When your creative business isn't creative anymore

“Hi both! My current dilemma is a question I keep coming back to and yet have never found a way to resolve.

I started my freelance business 13 years ago and over the years my role has moved from a predominantly creative business into a more developer/online business.

I love designing and creating but now find that I am so bogged down in 'adminy' and technical jobs, that I end up being less and less creative. I am incredibly lucky that the bulk of my work is referrals and that I’m busy — but I find the more websites and systems I produce, the more I get recommended for that kind of work, which exacerbates the issue.

I understand how I got here (I’m good at producing these systems!) but I find them incredibly boring to produce and am still in a mindset where I’m unable to turn down work.

Now I’m in a position where I'm not enjoying the bulk of my workload and feel isolated, lonely and bored thanks to working from home — my mental health has suffered.

In an ideal world I would have a financial cushion that would allow me to turn down some of these projects and pursue more that interest me, but — as many self-employed people are — I work very hand to mouth (especially being a widowed parent).

My question is, how can I somehow incorporate more of what I love (and ultimately went freelance to do), without losing out financially?

Somedays I think I'd love to work outside or do something completely different, but understand this isn't possible (unless I win the lottery), but the ideal would be to design book covers all day, but that is only 5% of what I currently do.

Any ideas on how to help morph my business back to a place where I am not voluntarily doing something I don't enjoy? Thanks! Claire”