Creator work can be hard, especially when you’re struggling to balance long working hours, clients, family, and your own personal lives in between it all. Here are some tips on how to set healthy boundaries with your creator work!

Define your boundaries

It’s important to define your role as a creator and that can help set some boundaries. Here are some things to think about:

• Working hours: Do I have other commitments outside of content creating? What times do I create content the best? When is the best time for me to respond to emails, DMs, messages, etc?
• Content: What kind of content am I comfortable or not comfortable making? What are my brand values, aesthetic, etc? How often am I willing to post?
• Rates: How much am I going to typically charge? On what platforms am I charging? Am I okay with negotiating up or down a certain amount? How much am I willing to negotiate?
• Agent/talent manager: How often do I want to check in with my manager/agent? What kind of decisions do I want to be looped in on vs. what can they handle on my behalf? What’s my preferred way to receive feedback or updates?

Protect your time

• Setting clear working hours can help build a routine especially if you work outside of content creating.
• Remind brands/agents (and yourself) that these are the times they can reach you and can expect an answer.
• It’s tempting to constantly check notifications, emails, and DMs.
  • Use tools like screen time limits, Do Not Disturb settings, auto-responders, or focus apps like Forest to help you stay present and protect your off-the-clock time.

It’s okay to say no sometimes

• It’s exciting when brands start reaching out — it means your work is being recognized!
  • And while it might be tempting to say yes to every opportunity (especially if you’re just starting out), the truth is: you don’t have to.
• Not every partnership will align with your values, your schedule, or your audience and that’s totally okay.
• There will always be more brands, more campaigns, and more chances to grow. But your time and energy? Those are limited. If something doesn’t feel like a fit, trust your gut.

Use contracts

• Whether it’s a paid campaign, a gifted collab, or just something you’re doing as a favor, always make sure there’s a contract or written agreement in place.
• A good contract should clearly lay out the usage rights (how and where your content will be used), payment terms, deadlines, deliverables, and how many revisions are expected.
• There are way too many stories of creators being asked for extra posts, getting ghosted after submitting content, or worse — being held financially liable because the scope wasn’t clearly defined.
• Bottom line: your content is valuable. Don’t hit “record” until you’ve protected it.