Two (or three) brains are better than one.
Let’s be honest, collaboration isn’t one of humanity’s fortes. Indeed, it isn’t nature’s forte either for that matter. Since the dawn of time, life in all its forms has been fighting against many different things to survive, sometimes competing with life itself. Darwin’s law tells us how only the ‘strongest’, i.e. adaptable, individuals can prevail, succeeding in passing on their DNA. This is probably what led to the rise of the individualism we are experiencing in society today, surely combined with a good dose of egocentrism and greed.
In a profession like ours, where a good share of the practising professionals are freelancers, for obvious reasons individualism plays a huge part, and it can be argued that it is responsible for the success many of us have. However, is this the only way? Isn’t there another model that won’t substitute individualism, but work alongside it, in order to get the best of both worlds and maximise the return of the investments we have put in?
As pointed out by Justina Gutowska[1], nature does offer us an alternative, possibly less straightforward and less satisfying for our ego, to achieve our career aims: cooperation. As popular wisdom tells us, “two brains are better than one”.
Personally, I couldn’t agree more, and I would say that cooperation is the way forward especially for the newcomers, like us here at Apertis Verbis. The consensus is unanimous, the first months of freelancing are the scariest, the most difficult and the most insecure. I’ve found that having two other people on my side going through the same experiences has helped me in every way possible. Professionally, information sharing has been pivotal: having a structured plan with realistic goals, suggesting and weighing-up marketing ideas, clarifying doubts relating to invoices and taxes, sharing information about promising agencies or clients that were looking for freelancers, and last but not least deciding to start this blog. On a personal note, I’ve found this collaboration relieved some of the stress and pressure put by the leap into the unknown we have taken, as I can always count on sincere, and when needed blunt, advice and opinions, from someone who’s at the same time a colleague and a friend.
The benefits are countless and also in the long term, seeing is believing! This is my personal advice, as I’ve found it to be the best way of working. I’ve managed to keep my own identity as a freelancer, with my own company, my own freedom and my own earnings, gaining at the same time a pool of useful knowledge and information that would have taken me a long time to gather, two trusted advisers, blog co-authors, practice buddies, but most importantly, friends.
[1] Justina Gutowska, Stronger together, ITI Bullettin, January – February 2017, Herts: Duncan print
