The Creative Life - Lynn Huggins-Cooper

I was invited to speak at an event a couple of weeks ago by the Culture Vulture, about living a creative life and making that kind of working life sustainable. When I thought about it, I have been earning my living solely as a 'creative' for twenty years this year. I feel I should have a long-service medal or at least a mug that says 'self employed.' Well, I *do* have the second...

Anyway, it made me think carefully about how I have lasted this long. Well, I have had lots of different jobs, from a part time wildlife warden at a lighthouse, to a worker in a probation hostel; a teacher, lecturer and barmaid. Then when I was teaching, I started writing educational materials after answering an advertisement in the back of the Times Ed. (little did I know I would end up writing a weekly feature for them!). Eventually, I was spending most of my time writing resources, and after I went on maternity leave for the last time, I didn't go back to teaching. I have written everything from workbooks like this:

to picture books like One Boy's War

children's  non-fiction like 43 Quintillion

to self-help books for adults like Live Organic

The key for me in making a living from writing and art has been casting my net wide, and being able to write lots of different types of things. I have written for newspapers and magazines, websites and blogs. I have written for lots of different publications, from comics to national newspapers, and I look in odd places for commissions.  I have just finished writing a book about robots and artificial intelligence for a major publisher of children's non-fiction, and I am nearly at the end of my first book in a new series for adults about heritage crafts. This 'looking in odd places' policy works for my textiles art as well as my writing. I work on funded inter-generational projects and carry out commissions for charities and businesses. 

To have this kind of  'patchwork' career is not for the faint-hearted! It can be hard sometimes, when commissioning editors don't call or funding applications fail, but it is worth the uncertainty to have a job that makes your hair crackle with excitement. I also find that one project can spark another, creatively speaking. I am writing a book about loss; I am creating textile art for an exhibition on the same theme. I love the way my creative life cross-pollinates.

The last thing I spoke about, at that talk, was not being afraid to fail. About putting myself out there; applying for opportunities, and when they sometimes do not come to fruition, feeling fed up for a bit but then moving on and trying again elsewhere. It works. It has worked for the last twenty years and I can't see it changing any time soon...so if you are considering giving up the 'day job' for a full time life of creative based work, by all means do your sums; make sure you can make it work - and then jump into a world of creativity!

Find out more about my writing life here: Book Nurture

Find out about my textiles and felting work here: Faerierealms