Oh man, seriously! August slipped through my fingers quicker than anything and I’m still not quite sure how I’m sitting here on the 1st September writing this post after it feels like I wrote last month’s recap just yesterday.

It was actually my 25th birthday yesterday and I had a great weekend spending time with friends and family and generally enjoying the merriment that comes with getting older, but I’m certain there’s some sort of trickery at play whereby someone, somewhere, has pressed fast-forward on this year!

Let’s take a look at what I got up to this month!

The Ups and downs of Freelancing

Well, if it’s even possible, August was worse than July for my freelance work. There’s something about summer that means I don’t really care though. I’ve been enjoying time with friends and family after being apart for nine months whilst I was in Spain. I keep telling myself I’ll knuckle down next month, so we’ll see.

I took a week off mid-month to go away with my mum and sister to Yorkshire, so I’m down a week’s worth of work, but I did enjoy reconnecting with nature and stepping away from my damn laptop!

I picked up a couple of new clients this month, including a foodie travel brand and an on-going gig writing pieces about Barcelona and marketing them (I won’t be starting that until next week though) and I lost a client to a middle-man type company which threw me into a huge panic (they were one of my best long-term clients).

What I wrote this month

I wrote 25 pieces again during August (I know, exactly the same as July despite landing new clients and saying goodbye to some others) including several hotel descriptions for a luxury accommodation provider, a long article about weird and wonderful museums in the UK, a piece about unknown holiday hotspots in the UK, two articles about Saami artists, and a piece about the best cycling routes in Berlin to see the cultural sights on.

I’ve also spent a lot of time pitching articles and writing proposals this month so that’s added to my word count even if I haven’t been getting paid for it!

Things I’ve learnt about freelancing this month

If there’s anything I’ve learnt its that the ups and downs of freelancing are constantly on my mind. Work loads in the niches I write for fluctuate depending on season and, unfortunately, summer is the down season.

Last month I told you I’d been reaching out to potential clients and taking a more proactive approach to work and I’m still in negotiations with two possible clients from this method. I plan to stay proactive next month and reach out to at least five new potential clients every week, tailoring proposals and pitches to them accordingly.

I’ve also been reaching out to old clients this month, too. I was taking a look through my portfolio and realised I have had tonnes of clients over the past year and I should really tap back into that market! A lot of them said they’d be looking for work further down the line, so I’ve simply reached out with a quick “hello” and an inquiry as to whether they are on the hunt for any more content in the near future.

It’s all about contacts and who you know.

Where have I travelled this month?

I haven’t stepped foot on a plane this month and, to be honest, I’m so glad. Instead, I drove up to Yorkshire with my sister, my mum and her dog, and we spent a week disconnecting, walking, and eating ALL of the food (bangers and mash served up inside a giant Yorkshire pudding anyone?).

It was good to get away and explore some of the amazing sights in England – I’m sad to say I haven’t explored even a quarter of what this country has to offer!

What have I been uploading on YouTube?

I’ve been keeping up with my video publishing schedule this month, too (well, kind of), and there are a few more videos about the ups and downs of freelancing in the mix as well as a more narrative travel piece about my time spent in Yorkshire. Video is one of the things I want to improve over time, so I’m glad I’ve started dabbling after crossing it off my to-do list for so long.

5 Different Ways to Find Freelance Writing Jobs

3 Quick Ways to Find Clients in Your Niche

Things to See in North-West England

What’s the plan for next month?

Guys, next month is really exciting. Why? Because I’m heading back to Spain! This time, I’ll be setting up camp in a small wine-focused town called Aranda de Duero which is about an hour outside of Madrid. I’m going to write a more in-depth post about this in the coming weeks so keep your eyes peeled for updates! I’ll be heading back out at the end of September and I’m so excited.

Freelance-wise I’ll be on the hunt for consistent clients. I’m hoping to work with some old clients again and bring some new work into the mix as well. I’m enjoying writing on a variety of niches instead of just travel now, so I’ll seek out some more work in these areas, too (I’m talking art, self-development, and entrepreneurship brands) and I’m hoping the ups and downs of freelancing will start to plateau!

See more about the ups and downs of freelancing in my other monthly recaps:

• July Travel and Freelancing Lifestyle Recap

Your turn! What have you been up to this month? Best thing? Worst thing? I want to hear all about it!