shut up. Am I REALLY freelancing AGAIN!??!
Updated: 5 days ago
Before PHILOSIREN llc, there was Manic Theory—the moniker I used for my freelance work. The logo was a butterfly creating chaos– madness. Because I didn't know how else to describe my process other than that. There wasn't a rhythm, per say. There were systems, yes, and I loved them. But the actual feeling of designing is so special. It actually has very little to do with me.
Let me explain by dropping this priceless quote I clocked from a client recently. In response to website demo I sent them, they said "well, everyone wants to put their signature on things."
And I....
Cause let's get one thing straight. I'm a designer– not an artist. And these words describe two VERY different processes. Lemme break it down by doing the whitest thing imaginable (and what my father always instructed to me do with my questions) and pull out a dictionary... Artist (def): a person who creates art (such as painting, sculpture, music, or writing) using conscious skill and creative imagination Designer (def): one who creates and often executes plans for a project or structure Are we catching the difference?
An artist is someone who creates for and from the 'self,' whereas a designer (moi), creates for and from others. So what does this mean? I'll continue the story. My response was, "If I wanted to do that, this site would look entirely different. Even the brand name and logo would change. What I've made here isn't for me, it's for your brand and the present moment it's wanting to be apart of."
You can imagine they didn't go for it. But fear not! Sometimes it's more a matter of budgeting and less a matter of what I said, didn't, built, and can bring. And this is what I'm learning now that I've had expereince on both sides of this equation: freelance contractor and llc protected business owner.
wtf was Manic Theory anyways?!?
Manic Theory was where I built websites, shaped brands, wrote copy, designed graphics, developed socials, and helped turn half-formed ideas into things people could actually see, understand, and connect with. I called myself a freelancer, yes. And I was, yes, techincally.
I mean, I was contracted. For a month, a week, a quarter, whole year. I got paid in chunks, lump-sums, and on project-basis'. I rarely went hourly or even charged past a fulfilled invoice. Even when there were late-night phone-calls to pick up, 6-months later anxious texts about a diy mess-up, emails with 5.72 zillion bulleted questions. I sympathized, to a degree. Happy to help the clients that found me and resonated with my work. Because like me, they were large-in-part doing this stuff alone. And it can be daunting. Back then, I called these people my clients because that's the language society used. It fits cleanly into an invoice, a contract, or project folder.
But to say I'm freelancing again... well. That's a half-truth.
why this isn't freelancing, and might've never been....
The truth is, a lot of my clients were relying on me for more than just one-off designs or web development. They benefited from my ability to make things look good and yada yada, but the reality is that a lot of them were trusting me with much more than a task list.
My clients were bringing me into their businesses, their ambitions, their uncertainty, their launches, their big ideas, and the places where they felt stuck. They hired me for design but ended up leaning on me for critical thinking, perspective, problem-solving, and the ability to make a complicated vision feel clear enough to actually get a move on!
In many ways, I was functioning like a temporary creative team member: someone invited in because the business needed another brain, another set of hands, and a person who could see both the details and the larger picture.
That is collaboration.
the affect of knowing both sides
Since moving into a fuller focus on my own work and brand through PHILOSIREN llc and The I AM Project, I have learned what it feels like to be on the other side, too.
I know what it is like to be the business owner holding the whole vision: the ideas, decisions, money, timelines, marketing, uncertainty, and the constant question of what needs attention next.
I also know what it is like to be the creative person brought in to help make it happen—to interpret a vision, peep into an audiences perspective, work through feedback, solve problems, and turn loose thoughts into something experiential.
Both roles have made one thing very clear to me: you can be deeply capable and still need support.
You can be the leader of your business and still want someone beside you who understands creative work, digital strategy, brand expression, and the very real effort of building something from the ground up.
enter:
A New Kind of Support
Helping others build has always been one of my strongest passions. It's still a huge part of my work—but I no longer see it as traditional freelancing.
Under PHILOSIREN, I offer Creative Collaboration & Advocacy Support: a three-month partnership for creatives and entrepreneurs who are ready to move their ideas forward with more clarity, support, and momentum.
This is not about handing off a task-list and waiting for a finished file to appear in your inbox.
It is about getting the work done together.
Over three months, as partners, we clarify where you are trying to go, identify what is truly holding you back, and create the materials, systems, language, and next steps that help your goals feel reachable. We can work on your website, offer, brand, launch, content, workshop, digital presence, or the project that has been living in your head far too long.
The exact focus depends on what you need. The commitment is to making meaningful progress—checking things OFF the list.
What Partnership Looks Like
The partnership includes up to 10 hours of discounted creative work each month, plus up to one 60-minute collaboration session each week. During our sessions, we brainstorm, map priorities, revise materials, troubleshoot, make decisions, and share the workload in ways that keep your work moving.
The investment is $540 per month for three months.
Now. Let's get one thing straight. THIS IS NOT A PARTNERSHIP in the Shark Tank sense. I am not here to take equity or get listed on your "About" page. No. I actually coach my partners to step into the mindset of regarding me as an employee. As in: I'm here for you.
What this does is shatter very common self-beliefs that we aren't leaders. Not like Bezo's of the world. And it says, "umm, you actually are." It gives you real-time practice to both see yourself as that, and actually be that. And I let you know that I regard you as the same. You're my employee in making my dreams manifest as much as I am yours. Both leaders, both followers, both benefiting from our partnership, wanting to see each other succeed, and doing what it takes to get there (in 3 months... or more!).
Now, maybe 10 hours doesn't feel like a lot to you, but trust me. I'm highly efficient in what I do. Ex. I got a multipage website with storefront, events, and booking pages in 24-hours! And I may have designed this sitr EONS ago but it's still looking sharp: www.lesvixens.com. Still, if we need more hands-on support, you can add up to 20 additional work hours per month at $70 per hour.
Three months gives us enough space to do more than apply a quick fix. We can get clear on the goal, build what supports it, adjust when new information appears, and make choices that keep serving you after our time together ends.
The Goal Is Movement
The goal is not to make you busier. It is not to give you a folder full of beautiful files that never get used.
The goal is to help you move from “I know I need to do something with this” to “This is real. This is clear. This is ready.”
Maybe that means your website finally sounds and feels like what your brand/product/service/audience has been begging for. Maybe it means you have an offer people understand, want, and get. Maybe it means your workshop, product, program, or launch has a real plan behind it. OR. Maybe it means you stop trying to carry every decision alone.
You bring the vision, voice, and lived experience of your work. I bring everything I have learned as a designer, writer, strategist, creative partner, and business owner who understands both sides of the fence.
The portfolio work in this archive comes from my Manic Theory era. The heart of it is still here: helping people translate what matters to them into work that can meet the world.
The name has changed. The work has deepened. And I am still excited to see what we bring to our world, together.
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