5 Productive Ways to Spend Your Idle Time

We freelancers often hear and experience people saying they’re not busy enough or that they don’t know what more to do to bring value to their creative career. We know we will be occupied for months as and when the project is in its swing, but what when the vacuum comes over and we don't exactly feel creative enough, which is quite healthy and to be expected in the initial days of your self employed career. So! What about those idle times?

How we manage those idle work phase in our career is a matter of mindset and prioritization. The unpredictability of such career choices does limit our planning and even though living one sounds like a Rebel holding a Bottle of Thumps Up and soaring the "Let me Challenge the Life" quote, in reality, it doesn't work for long. If we truly analyse our procrastination nature and the time spent on those pleasure only task, the realization that a lot of unproductive hours went past with no agenda met is scary as hell, especially when we had the fantastic opportunity to upgrade ourselves to bring in the cash flow we thought only our primary job is responsible for. I am glad to share there are a few amazing investment options to grab your hand on which your older self will be very thankful to you.

1. Financial Education: There has been never a great era to live in like the present. Any kind of financial crisis or setback is quite the constant worry every freelancer has and hence educating yourself with regards to finance and how to make money work for itself is a one-time investment and duly the best gift you can ever think of. Setting a few days or a week or two, listening to podcasts, audiobooks or simply grabbing a paperback or eBook is a great way to make the best of your idle time. Once you know how it all works, you will feel the needed superpower within.

As a part of the capitalistic world, where inflation and other basic needs are unavoidable and when payments are delayed for months, it's high time to get into the automation of saving (I at least keep a 6 months corpus aside as an emergency fund). Understanding various financial assets like PPF, Medical Insurance because chances of breaking a leg are higher than dyeing. Life insurance, only in case you have dependents, and best of all Mutual funds, not because "Mutual Funds Sahi hai!" but to allow your money the opportunity to work for you and even beat inflation in the long run.

Again, my expenditure is posted I invest into my respective investment columns (PPF (Tax saving), Medical insurance (Tax saving), Short Term, Midterm and Long term investment) every month, most of which are set on automation.

It's always advisable to seek a financial Consultant against one-time or retainer-based fees who is more than certified to guide you in the best way possible way.

2. Re-analyze your spending habits: I don't know if it's the millennial habit or a mere need for instant gratification, we very often end up purchasing for the sake of it with no intention in mind or even if we do its extremely occasional that we will end up consuming. I love my athleisure wear and my need to buy traditional wear is so rare as I almost don't end up wearing one for years. It's great to visit those import food marts and grab a pack or two of exotic sauce, cheese block, pasta or dark chocolate which end up moulding near its expiry date just because we don't know how to make it to the expectation we had during our last visit to that A la Cart menu.

The lesson is, that spending habits need to be checked once a week or twice a month max. Now-onward, open your pantry or fridge (trust me it's a house full of junk, more than you think of) and go through all you think needs to be refilled or removed as required. It is great to keep a basic grocery list in hand which needs to be sourced monthly and anything on top of it should be in the minimum quantity to avoid wastage.

Similarly, the frequent rant about "Having nothing to wear" sounds more like a teenage syndrome than a life crisis. Next time when you have the urge of buying that dress you eyed so hard during your last mall visit, go to the website and keep it on the wish list for a week and two to least fulfil the desire to buy and give enough time to yourself to find a reason to have it, I am pretty sure unless you are a shopaholic you will understand the exercise and thanks for thanking me later!

3.Learn to live alone: It all sounds rosy and exciting of how to lead one's life on its own terms, no one cares to understand the mental turmoil it comes with. The act of learning to live alone or being content is more than important, especially if and when involved in the creative business. It is a great practice to leave to someplace near or far all by yourself and journal down about all you have achieved so far. It doesn't have to be exotic, expensive or adventurous, as simple as having a two day and one night stay is enough to bring that anxiety and worry compounding in you below the bar of your tolerance level. Blowing your steam off is worth it and never apologized for it.

4.Read Autobiography :

Even before I share a few of my points about it, I must admit this is in my goal list too. It's entertaining to binge-watch all the series and movies showcasing the life of the biggest of the big and those who changed the world we live in. If anyone wants to know the real them, books and podcasts are the way to go. A creative license gives the freedom to edit the story as per the requirement to make the much-needed bucks vs books and documentaries have rules and limitations.

It will require a far stronger recommendation than imagined and decades of experience to work alongside Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and more and have the much dreamed in-person experience and learn all what they have achieved so far. If we shake our-self up hard enough we will realize it's a long way to go and I will encourage with every ounce in my body to chase the dream until met, till then read about them to learn from the best.

Remember, the best of the best are all declared book worms.

5. Sleep better: All along the months, I am busy with projects my sleep cycle is restrictive keeping the work schedule in mind and when there is a vacuum, a sudden shift is natural. Having a good night's sleep is crucial to the vital functioning of the body and brain though don't shy away from those extra hours napping during noon if possible and never feel guilty about it.

Many will swear by hustle and work till you die, keeping aside all the science which strongly supports the art of sound sleep, I have personally benefited a lot. My creative juices have thanked me again and again and my body is set to run the second cycle to work for the next 4 hours post-lunch with no fatigued felt within.

By spending your idle time effectively, you can increase your productivity and find yourself feeling more fulfilled. Most importantly, you don’t need to compromise on your peace of mind thinking about those days spent with no cash flow in. Next time Look for those idle times you can “steal.” How do you spend your idle time? Do share in the comment if it’s not mentioned in this post.

A few recommendations:

BOOKS:

• Psychology of Money

• Rich Dad and Poor Dad

• Let's Talk Money: Monika Halan

• Elon Musk: How The Billionaire CEO Of SpaceX And Tesla Is Shaping Our Future

• Steve Jobs

Youtube Channel:

• Labour Law Advisor

• CA Rachana Phadke Ranade

• The Financial Diet

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Myself, Shovona Karmakar is an advertising photographer and a product stylist in Mumbai, India. I have had an opportunity to work with upGrad, ICICI, Future Generali, Whisper, Pampers, Morningstar USA, Pepe Jeans and more. I live with my plants, and few adorable fur babies and anyone can find me at the gym. Check out my other work at shovonakar.com

LINK

Secret to Success v1.1

The power of positive thinking and having people who love and support you unconditionally and with no question asked which eventually leads you to completely omit those poking you from time to time is an attitude many misunderstand as a way to success.

To note:  This article is just a mere personal observatory and by no means I am liable for any personal, professional, physical, mental or psychological pain and loss.  

Often we are been told to be surrounded by positive people though I have a question for you to ponder, how do you know who is compatible, when you don't know what traits are not working for you? How do you know what is love when you have not felt what betrayal means? How do you know who supports you when none cheated you?

If you know what it is, this article may not be for you but still read along in case you are open to grabbing a few more pointers to add to your list to watch out for.

There is a thin line between criticism and feedback and on any usual day, I am sure many will not stop for a sec to feel what one should feel rather feel what one wants to feel.

In my understanding, the word "Criticism" is often regarded as negative and demeaning for many and whereas the word "Feedback" is positive and supportive.

To be clear I don't expect anyone under 30 years to really appreciate what is mentioned in this article. 

It doesn't matter whether you are a high-school going student, an intern or a full-time professional be it service or self-employed, the above has and will always be a part of our life as long as we live. Success comes to them who knows when to appreciate, edit and accept it accordingly.

Often your folks don't know the best hence entrusting them with no question asked has its downfalls. They for sure have their set of experiences that do qualify in terms of quality but as time passes the intensity differs and we have no control over it hence being open is the way to go.

Below are a few pointers from my personal experience for you to look out for in anyone whom you do or may cross paths with.

Personal

To note: It is a choice you ought to make as per your requirement and environment to suit your living needs and standards. By no means its an imposition rather mere suggestions in case you are seeking a better social life.

My childhood has been quite critical for a decade and two until a few people made me prove wrong, and I am forever indebted to them to do so. An individual with dark skin, afro curly hair and above healthy built led her to go through various experiences which shaped the way she is down the line. A wall she carried for others to maintain a distance from her and was and is a way to protect herself from any further damage. After many years of her desire to be with people who can help her understand better, she comes across whom she needed the most and they eventually guided her to be who she can be at its best.

A desire | wish | passion to meet people, living beings and instances in life who and which can teach one to be it's best is what leads one to alter it's attitude to be wherever it wishes to be is undoubtedly a powerful tool and skill to posses and practice everyday respectively.

In my everyday life, I have come across people who admired my existence and who simply faked it. My job was to analyze the sincerity in their statements and keep them at distance accordingly.

The skill of understanding sincerity in anyone helps in a long run.

Many admired, worshipped with overwhelming compliments simply to be in my good books to take the best in me and eventually part ways when I have nothing to offer is a toxic connection to carry. The moment I feel so I either choose to be distant and avail my presence as per my convenience only or choose to part ways in situations where I suffer from anxiety and worry.

On the other hand, many respected my existence without over showering me with superficiality and they may or may not have anything to ask for, at the end, I felt safe and being myself in their company. The reason being is if they come to me any day bluntly letting me know where I am wrong and how it affected them confirms that they wish me to be a part of them, cause else they wouldn't have cared so (many will simply do so to make you feel miserable).

In today's world, people don't have enough time and bandwidth to invest in any relationship unless it matters to them any way more than anything.

I have difficulties getting along with my folks, the difference lies in the conditioning and the exposure to life. I do admire and am forever thankful to them for providing me with things that helped me to come so far. I also admire all the love and support through our differences doesn't get banished for the same above. The way I see my life and the belief system I have gained in the past many years often challenges them. Yes, they do feel the authority to have control and I only choose to give as and when I like (it is forever a struggle for me).

To note: when I say so, family is the most subjective affair to have in anyone's life and it's up to them how to move along the game to either win or loose and often simply to play draw. Being neutral is often a best strategy to go about.

I remember an instance where my dad brought up a particular trait of mine to me. It so happened I used to ask for a tentative budget one had in mind, anytime anyone called me for work. I don't mean to defend myself though that's what I have learnt in the past few years as and when I started freelancing.

Dad: You know what, I have been listening to your past few conversations and you need to stop asking their budgets, it is not a good way to go.
Myself: Why??? Well that's what I have learned so far from my other colleagues, they do the same. 
Dad: You may feel so but it is not a good way to about it, I repeat!
Myself: Aaah, dad, you don't know how my business worrks... hmm anyway...so, what do you think what I should do henceforth?
Dad: In-case one asks for your fees, tell them a ball park and let them decide if you fit their bill. It's business you will not earn the best and you will not be underpaid all the time. You will be happy to be paid what you asked for. 
Myself: Ok, what about in-case I severely over estimated as per my client and lost the job?
Dad: That's ok, at least you didn't underpaid yourself and in case the concerned values your skill, it will come back for any further negotiation and that's the client worth the chase.
Myself: Ok, will try to do the same next time. 

I mean no joke and it worked wonders for me, I am happier and more content about my deliverables. My business is doing better and I got the opportunities I always dream for. The value I wished to add in me as an artist and a business person gained many folds and down the line, I have gained the confidence and self-respect I always wished for.

To add to the above my dad will not be the best person to criticize my work and any technical glitch it may have, simply reasoned being he has no experience to have the needed understanding of being the critic I wish for when it comes to photography, design and production.

The Rude ones: I don't know how to explain myself to you better than to tell you the benefits of looking into someone beyond their rudeness. Every now and then we come across those into themselves, rusted monks who have nothing to offer other than #nofilter statements and who very often makes us feel off about ourselves. 
The thing which should make us wonder is why we felt so? Than, why he|she|it said so! if we think hard we will realize what the problem is and it is up-to us to edit it for our own betterment.

PROFESSIONAL:

After many professional failures, I was desperate to have access to the right people, one of the many secrets to creative business is often collaborating with one who wants you too to succeed and the rest is often been taken care of by itself.

I met people who were sweet, sugar-coated and eventually ghosted me in various forms which led me to confusion and forced me to retrospect whom to trust and not. As a person who had been through enough simply seek one who wished it's well with complete sincerity. Met enough art seekers who wanted me to keep my work to myself for their benefit, had hours-long conversations with people who adored my work but never considered me enough for any assignments, crossed paths who promised opportunities to attain what I always dream for but they never ended up responding to my calls.

I wasted a lot of time with people who acted well enough to make me feel good initially but eventually didn't mean enough or otherwise I was of no concern to them.

(Sincere recommendation to be good enough to those who were not as you never know what is there in coming times unless it falls under no tolerance policy)

In 2019, I decided to freelance as a product stylist apart from photography to enhance my networking ability and eventually met a professional whom I was aware for a long time and I got a call from his production manager seeking my availability and fees, things went through and we met in person and he realized that he knew me. It was a long long day when we finally finished our shoot and ended up with the deliverables. I have heard a lot about him as a producer and his past en-devours and my in-person working experience confirmed my assumption and with no further delay, I wanted to have a conversation in case he wishes to collaborate for any future projects. I was so happy to know when he was all eager and down the line, we ended working on multiple projects. But wait he had more to offer than just being my producer.

The other secret to success is being uncomfortable with being comfortable.

We avoid debates, confrontations and other respective conversations which is meant to alter ones believe system. Ego is what people think is at stake and often misunderstand it with an attitude. 

I had this bunch of images on my website, work from my past commercial projects and they all looked pretty well for many but sadly my portfolio struggled to get a green go for many years. I eventually started to ponder in case I need to edit or do something to bring the change it needed. I do believe in my work and my skill but I was pretty assured I do lack something, an attribute which is stopping my work to surpass the hurdle and finally one day I thought to ask my producer about the same and must say I felt low about myself after long. The conversation we had didn't quite throw me off (well it will do to anyone else if I have to be honest) but whatever he said it was indeed enlightening and eureka I got to know what I was lacking. He was not able to spoon-feed me with the solution but gave me the right amount of magic portion for me to sort the rest.

As I type this I am reworking on my portfolio and I am super excited to say I do binge on a few assignments post-pandemic with not many hurdles when it comes to my photography portfolio.

Yes, I do still struggle with those confrontations from time to time and honestly, I look forward to it as I get to learn so much.

To sum it all up the above, the struggle is still on and the journey to a better myself is an ongoing process. Like anyone and anything, perfection is a myth and not letting self do the mistake is what fools believe.

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Hello, I am Shovona Karmakar, a commercial advertising photographer and product stylist. Portraits, Product and Food is my speciality and have had the opportunity to work with various national and international brands, corporate and publishing houses.

Feel free to connect in case of any business queries or simply use the contact form.

We are a cross-functional team, presently based out of Mumbai, India, that provides specialized service in still photography, product | food styling, cinemagraphs, digital content creation and TVC production.

Thank you so much for reading and do visit again for more.

#commercialartist #advertising #feedback #secrettosuccess #positiveattitude #winningattitude #productstylist #secrettosuccess

3 best alternative careers to commercial photography

It's 2021 and humanity has attained achievements that our parents might not have ever dreamed of. Said that we are living in an era that is a blessing and a disguise.

Myself being in the industry of traditional photography as an advertising professional and coming from an era of analogue photography which gradually shifted to digital and beyond in the past 15 years now (keeping in mind I started my journey in 2006), have gained the needed knowledge to share it with you all.

Every month, I do receive emails and DMs over my social accounts where people are looking for internships (5 major reasons why your emails are not effective). This reminds me how famous and lucrative traditional photography does still sounds to many. The truth is, traditional photography as a mode of earning a living is a dying business adding to it there are way too many people competing for the same thing. Commercials involved are being slashed and the bitter truth is that less and fewer authorities are concerned with quality, it is more about meeting the target to help raise their sales, welcome to The World of Imagery Business!

Now the question that arises is what are the best substitutes to Photography or how to add value to your present skill keeping the former as a base and how to make a living out of your Passion!

TO NOTE: These are mere alternatives, not shortcuts, they all involve years of dedication and similar efforts to reach out to the right people, market themself in the right manner and make a living out of it and the mentioned below do applies in small and big scale commercial movies but due to my personal lack of exposure in that industry the article is restricted to Print campaigns and Television Commercials.

1.

PRODUCTION

Executive | Assistant

(ONLY Still shoots and TVC)

Role: To organize and execute commercial assignments ranging from pre-production to post-production (stills and Television Commercials).

Expected Salary: Ranging from 5000.00 INR to 1,00,000.00 INR an assignment | Day | Month (It varies depending on the quality and quantity of assignments, whether you are a freelancer or In-house and the kind of experience you carry with yourself)

Mode of learning: Internship or apply as a fresher. There are no schools as such in India that helps you get acquainted with the basics though joining a production house and digital or mainline marketing agency is what I will suggest you get started.

Responsibility: An experienced producer can make and break a deal for any visual artist be it a photographer, director or the client itself. He/She is responsible to get the needed team under one roof (it involves Talents like a model, an actor, a makeup artist, a stylist, hospitality services, procurement of digital equipment and lights, studio or outdoor space availability, assistants or spot boys, sanitization services, travelling, lodging if needed, post-production artist and more depending on the need of the creative), at times a photographer, director, cinematographer and negotiate respective fees keeping the budget in mind.

Unlike film producers, you are not asked to invest in any and number of days to complete the project may range between a week to a month.

Additional Perk: You get to travel and meet a lot of people, Networking! haha...

2.

PRODUCT, FOOD STYLIST |

ART, prop DIRECTOR

(ONLY Still shoots and TVC)

If your parents think those extracurricular activities you did in your schools like drawing, painting, origami, planet making projects, science experiment, cooking and more was a waste, I guess one has to rethink. Every high budget and demanding project queries I have received and came across demands an art director.

Role: A person with experience in and around setting up a product or food in an aesthetic manner for the photographer and the director.

Expected Salary: It can range between 10,000 INR or a little less to 1,00,000 INR a day | assignment. The quality and quantity of assignment will determine the above and it also depends on how experienced you are.

Mode of Learning:

Food styling: If you are planning to get into food styling as a stylist or a technician, a course in and around hospitality, hotel management or home science will come in very useful.

Product styling: As of now there are no courses available in India which can help you with the same. I will suggest involving yourself in small workshops and courses available in your city by the very underrated aunties, didi, bhaiya or even a carpenter and more.

Attending workshops in and around various craft related skill helps you get your base strong. It can range from paper art, interior styling, water-colour painting, tabletop styling, wall painting and whatever which move in and around space.

Giving yourself a project to run, a blog | vlog over various platforms helps you to learn and reach out to people at the same time. SKILLSHARE and YOUTUBE comes incredibly useful.

It is always a good way to assist someone or a production house (not an agency in this case) to gain access to the must need knowledge of how to deal with people and other business-related aspects.

It is always a great idea to keep visiting store and places which showcases and sells | rent it out props and more.

INSPIRATION: PINTEREST | INSTAGRAM | DECOR MAGAZINE | AMUSEMENT PARKS AND EVENTS.

Responsibility:

As I mentioned above in general an ambitious project always demands an art guy who helps me to bring the concepts into reality.

If you have come across those mouth-watering food commercials and surreal spaces like Alice in wonderland, an art director or a stylist are the people involved in BTS

He/She will even be asked to set up composition as small as a plate on the table, to design a blank space into an ever-living guest bedroom. It can involve skills from procurement of props like cutlery, background, furniture, appliances and more.

You are also responsible to transport the needed and bring it back to the vendor.

3.

CREATIVE and DIGITAL MANIPULATION artist

(ONLY Still shoots and TVC)

There is a huge difference between photojournalism and commercial arts. They both fulfil the need to create an urge in the mind to do something both in the form of buying a service or product or influence one to make the world a better place to live.

Commercial business is the art of turning your dreams into reality, sadly the reality is far away from our imagination hence we all need to seek help from applications to stitch it all up for us. That is how and why professional retouchers and manipulation artist comes into the scene. If you have wondered about models flying in the air with many things around, fear not it is not any magic moment but a pure form of digital manipulation or if we come across a beauty campaign with skin so smooth and flawless that it is indeed not anywhere close to reality.

Role: He/She/It needs to be well versed with editing | manipulation applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, After effects, Final Cut Pro, Cinema 4D and many more photo, video editing software along with other CGI wonders. (3 best alternatives to your favourite and expensive graphic software)

Expected Salary: It is one of the most lucrative business to be in and the best way to enhance your photography skill. A person can expect to earn 1500 INR to 30,000 INR and more per image or concept.

On average, a person can deal with 10 images from a campaign to 100 images for a stock service.

Mode of Learning: To add there are no good institutes in India at present and the ones there are not valid from an educational point of view. Which will leave you to be a self-learner and in case your pocket permits you can opt for something abroad (a wise decision).

There are many quality online platforms available to gain access to the information needed at the comfort of your space. Please check the links below (they do provide both free and subscription-based membership)

PHLEARN, DOMESTIKA, LYNDA, BLENDER GURU and the best YOUTUBE (It is free and I personally feel there are so many talented people sharing the best of education)

It is better to invest in the best graphic system configuration like RAM, Graphic Card, SSD and a good graphic tablet if you can afford it (I personally own Wacom and iMac).

As like above, you are not needed to assist someone, though productive feedback is critical and takes you a long way. Social media platforms are the best place to share and promote your services.

To note: Always use images with complete rights to work with and sharing the before and after with your viewer helps you gain the much-needed brand trust.

Responsibility: It is one of the most stressful jobs to have besides it can be quite lucrative too. Timelines are very short and changes can be endless unless you don't charge for something more than agreed on. You can be involved in aspects as minor like correcting colour balance and removing minor details to beauty retouching, cleaning up and manipulation and creating a 3D environment to set the protagonist into it. The automobile is the most demanding sectors to be a part of.

Video editing is a vast industry that is just more than stitching the clips. It does range from sound editing, colour correction, rendering, graphic overlays and CGI | Greenscreens and more.

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As we come to the end of the article, a few heads up!

In all the above situations, there will always be a time constraint and having things confirmed in a pre-production meeting over a contract or mail leads to a minimum of confusion and changes if need on the day of the shoot. One is indeed responsible to be in touch with the head of the creative (agency, client, photographer, director) and the producer to be on the same page.

For all the Indian residents: Mumbai has been the epitome of the entertainment industry even before the independence and it is one of the best places to get your journey started, though never underestimate the other upcoming sectors like Tollywood, Trollywood and more. To add opportunities exist all over the world and if you have access to work overseas don't be scared to take a chance.

To sum up it all, they all require years of practice along with good presentation skills both online and offline, which will lead you to get connected to the right people. The above goes hand in hand if you are a photographer or planning to be one.

TO NOTE: If you are wondering in case I can share few details about production houses and agencies, sadly I cannot take any guarantee hence mentioning anything can be misleading. I will request you to kindly look over Google and connect them to know more about vacancies and opportunities. Good Luck!

___________***___________

Hello,

I am Shovona Karmakar, an #advertising #commercial #photographer | #productstylist | #cinemagraph artist, presently based in #Mumbai, India. It has been a long long road to be where I am now and I sincerely feel it is very important to share whatever I have to offer. I have been fortunate to make a living out of my skill to be creative and have had worked with various national and international brands, corporates and agencies. Cadbury, TATA, Morningstar USA, Parachute, Future Generali to name a few.

Ping me for any work-related queries and will be happy to jump into the pool to make the much-needed party happen.

Thank you for reading!