6 Freelancers Share Their Productivity Tricks

I'm a funny kind of freelancer. My work – making films – comes in contract to contract. These jobs usually roll on from one another, and they have always been in the same place: a giant office with lanyards and lunch breaks, working hours and weekends off.

But every now and again, I am spat out with no indication of when I might be re-employed. And flay around trying to piece together projects to keep money dribbling in and my brain busy.

In these windows, I witness first-hand a totally different way of going through life, one that's surprisingly common; according to the Office of National Statistics, nearly one in five of the UK's workforce are freelancers. Thanks to changing work patterns and technological advances, Forbes predicts that, by 2020, one in two will be. How do they do it?

Personally, I wake up every day overwhelmed. Even with unlimited time, I struggle to get anything done, and in the last six weeks, have practically nothing to show for myself, bar an exceptionally clean bedroom and a growing mastery of Anna Jones’ cookbook.

So, to find out how better to master the art of productivity as a freelancer, I sought the advice of some seasoned professionals about how to create your own work, on your own time.