One of my post popular articles was my 5 Quick Change Tricks. I recently designed a musical (Bye Bye Birdie) that included on stage quick changes for eight characters in rapid succession. I think it is time to revisit quick changes.

In addition to the above pictured changes (description of change in captions) we created a flip skirt which the actress was able to unfasten while twirling and refastening showing another side with new fabric. I also had four gents who needed to change on stage. To create this quick pace change I found a pattern for baseball/bomber jackets and had my stitcher make them reversible. The guys did flips, spins, etc. to pull their dark New York jackets inside out reveling bright colors for Sweet Apple.
The director caught me off guard with his request for on stage quick changes but with the help of the costume shop supervisor and some very patient stitchers I was able to create the overall desired effect. The actors loved their unique quick change pieces and the audience had a blast watching them perform the choreography. 
​Photos by: Rachael Kennedy

As any freelancer will tell you there are busy spells and dry spells during the year. They never fall in the same month/season/etc. EVER! This makes having a second job difficult unless you have a saintly understanding boss. For those of us who haven't found our saint, here is a list of some things I have found to keep my creativity up, my self healthy, etc.

1. Create a schedule-I still don't take my advice all the time. But, when I take the time to create a schedule it keeps me sane. Between jobs I try to schedule time at the gym, to look for future jobs, to socialize, to get that housework done that I left for "another time". 
2. Relax-I am one of those people who tends to feel antsy when I have "nothing to do" but I have to remind myself that I do need a bit of time to relax. 
3. Research-I use my free time between jobs to research things in my industry as well as things I like. Through that research I create these blog posts!
4. Side hustle-I don't technically have a side hustle but many freelancer I know do have one. For an example see this interview I did with my friend Kim! It's always nice to make a little money on the side. 
5. Explore-Get out of the house! When I'm on the job I know what is happening around my favorite job haunts (I do a ton of shopping in NYC as a designer). Sometimes I decide to treat myself to a coffee near some shops to look around at what is "in season". Sometimes I just go to the park and walk around and people watch. Maybe visit that new place that opened while you were busy with your last project.

Hopefully this list will help you find some things to fill your time between jobs.