Halloween is just around the corner and it's a very busy time particularly for a Halloween makeup artist. The challenge is how to maximise this seasonal opportunity when you only have one or two days to do everything. Here are our top 4 tips for the hard working Halloween makeup.

What's it really like for a freelancing makeup artist around Halloween time? We caught up with the talented Nicola Bobin who's been freelancing as a makeup artist for the last 2 years in fashion, beauty and body art to talk all things spooky.

Mind mapping has gained increasing popularity recently, and with good reason. Its graphic nature makes it a perfect tool for us creatives, allowing us to visualise our thoughts, ideas, projects, and to-dos, way beyond note taking. And what’s more, you can collaborate and share these visuals with others.

Jane Bellis, a freelancing mum, could also go by the name SuperWoman. Not only does Jane run a successful freelance business in hair and makeup, organise a festival for alternative creatives and lead a makeup team at New York Fashion Week but she has brought up 4 gorgeous kids. Jane talks about striking a work-life balance, the anxiety that comes with running a freelance business and her journey from model to mum to master at work.

Jeremy Cowart is a man of many talents. Artist, photographer, humanitarian, and hotelier. Incredible to think he first picked up a camera in his late twenties. Jeremy talks about his journey from an agency to freelancing, the challenge in balancing artistic merit with commercial work and his next project, The Purpose Hotel. 

Freelancing while at University has become a genuine alternative to working behind a bar or in a coffee shop. It's flexible, pays well and allows students to develop their skills whilst studying. A student who can offer a freelance service can often earn more than a student working a part-time job whilst improving their craft. We caught up with student Maria Chirica who has started developing a freelance modelling career during her studies. She talks about how she got started, balancing study with freelance work and tips about being a student freelancer. [read-more]

The rewards of freelancing are highly appealing. Flexible hours, plenty of travel, more time with the kids and doing something you actually like to do every day. It all sounds pretty great! If only we didn't have to pay the bills. The pressure to make enough money is a constant companion for a freelancer and an area many prefer to simply ignore.

Todoist is an app designed for freelancers who find it hard to focus when not out on a job. They've teamed up with us to help Freelancer Club Members stay focused and get through their to-do list every day. We've been playing with it for a couple of weeks and, my word, it feels good when you tick a task off the list. Here are their top tips when it comes to increasing productivity.