“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”

Past recipients include Lady Marmalade (Christina Aguilera, Lil’Kim, Mýa and Pink), For Once in My Life (Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder) and Somebody That I Used to Know (Gotye featuring Kimbra).

Had any of these artists decided to pursue these pieces alone, these songs may never have come to fruition, let alone made it out of the studio.

Instead, each artist chose to work with a fellow creative, to share their thoughts and ideas to produce an original piece of music.

I’m sure there we’re nerves, apprehension and awkwardness. Perhaps some of these artists had never met prior to these encounters. 

However, they didn’t let any of these potential obstacles stop them from exploring creative ideas together.

The result?

Well, aside from winning a Grammy for their successful collaborations, there’s no doubt that these songs became portfolio highlights for each of the artists involved, leading to further opportunities and collaborations with other artists down the line.

So, what can we as freelancers learn from these Grammy winners?

Collaboration is key to producing original, engaging content that appeals to one’s target audience, or in other words, potential clients.

In the freelance industry, a freelance collaboration is a project between two or more freelancers that produces work exclusively for their portfolios (not to be mistaken as unpaid work!).

While freelance collaboration (commonly referred to as “test shoots” in the fashion industry), are regularly set up by photographers, models, makeup artists and hairstylists, there’s no reason why writers, graphic designers, illustrators and other freelancers can’t organise collaborations too.

Need some examples? 

A freelance collaboration could involve a writer, a graphic designer, an illustrator and an art director working together to create a mixed media piece. A photographer or videographer and marketer could team up to produce social media content or videos with strong messaging. An illustrator and a writer could team up to create a children’s book. 

Need some creative inspiration? 

Look no further than Amplifier.org, Stay Safe, Stay Sane and Creatives Against Covid for amazing content with meaningful messaging. It’s hard to feel anything but compelled to work with others to create purposeful, original work after seeing some of the creations on these sites.

It’s important to bear in mind too that collaborative work doesn’t have to be reminiscent of work that’s been done before. Sometimes the most striking creations are those based on entirely new concepts using a mix of mediums and freelancers who wouldn’t typically work together on projects. 

Lean out of your comfort zone

Nervous about posting a freelance collaboration on our site, then Zooming or emailing freelancers you’ve never met before? We get it, it can be a little daunting especially if you’re used to working alone.

But here’s the thing - the rewards outweigh the negatives as the benefits of collaborating with other freelancers are endless. Not to mention, freelancers join our club to collaborate and meet new people. Our members respond to messages and our engagement rates far out-perform Instagram or Facebook groups. 

So, what exactly can freelancers gain from collaborations?

While creating amazing work to add to your portfolio is the most obvious perk, collaborations give freelancers the opportunity to get their creative juices flowing, keep their skills sharp and form solid relationships with other freelancers. And there’s nothing like working with other creatives towards a common goal to forge strong bonds that stand the test of time! 

Oh, and take note: freelancers who work together tend to recommend each other to clients for jobs - I mean, does one need a better incentive than that to start a freelancer collaboration?

Still not convinced about the value of collaboration? Want to hear from someone who has produced amazing work for brands like NIKE, Converse and Netflix while championing the art of collaboration?

Grab a coffee and check out this brilliant video featuring Ellen Turnill Montoya, Creative Director at Anyways Creative, who spoke about the importance of collaboration and how it can maximise your creative potential at our recent showcase event. 

It’s also worth mentioning that the best freelance portfolios include collaborative work as such content shows clients that a freelancer has the ability to work well with others to produce high quality, creative output.

If you weren't quite sure how to set up a collaboration between freelancers before reading this article, I hope we've given you sufficient advice and instruction.

We created the Collaborations (Test Shoot) Tool to help ease freelancers into collaborations and take the pain out of setting up or applying for a ‘collab’. In short, we’ve made it easy for you to connect with a whole host of creative freelancers that you’d otherwise have to reach out to independently.

All you have to do is “lean out of your comfort zone” (a super quote from Ellen Turnill Montoya!), type in a few details about the types of freelancers you’d like to work with and a few other tiny details to help us understand what you're looking to get out of the collaboration.  

So, what are you waiting for?

One collaborative project in your portfolio could be the difference between a client choosing you over another freelancer for a job.  

And that client could offer you a string of jobs, which could lead to you landing work with your dream client. 

You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Set up a freelancer collaboration today. 

Liked this article about freelancer collaboration? Want to learn more about how to set up a collaboration between freelancers for fashion or beauty shoots? Check out our article What is a test shoot? Want to find out what makes the best freelance portfolios so good? Sign up to our free event "Create a Winning Freelancer Profile That Lands jobs." 

Want to learn more about the many benefits of collaborating with other freelancers? Check out "Why Test Shoots Are Not Unpaid Work". You can also pick up handy tips and tricks about how to set up a collaboration between freelancers in this short video!