Working on-the-go is bigger than ever, with freelancers and creatives using cafes, shared work spaces and libraries to hot-desk away from home. But where to start? 8 freelance creatives tell us how they desk anywhere, what they take, where they go and their top tips for budding freelancers.

Working as a touring music photographer, everything I use is portable. Every day you are in a new country, city, venue. An empty desk in the corner of an unflatteringly lit room becomes your personal space to zone out and create. Nights are when I am most creative, there’s definitely some reassurance in the calmness of the early hours, when the physical work is done. Plugging in headphones and listening to music helps you to focus more. Dressing rooms are shared with adrenaline fuelled musicians, it’s easy to be distracted by the excitement of it all. That corner lets you channel that excitement into your photos, through what you choose and how you edit. The images from that night are time pressured, so having a cup of tea or bottle of water on the side really helps keep you calm if you’re feeling stressed to finish on time.

I prefer working at home in my living room, with a good snack, a candle and something mind numbing on the telly. If I do head to a cafe it’s usually with a friend so we can share nibbles. I also always need a notebook and pen – usually cute AF – to work out rough ideas before typing them up on my HP laptop. Having a cute laptop case is also a must for if I’m working out and about.

I style and photograph each vintage piece myself, so working in my studio is where I get most work done. Before shooting a Madseventies collection, I usually find myself sitting at a coffee shop watching people go by, making notes of what I like and incorporating it and take parts from what I like and incorporating it into my own shoot. A full day in the studio means; setting up a backdrop and lights. Creating a set up with props and plants and then having all my accessories, shoes and garments packed out. It usually takes a whole day as I am quite particular on showing the garment in all angles, so the buyer can see as much of the garment possible. After shooting, I pack everything up, and start loading the images with clear descriptions and measurements onto my Madseventies shop ; www.madseventies.com. As a creative, I am very grateful to have a studio space to create in and I live in a wonderful neighbourhood full of cute coffee shops, surrounded by people and things that inspires me.

Since becoming freelance I find myself working best late at night sat on my bed, with my notebook and a cup of coffee to one side, listening to a mellow playlist, with and my phone on charge across the room so I’m free from any procrastination. I find sitting at a desk so rigid and I can’t really think properly – maybe it reminds me of working in an office or back at school – but I find when I am in my own environment, away from all distraction, I get the most work done and have full reign of my own creativity.

My habit of cafe-office-life began while studying for my A-levels, when everything in my bedroom would distract me but the sugar hit of a caramel macchiato kept me glued to my revision for 7 hours straight. I liked the constant buzzing of strangers, it kept me focused on what I was doing, unlike the silence of an empty house! I respond very well to rewards, and I suppose working in a lovely little cafe with real coffee on tap and a tasty lunch has become a bribe in order to achieve everything on my to-do list. As a creative, I need to listen to how I work best. I find it very difficult to force myself to be a certain kind of creative in the wrong space.

Cafe-Office Checklist: Macbook, CHARGER FOR MACBOOK, daily to-do list, sketchpad (just in case), iPad (for digitally drawing up my sketches), iPad pencil (VERY IMPORTANT, EASILY MISSED) and USB cable, in case the wifi isn’t strong enough to connect my iPad and Macbook. Oh and headphones, for podcasts.

I try and differentiate my space when it comes to work, so even though as a freelancer I don’t have an office, taking myself out to a coffee shop and treating it as my office helps put me in the mindset that I’m at work.

In my bedroom, where I set up a working space on the floor surrounded by my speakers. I like being fully immersed in loud music as this stimulates my creativity. My choice of music can unconsciously determine what colours I use. When I’m listening to reggae or soul I tend to unconsciously use brighter colours within my pieces. However, if I’m listening to grime on a gloomy day I tend to use a darker palette. Sound, sights and smells can trigger creative thoughts so traveling with a small sketchbook allows me to create pieces as soon as I find inspiration. Pens are easy to control. The ink bleeds when adding water and imitates the effect of watercolour paints. When travelling I need only my pens, paper, a paintbrush and a bottle of water I scan a lot of my pieces which allows me to create prints on a larger scale. I manipulate my traditional hand drawings through the use of the digital images created by scanning. This allows me to shape my original image by repeating and overlapping it to create visual evidence of my restless mind. The end result is a contemporary piece. The main character from my clothing line named ‘Menace’ was created while travelling on the train back from my university. I can create wherever I am whilst I have my headphones. I’m an artist who is not restricted to only working on large canvases. This provides me with the artistic freedom to create ‘on the go’.

I often find myself always travelling, whether it’s to a local cafe or to the other side of the world. Meaning packing correctly is always a must for me. My essentials when away from my home studio are my side bag, MacBook, iPhone + portable charger when I’m working away or travelling which can be anywhere up to a month! As a freelance creative I work on varied projects therefore my studio comes where I go, working in the field of fashion styling, modelling and photography. Taking me as far as Japan and all over Asia. I’m a creative that always feeling inspired by my surroundings therefore working on the road is best!