Well, that certainly was the year that was. And, no doubt, the likes of which we won’t want to see again.
A ‘hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck’, said CNN anchor Jake Tapper in September. Admittedly in another context (no, we won’t be going there), but let’s be honest: it does sum up 2020.
Lovely reader, you know only too well by now that I try to keep it real on this blog, especially when we’re talking freelance life. But this year has been about so much more: fine for some; but for many, genuinely awful.
Some of the posts I’ve seen on social media this month crowing about personal success are extraordinarily tone deaf. For a start, none of us are out of the woods yet around Covid. As I write, here in the UK the government has announced that more of the country will go into lockdown on Boxing Day, due to a new, faster-infecting strain that’s stubbornly refusing to take the hint and shuffle off this mortal coil.
It’s remarkable that anyone feels it appropriate to put their head above the parapet and declare they’ve had a fantastic year, when nearly two million people haven’t had the good fortune to survive, let alone achieve.
Households have been under strain for months. Many businesses have struggled in vain to keep going; even big names folded after decades of trading. The elderly and vulnerable have experienced cruel isolation, while the bereaved have had to confront inconsolable grief. Those already dealing with mental health challenges have seen it rising off the scale.
A dumpster fire indeed.
Back in the first lockdown I wrote this piece, as the guilt-inducing, hyper-productivity pushers on social were irking me to the point of offence. I felt it really important to be open about the fact that it was OK not to be OK, as putting unnecessary pressure on yourself can only make things worse during tough times. No one should have to apologise for that.
Where I could, I continued as normal – but like most, I had to accept that this wasn’t going to be the year to move forward.
Instead, we hunkered down, cleared the shops of flour and baked. We virtue signalled on Zoom via bookshelves stuffed with Serious Tomes. There’s something reassuringly British about the fact that even during a raging crisis, we can still find the time for literary one-upmanship.
The home front
Music kept me sane this year. I’ve played guitar since childhood, returning to it properly was a joy.
I used to play in a guitar orchestra, so I love arrangements. On quiet lockdown evenings I practised, composed some small modern pieces, and discovered breathtaking virtuosos (I heartily recommend Tatyana Ryzhkova and Guitar Salon International‘s YouTube channels). At the moment, I’m doing a competent job of massacring F. Schubert’s Ave Maria in G (take my word for it, it’s much harder to play than it looks!).
I laughed my socks off at Australian musical comedy duo twosetviolin‘s hilarious videos, watching Asian child violin prodigies knocking their conservatoire training and professional orchestra experience into a cocked hat. (Who knows why Brett and Eddy repeatedly subject themselves to this torture, but it’s seriously funny. Those of you already following them will get the Ling Ling in-joke. Now, stop reading this and go practise 40 hours a day!)
I listened to many excellent podcasts, my favourite being Something Rhymes with Purple, a delicious smorgasbord of word-nerdery hosted by all-round lexicographical genius Susie Dent, and affable author and raconteur Gyles Brandreth. (In the new year I will post another top 10 podcasts covering general book geekery.)
All booked in… and nowhere to go
During the first lockdown, my business was affected. At the time, I was working with super clients who suddenly found themselves firefighting: developing their scripts with me at the same time as trying to keep their operations going, managing domestic life and homeschooling kids.
Some projects had to go on hiatus until the authors were ready to resume, and that was fine. I was more than happy to give them the time they needed. When the proverbial ordure hits the fan, self-care has to be a priority.
In a way, the break was a boon. I used it to catch up on CPD, webinars, online conferences and meetings with colleagues. Attending literary festivals that normally would be out of reach became possible, free of charge. A whole raft of culture was released for free on YouTube.
The American Copy Editors Society (ACES) generously released access to many of its online training resources over the summer, which were incredibly useful and taken up worldwide by editors.
Highlight of the year
The high point of my professional year was working with designer and branding expert, Dave Holloway. As a seasoned creative agency founder, Dave eschews the all-too-prevalent, impersonal hard sell when it comes to lead generation. His method is about authenticity, relationship-building and emotional intelligence.
No cliched, alpha air-punching here.
As creatives, of course you already know just how imperative this approach is. We have to develop positive, empathic relationships with clients, because our work is so involved and frequently collaborative. What we don’t do is connect on social then sell via DM before a prospect even knows who on earth we are.
Wonder Leads premiered in October. On release it went bestseller in its Amazon category above Seth Godin’s latest release.
Yes, you did read that right. SETH GODIN.
I am incredibly proud of Dave and our work together on this project. He committed 100% to the process and got stuck in during a period when other authors might have been tempted to shelve it. Producing a book is hardly easy at the best of times; writing and self-publishing during a global pandemic with a million other things to attend to – not least your own business – is a serious achievement.
The reviews and feedback coming in (like this, from real-world business readers) are a testament to what happens when you have exactly the right content, approach and presentation.
Looking ahead
Towards the end of the year, I got the sense that things were shifting for the better. Then it all went south again.
Regardless of how we’re leaving 2020 behind, it has been revelatory. It’s exposed wrongs that needed to be righted. People who needed to be seen for what they are. And lessons that hopefully will be learned for the future.
There will always be greed, stupidity and self-interest on this planet. There will always be individuals who don’t give a monkey’s about their fellow humans. But my hope for 2021 is that the work we’ve had to do over the last 12 months to stay afloat has increased our understanding, broadened our compassion and made us stronger and wiser in the long run.
It would be a shame if the human race continues to make the same, tired old mistakes it’s been making for millennia without learning a single damn thing. It’s not as if history isn’t there to teach us something.
In 2020 we’ve still had to dig deeper than ever before. To show real self-leadership.
We’ve been forced to face what is meaningful to us, what we value, and perhaps what we should cherish.
Sometimes, that’s not such a bad thing.
I wish you and yours the comfort and balm of heart and hearth. Stay safe, take very good care of yourselves.
Have a peaceful holiday and a happy and healthy New Year.
The Serialist 