Dear freelancer,
I hope you’re doing well — as well as you can be during what are some pretty stressful, uncertain times — and staying healthy.
I wanted to take a moment to address the elephant in the room: the fact that many of you talented, tenacious individuals we represent have lost work due to COVID-19. We — myself and all of us at Creative Circle — empathize with you and recognize that this situation frankly isn’t fair. No one could’ve anticipated the world turning on its head like it has, and we know that with this, there are additional challenges you, as freelancers, face.
I want to personally assure you that we are doing everything in our power to keep you working. I’ve seen firsthand (well, firsthand through Zoom) the Creative Circle team stepping up to the challenge — working early mornings and late nights, doing everything they can to find and take new jobs from clients, so we can give freelancers more opportunities to get to work — all while trying to find balance in their own lives.
I’ve been especially humbled to work alongside the Creative Circle team during this crisis; seeing my colleagues put their own lives on hold has shown me — now more than ever — that our team comes to work each day because they CARE. About our candidates. About our clients. About the importance of creative expression — and the importance of turning creative expression into a fruitful career.
You are the lifeblood of our organization and the reason we do what we do. We’re proud to be an organization that’s built on the creative lifestyle, with nearly every single employee coming from a creative background. So we know personally how important the work you do is.
In case you need them, we’ve gathered a few resources that you may find helpful:
- A free 24/7 emotional support line: 866-342-6892 provided by UnitedHealthcare and Optum, it is staffed by professionally trained mental health experts.
- Additional resources provided by UnitedHealthcare including webinars and strategies for coping
- Americans for the Arts: A collection of articles, content, and COVID-19 relief funds for freelancers and artists
- Dublin Area Art League’s weekly #coronaartchallenge
- Crowd-sourced COVID-19 resources for freelancers, surrounding preparation, emergency funding, health and mental health, and more
- All of the Time in the World, fellow Creative Circle freelancer’s perspective on COVID-19
- The Science of Rest, an article highlighting the importance of rest — particularly when coping with stress
In the meantime, during these tough times, please keep applying for jobs via our site. Please reach out to your recruiters. And please keep your chin up, as much as you can, and know your Creative Circle family is committed to you.
Thank you for trusting us with your work. We will continue to do everything we can to support you.
All my best,
Matt Riley, Chief Operating Officer
Creative Circle