Let’s be honest: when business is booming, self-promotion often feels like the last thing you should be spending time on. you’re in the flow, juggling shoots, edits, and deadlines. Marketing? That can wait, right? But then, inevitably, the quieter period arrives. Suddenly, you find yourself scrambling to remind people you exist. If you only start putting yourself out there when things slow down, you’re already playing catch-up.
The feast & famine cycle
As a freelancer and creative, I know the cycle all too well: periods where I can barely keep up with the work, followed by stretches where I wonder if my inbox is broken. During the “feast,” marketing feels unnecessary. During the “famine,” it feels urgent-but it’s also harder, because I’m stressed and maybe doubting myself. I’ve wrote a whole article on this if you want to dive deeper in that cycle: The Feast and Famine cycle.
Self-Promotion: Not a dirty word
I know self-promotion can feel awkward. For a long time, I hesitated to talk about my own work, as if it was something to be embarrassed about. But here’s what I’ve realized: self-promotion isn’t about bragging. It’s about showing up, letting people know what I’m working on, what I care about, and what I’m capable of. If I don’t share my work, how will anyone know what I can do? As I wrote in the Self Promotion Article: “If you don’t show up, you don’t exist.”
It’s that simple.
Sharing Results: Part of My Job
Over the years, I’ve made sharing results a non-negotiable part of my workflow. For me, a job isn’t truly finished until I’ve requested the final results from my client and posted them on my website or socials. Sharing the outcome isn’t an afterthought-it’s the last step in every project. That way, my audience always sees what I’m up to, and my portfolio keeps growing. Whether it’s a commercial shoot, a portrait session, or a personal project, the process isn’t complete until I’ve shown the world what we made together.
How to stay visible (even when very busy)
Block time for it. Even 30 minutes a week to post, comment, or share something you’re working on makes a difference.
Share the journey. Don’t just post wins, show the process, learning moments, or even the struggles. People relate to real stories. Hence this substack and my Linked In
Keep it light. Not every post has to be a masterpiece. Authenticity beats perfection every time. I’ll dive into that in a later article.
And:
Self-Promotion is a habit
Self-promotion is a skill, not a personality trait. It takes practice, and it gets easier the more I do it. I’ve learned to see it as part of my job, not an optional extra. The more I share, the more confident I feel about my work-even during those inevitable slow periods.
The Payoff
When I make visibility a habit, I break the feast-and-famine cycle. Opportunities come more steadily, and I build a reputation that outlasts any single project or dry spell. Plus, showing up regularly builds my confidence-even when things get tough.
So I don’t wait until you’re desperate to remind the world what you do. Start now, stay visible and ride those waves with a little more ease, as described in my article: Riding the Waves: The Freelance Flow
Be committed to showing up-on the good days, and the not-so-good ones.
Your future self will thank you.
You got this!