Insights: How Creative Freelancers REALLY Make Money - Part 2

Charlie Dark, Matt Pycroft, Phil Young, Soraya Abdel-Hadi and Mikey Lay on the reality of the creative life.

Me, Soraya and Matt, alongside fellow panelists Adam Raja and Lauren MacCallum at the 23 Kendal Mountain Festival.

As regulars will know, I’m on a mission to help my Insights paid subscribers find their own answers to two fundamental questions:

• How can I spend more time doing the things I’m passionate about?

• What does a ‘successful’ creative career really look like?

In last week’s first instalment in this series, I asked my friends Ed Leigh, Gilly MacArthur, Sophie Hellyer, Demi Taylor, and Owen Tozer to explain how they have found their own answers to these questions through their singular careers.

If you missed it, catch up below:

Insights: How Creative Freelancers REALLY Make Money - Part 1

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Now, in this second instalment, I’m back with with some more clever pals who have also kindly explained exactly how they make their money as creative freelancers: activist Soraya Abdel-Hadi, community organiser and brand ambassador Charlie Dark, industry vet Phil Young, professional surfer Mike Lay, and adventure filmmaker Matt Pycroft.

Expect the same intriguing and compelling mix of insight and vulnerability that made part one such a hit (and to the many, many new subscribers who signed up off the back of that one - welcome!)

I’ll be revisiting this series soon, with a third international instalment featuring surf writer Jamie Brisick, podcaster Shelby Stanger, writer and surfer Lauren Hill, and US snowboarding industry legend Tom ‘T-Bird’ Monterosso.

For now, let’s crack on with Part Two…

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The Adventure Filmmaker: Matt Pycroft

What do you say when people ask you what you do for a living?

It varies, but I usually say I run a film production company that specialises in making films in remote and challenging environments. Sometimes, when I'm not in the mood to natter about it all, I just say 'I'm a photographer'. Then people say 'What, like weddings and stuff?', and I say 'Yeah'.

Do your parents understand what you do?

My mum kind of does. She knows I make movies in the mountains, and she knows I work bloody hard. I don't think she has any concept of the specifics or the nuance, but then I'm not sure many people do. The view behind the curtain is far from what I suspect most people think it is.

My dad passed away a couple of years ago, and he was similar. He liked that I was a rough-and-tumble mountain guy, but he didn't get the nuts and bolts of it.

I don't think anyone who doesn't work with me closely or who does exactly what I do understands what I do. No one sees the hundreds of hours of desk-based work, and it's really hard to try and explain to someone what it's like to dangle 1000m above the ground in thin air, clipped to an 8mm rope trying to film something to a world-class standard whilst your knuckles are bleeding. You either get it or you don't, and that can create a bit of loneliness sometimes. I think it's why I gel so well with those I've been on expedition with, and why you become so close and stay close. Soldiers say the same thing, right?

When did you first earn cash for doing the thing you do now?

2014 - I worked for Hot Aches Productions a few days a week making climbing films. Shooting, editing, posting DVD orders. It was my first proper gig, and it set me up brilliantly to go on to start my own business a few years later.

Before that, I did a full year internship completely unpaid. Some disagree with the ethics of that. I don't. He couldn't afford to pay me, but I wanted the experience and I didn't need much money to live at the time. I did a LOT of work for free - it's just part of the game. But it's kind of easier in my game, because 'working for free' means four weeks on an expedition to Pakistan, something people pay thousands to do. I acknowledge the privilege, but I also acknowledge that I made those opportunities happen.

“My big controversial opinion is that I'm shocked by how many people think they're too good to work for nothing, especially at the start of their careers. It's a balancing act, but I think saying no to any and all unpaid work as a rule is an error”.

How do you earn money? What are your main income streams?