Social Lives | Hello, Stranger Girl

I'm here, I'm Queer, I'm very very tired

Jun 07, 2024

HELLO, STRANGER GIRL

american horror story surprise bitch GIF

I’m pretty close with my family and we talk to each other practically every day. We have a number of WhatsApp groups for the English and American sides of the family and they’re always buzzing with pictures of my nephews, the weather in Colorado where my brother and his family live, or things happening in Manchester. However, my Dad is pretty old school and likes to call me regularly. He has a habit of doing so when I’m in a meeting or at the gym, leading me to put him directly through to voicemail. If I do this a few times, I inevitably get a message from him saying “Where are u, stranger girl??” This will usually be followed by the most bizarre choice of emoji imaginable, because while my father knows how to use them, it doesn’t necessarily follow that he knows what they all mean.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking the same thing. “Hello, stranger girl!” I know I said this newsletter would return after Easter…and then it didn’t. It hasn’t been for want of trying. I keep thinking of topics I want to write about, links I want to share, amazing projects my friends have been working on that I want to promote here. I’ve also gained a huge number of new followers over the past few months, which is very flattering and also a bit wild.

The problem, as always, is work. As much as I love writing this newsletter, it doesn’t earn me any money. Paid projects have to come first. I tell myself I’ll write it on another day, or at the weekend when things feel less pressured. But then the weekend comes and all I want to do is become a non-verbal ooze on the sofa. Another week comes, another week goes, and there is no Social Lives.

I’m not the only freelancer who has to shove personal projects to the side so they can pay the mortgage, but it’s felt even more acute recently. Freelancing has never been easy, but over the past few years it has felt like trying to climb a sheer mountain face in Converse. Work is promised, then disappears. Clients are cutting budgets. Other clients expect you to work in the office for two days a week - great if you live in London, but not so great when you have to commute, pay an exorbitant amount for somewhere to stay and inevitably get delayed by Avanti’s antics.

I frequently find social media exhausting, although perhaps that’s just a side effect of too much LinkedIn. Everyone has an opinion on how things should be done and what other people are getting wrong. We’re all talking in circles over each other because we want our voice to be the one that’s noticed. The other day I jokingly said to a friend “I really hope the fiction novel I’ve been working on gets published in the next few years, because I’m not sure I want to work in social media anymore!” Then I realised it wasn’t really a joke.

I don’t want to moan too much. I’m incredibly lucky to have steady work that isn’t too difficult and I get to work from home all day so I can write decks while also working on other things, like shitposting. I get to hang out with my cats, listen to the music I want in my own office, and I can’t wait to watch every single match of the upcoming Euros without having to hide my laptop screen from my boss. But there’s also a part of me that’s tired of putting other people’s projects before my own. Over the past few years, I have cancelled so many dinners, events, gym sessions and times I could have hung out with my husband to do work for clients who probably don’t even remember my name. I’ve worked until 10pm for clients who have ended my contract without even bothering to tell me. I want to spend my one “wild and precious life” on something I know will love me back.

So, what to do for the best? Well, this is where I want your (honest!) opinions. If I set up a paid tier for Social Lives via Substack, would you be prepared to pay for it? I’ll happily provide extra content (although I’m still working on what that would look like). It wouldn’t be much - just £5 a month or so - but if I want to continue this, I can’t do it for free. Email your thoughts to hello@cattington.com. I look forward to reading them.

JOBS BOARD

Freelance: Salt have two roles on LinkedIn for Social Media Managers. One is for an eight week sports contract and the other looks more general
Freelance: Sumo also have an assignment for a freelance Social Media Manager
Freelance: Studio Yinka Llori require a freelance Social Media Manager to work with them 1-2 days per week
Freelance: Maeve Kerr at Sphere Recruitment has a number of social media roles available, including a rather tasty one for a Senior Social Media Manager
Full Time: Dentsu are recruiting a Social Media Manager

SOCIAL MEDIA POST OF THE WEEK - LEGO

I’ve decided to change things up a bit and add a section to this letter where I shout out a social media post I’ve seen from a brand which I think is really great!

This post from LEGO is so incredibly cute and clever. It also makes me want to get a LEGO tuxedo cat of my own, despite not having played with LEGO since I was a kid.

I’ve been seeing it doing the rounds in various social media - and cat loving - communities I’m in and with good reason. Because if you live with a cat, you know that cat will at some point have sat on your laptop. And probably sent a Teams message to your colleagues with their butt.