt like a lifetime since I took regular phone calls but things were starting to shuffle forward - but it was shuffling with a different kind of job...
Lockdown projects had arrived!
Oh what a joy (not for me or my clients!)
What are your lockdown rates (you have to try)?
Can I have a quote for a job that won’t happen (changing laws and restrictions)
Menus for restaurants that folded before even opening,
Business life was in turmoil.
Then, for the few that did open their doors and employee’s households for actual work - comunication become ever-increasingly difficult as our contacts began the hard slog back. Life was tricky and each and every person had their own issues and something alien to deal with.
So working from home became the norm - but for a lot of people it was ‘WFH with added extras’ - shopping for elders, home schooling, zoom meetings, bored friends and family just wanting to chat, basically not as straightforward or appealing as first imagined.
With toddlers around their feet, children who required home schooling, teenager’s needing to be chained down to stop them sneaking out to see their mates or the dreaded ‘technical’ issues with your work-issued laptop covered in porridge (when your I.T. Department might as well work from Mars a million miles away running a skeleton staff operation with a two week waiting list).
Everything was slowly grinding to a half, clients were struggling to get answers from their clients, messages were being mis-placed, 'Chinese Whispers' were in full effect, every other email came back with a standard ‘sorry - not in office, please call this number if urgent’ reply. Skeleton staff were being asked to give their opinions and approval on jobs they knew nothing about, proofs were ending up in the wrong department, invoices might as well have been sent straight to the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ to cut-out the middleman...
...but still we forged ahead - we got a 'corporate identity' for a Covid cleaning company ‘Clean Facilities’ and a stationery pack to follow, we received orders for social-distancing and sanitising signage and panels at hair salons such as the ‘Clipjoint’ , price lists for businesses who needed to add surcharges for all their PPE, two-metre social distancing signs, then one metre (plus?) - I doubt that we will be designing 500mm versions!
The Lockdown jobs are now complete and work has become very slow over the past three weeks.
So what next?
I have tried to maintain a routine for the sake of my health and I’m using this unusual amount of free time to catch up on some projects - new t-shirt designs for our t-shirt shop www.pjr-creative-tees.com and refreshing our own website and creating some overdue blogs (as you are witnessing now - taa-dah!)
As more and more businesses return from long lay-offs I’m waiting for that bring-a-ring-a-ding when the phone springs into life again (and it will - you won't believe this but it just did with a job, unbelievable hahah) - I know that I have a few more jobs that are due to land in the next week or so that will keep me out of trouble for a while...
Currently, more than ever before, I think I have realised that our cultural arts and creative industries have become very relevant - especially regarding our well being and mental health. Over the past three months there have been some wonderful contributions online and free to view broadcasts - I have watched art classes and live talk-in tutorials, famous cartoonists have provided draw-along workshops to occupy children and help parents working from home with home-schooling projects, actors has been reading books online for the elderly too (and anyone else who wants to listen).
Worryingly, I just hope that the creative world can survive Covid (I know that unfortunately, there will be casualties - selfishly, I pray that we won't become a Covid statistic) and when it eventually subsides (insert 'New Normal' phrase) we can come back stronger and everyone's efforts can be recognised and rewarded.
Our industry as a whole needs to survive - business models need to be adjusted now to cope with the current crisis to have any chance of survival. Any help will be gratefully received - because the Creative Arts and Design industry imparts on more of our lives than we will ever realise (at least not until it is not there anymore!) To lose organisations from our sector could cause long-term economic problems and damage our social lifestyles too.
A lot more people appreciate that the arts and culture can play a huge role assisting people with mental health issues. Partaking in arts, activities and interacting within communities really help with age-realated problems and loneliness.
As well as boosting confidence and social skills, engaging in the arts helps with anxiety, depression and stress too. Creating and engaging in arts and crafts can bring joy which helps to improve the quality of life!
And with that the phone rings (twice) and we have two new jobs to book in and begin... let’s get creative!
Stay safe...
... I'll see you on the other side folks!
Pete x
(back soon with a lighter offering).
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