Let me ask you a strange question: Would a writer prefer being stranded inside a large cage with a domesticated, toothless lion or would she rather be inside your office?
You guessed it, she’d much prefer the lion.
Because the lion can inspire her. Scare her. Get her adrenalin pumping. Challenge her imagination. Make her feel vulnerable. It may even bring out her inner MacGuyver.
I’m sure there are writers who will disagree with me, so I’m going to switch gears and simply speak for myself.
The last place I want to be is inside a cubicle, from 9 to 6 after a grueling, unpleasant commute, with the high-pressure expectation of churning out brilliant texts one after the other, with only walls to look at. Sometimes, the friendly yet chatty guy from the sales department will throw off a productive train of thoughts.
As a freelancer, there are days when I can barely write. Usually it’s a result of “word overdose” and my body is simply telling me to take a break and reboot. So I use that time productively by reading a book that transports me to another decade, wandering outside to inhale fresh air as I contemplate my next piece, or making a healthy fruit smoothie. Sometimes I’ll watch Breaking Bad reruns.
Then there are nights — seemingly out of nowhere — when my fingers suddenly feel compelled to type endlessly and I work on three different projects within a few hours. Those nights have often created some of my most lauded work and are, more often than not, the direct result of some unexpected source of inspiration I picked up throughout the day.
Cubicles? They’re just one of many ways to inhibit creativity and, consequently, produce less-than-smart writing. Despite the structured, stationary quality of office work, it’s one of the most distracting environments I can think of.
Sure there are plenty of Peggy Olsons (and her male counterparts) that create amazing work inside the walls of ad agencies, but I wonder how much more could they bring to the table if they were sent out to be wild and free every day? I understand the value of team collaboration and brainstorming for huge campaigns, but what about those private moments a writer needs to, well, write?
A writer’s surroundings matter just as much as the ideas brewing inside her head.
This is why working with a remote writer is advantageous. She can be writing your company’s content at 3am in the morning inside of a cave, or simply under the inviting shade of a palm tree by the beach while absorbing the sunset. She could be just about anywhere.
Does your writer’s appreciation of sunsets matter to you? Maybe not, but what does? The results. What her writing can do for your company. By working with a writer who has an infinite supply of inspiration, you’ll get copy that’s the product of an unencumbered imagination — not obligation.
Your customers will be able to tell the difference.
Have you had good experiences working with a remote writer?
