I decided I’m tired of wearing sweats all the time.
Anybody out there get me?
As a writer, you don’t have to dress up for work. It’s easy to start your day in pajamas and find yourself still in them at noon. Nice clothes hang in the closet, longing for a chance to see daylight. A baseball cap is the solution to fixing your hair. Let’s face it–it’s tough to justify getting dressed up to go to the post office.
That said, there’s something to be said for treating your job–like a job. I’m not saying you need to wear a three piece suit or skirt and blouse to your desk, but it sure doesn’t hurt to shower first thing and change into something that makes you feel a bit more professional. After all, just because you can do an interview in your skivvies, doesn’t mean you should, right?
I’m tossing this out there to FZ readers–what do you wear to write? Do you agree with my new resolution to dress a bit nicer and take that morning shower first thing? Or do you think that part of the “free” in freelancer means the right to work in whatever you please?
I’d love to know.
As someone who works a “day job” and finds precious little time to write on my lunch break, in the middle of the night, and watching evening television, I’m so envious of full-time freelancers who get the opportunity to work from home in PJ’s!
I really get that you need the work to have some semblance of organization, structure, and separation from your home life, and if getting up, showering, and dressing creates that environment, then go for it. If putting on a pot of tea and brushing your teeth is all that does it, then go for it!
I personally feel weird staying in the pjs beyond 10AM. I start to feel like a hairy, unwashed slacker and I force myself into the shower to become slightly more presentable.
I’ll still never ever be able to attend the White House Press Club luncheons in my daily freelancing attire, which consists of jeans, some kind of vinyl-collecting themed t-shirt, and fish slippers.
Actually, the fish slippers died a while back so now it’s checkerboard Vans. I’m SOOO 80s.
Shorts, t-shirt. It’s the only appropriate attire in Phoenix, though jeans weather is coming soon. The problem with the first-thing shower is that I usually take a run in the late morning or midday after I’ve done some work.
That said, I do make an effort to have at least one lunch or coffee appointment each week, so that’s jeans or khakis and a buttondown. I only wear a tie for weddings, funerals and bar mitzvahs.
I’ve recently started showering right after breakfast and I find it sets a more professional, productive tone for my entire day. Plus, getting out of my PJs makes it less likely that I end up slipping back into bed for my version of a coffee/smoker’s “break.”
Next I’m thinking of swapping my yoga pants for jeans. While sweats are way more comfortable, it’s also way more easy to pack on the pounds without noticing. I recently had a job interview and my hardly ever worn dress pants, the ones that I once had to belt, were now feeling a bit snug. Sigh.
Interesting! I love hearing about what goes on in the homes of other writers! We don’t really get to see what other people are doing in our field….
Thanks for the comments so far!
And Joe….fish slippers?
Lauren–I agree–everyone has a different way of doing things… 🙂
Jake–I love the idea of the once a week appointment!
Tracy–the jeans thing works! I’d give that a thumbs up!
Oh wow! Catherine, you read my mind. I was thinking the same thing yesterday. “It’s 1pm, I’m still in sweats and my nice clothes are crying out to me from the closet.” It’s so easy to work on a project for days or weeks on end and to fall into that rut of changing from your “sleeping pj’s” to your “daytime pj’s.” I both love and hate it. When I can’t do it, I yearn for it, and when I’ve done it for a month straight, I can’t stand it. Great advice on getting up, getting showered and making yourself look like a human before noon. I am taking this advice to heart.
I love it! Amanda–totally get what you’re saying there…
Hehehehehe!