Although I am a huge fan of travel and will always be up for packing a suitcase and traveling to some new place still unknown to me on the fly, I am really happy to call Berlin my home base. After all, it’s one of those cities that everyone else from all over the world is itching to visit. And with good reason.
Berlin is basically this incredible alternative haven where tons of people from different fields come together to create amazing things. Home to all different types of sub-cultures – slow drip coffee drinking hipsters, slackline walking hippies, and gutter punks all find refuge here – I can’t imagine wanting to live anywhere else.
Of course Berlin is more than just a city full of people with piercings and tattoos, and a proclivity towards alternative lifestyles, but we’ll get to that in another post at another time. Today I want to focus on the creative side of Berlin – in particular, a event I recently spoke at, which brought creatives together to talk about their personal journeys in their respective field as creative freelancers.
The event, So|Mingle, organized by the lovely ladies of So|Gushconsisted of a day full of panel discussions, pop up shops, tasty food and drink, a mentor hour, and celebratory cocktails.
Being in a creative field that consists mostly of freelance work that I do from home in front of my computer, a lot of my work life is spent alone. Without a traditional office setting, I am without superiors or colleagues. Because of this, no one really gives me feedback on a regular basis. This is a problem that a lot of creative freelancers face, be them painters, bloggers, photographers, fashion designers, or anything else that falls within the creative realm. Which is why events like So|Mingle are so important.
While So|Mingle did not focus on concrete critics of current projects, it focused on an area just as important but even less discussed – the freelance trajectory that each creative took to get where they are now. This not only was a great source of information for those who came to listen to the panelists speak, but it allowed the speakers to learn about the experiences and opinions of other creatives from different disciplines.
I was lucky enough to be asked to speak at So|Mingle’s event as a panelist, alongside some incredible ladies, like my friends Elif and Jules, as well as new faces like Timo, Verena, Melodie, Sarah, Stefanie, and many more incredible people. It was so inspiring to be surrounded by such driven and creative people, and to meet other people who are trying to turn their dreams into a reality.
The event was incredibly well organized and the vibe was incredibly warm and nurturing. Susanne and Olivia, the creative minds behind So|Gush were also two of the warmest ladies I have ever met. I was so honored to be part of an event that gave creatives an opportunity to mingle with each other and it was incredibly interesting to hear everyone’s back stories and opinions on freelancing as a creative as well.
Speaking at the event, although nerve wrecking (it was all in German!), was also the kind of pat on the back I was needing. When you are your own boss, there may not be some ass hole breathing down your neck about getting into the office 36 seconds too late, but on the flip side, there is also no one around to tell you that you are doing a job well done. And seeing that we are our own worst critics, we rarely stop to pause and celebrate what we have created thus far.
Being part of a day like this and having my opinion valued was a reminder that I am following the right path in life, and although I may not be able to live full-time from LFB or my photography career, there are people who appreciate what I am doing.
Photography: Elif
Editing: Rae Tashman
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