Un “Au boulot” un peu différent des précédents dans la mesure où mon interlocutrice est britannique et que nous switchons à l’anglais.

I decided to keep her own words in her own language. As she describes herself on her Instagram profile, Xanthe Berkeley is a “Lifestyle & portrait photographer and video & stop motion creator in London, UK, also, hosting online courses in video/film making and stop motion.” I love her little films, so full of joy and colours. Her courses are packed with useful tips and tricks on how to shoot and edit and she is so creative, generous and funny. I thank her for being so authentic and transparent about the way she works in this interview.

Hello Xanthe, could you explain what is your job? How do you define it?

I'm a photographer, a video creator, a stop motion artist and a teacher, educator of online courses. I have many hats! And I like it that way, if I had to choose one thing, I don't know what I would choose. I'd be like "Really?". It's like choosing between your children, you just can't do it and I like doing all of them. I love the variety. Can you give a brief overview of your working history?

I went to art college, back in the 90s, and did graphic design and photography, film making, little animations and things like that. And then worked in my twenties in the music business, in the art department, sourcing props, things like that.

Then I had my kids, I was a stay home mum and really wanted to do that. But still always photographed and documented my life. And then when the boys were at school, I asked myself: what am I going to do? It was fortunate that the online world started. I started sharing my photos online and started putting myself out there, as a photographer. And I started in weddings, because that seemed to be the only way you could be a photographer. And I really wanted to photograph families. I got a camera that had video capability and I thought "This is what I really want to do, to be shooting video". And I started to create little videos of my life, me and the boys, and sharing them online. That started the wave of possibilities of work. Then also, the online teaching started. I was making these little films of my life and sharing them on my blog, and people asked me "how are you doing this?" And it was before YouTube had a tutorial for everything! So, I decided to make a little course to show people how to do it and to show my process. It just began from there. And then Instagram came. Suddenly, there was this whole other way of sharing my work and reaching people and share videos and photos. I knew there was a potential for a commercial work as well, with the kind of content I am creating. Putting out work, brands got in touch, or I would connect with them. It evolved from there.

A selection of snippets from some of my favourite films and stop motions I've created for personal projects and brands. See 2017 version - https://vimeo.com/xantheberkeley/ilovemakingfilms See 2016 version - https://vimeo.com/xantheberkeley/ilovemakingfilms2016 www.xantheberkeley.com Learn to make your own films - http://learn.xantheberkeley.com/ Music - Electro Swing by BeWebFactory via Audio Jungle.

Did you have a big plan for developing your business?

I wish I could say I did have a plan. I didn't. it's all been very organic. Each project or work that I have done have led to something else. And obviously, yes, I have dreams or intentions of what I want to do. More commercial work or to create a new course, but it's come as a natural step rather than being super business minded. I think I probably would be in a different position if I was a bit more business minded and maybe slightly more successful and together. But, I feel a bit overwhelmed by that. I am strategic up to a point but not super strategic that I have a super plan in advance. It's just me so I can only handle so much, I feel that if I had maybe assistance or people to help me, then it might be different.

Because It changes things doesn't it? When you have someone that you have to nurture and look after, and even the practical things (insurance, payroll) … It just feels too much for me. At the moment, I can handle what I have going on, so there hasn't been a need. In the future maybe, but right now I like it self-contained. I think we should do what we want to do in the way we want to do it.

What is your typical day?

My working day can be anything from going out on a shoot or working from home, doing emails, or creating course content or shooting photos just for fun, or videoing x, y, z... So, the practical of work can be different each day and each week. And I quite like that.

Colours, flowers, joy… and the famous yellow bike : that’s Xanthe’s aesthetic in a picture © Xanthe Berkeley

In the last six months, I have made a priority to exercising and moving my body which I just wasn't doing for a couple of reasons: one was that I was so busy, and I just pushed it to the side, which I realised was a very bad thing. But I also had a frozen shoulder for a year, so I didn't feel like exercising. I was in pain and didn't do anything. But now in the last months, I have been doing yoga or some kind of workout or riding my bike. I try and do that in the morning because I find if I leave it, I don't find the time to squeeze it or I don't have the energy.

It has been really good for my mental health and my body, especially if I'm seating at my computer all day. So, this is the way it's going to be forever! That's my only kind of ritual, because then, once I sit down at my desk or computer, it can be different every day.

What is your typical work schedule? Is it casual or do you make strict boundaries?

You have to make strict boundaries because there's always work to be done. There's always a film or photos that can be edited, or emails to do, or course content to create. So, I could work all the time. There have been periods over the last few years where I have done that. So, I have to be very strict with myself to think "it's dinner, I'm done, I'm not going to work this evening or weekend". But then, sometimes, I have shoots all weekend, so I try to balance that out, by having quieter days in the week. And yes, you have to be strict, because you can sit all the time on the laptop or phone, or whatever. We are very connected.

But I love the flexibility of being freelance. If I do want to take the afternoon off to hang out with my boys or to go for an hour bike ride, then I can do that. I don't have the constraint of it. But sometimes the work doesn't go away just because I take 3 days off. I still got to do the work. No one else is going do it, you know (laugh).

Have you spotted your most productive moments during the day?

It's funny, I feel I am really good in the morning, and then I can have a kind of a little bit of a lull in the afternoon. And then, annoyingly I get into the groove just before dinner and I wish that I could just carry on. And... no! Got to make dinner or got to have dinner or whatever. And I try not to work in the evenings. I did that a lot when the boys where little and now I like to switch off a bit.

I like to get things done in the morning, otherwise I feel that the day just runs away from me. But it doesn't always work like that. Sometimes inspiration strikes me when I'm editing a video. Suddenly it clicks and I can spend a few hours on that. So, I'm not a strict morning person or a strict evening, it depends on the project or the mood that day.

What is your best working environment?

I have a room in our house as my studio and I shoot in other parts of the house as well if I need to. But I like it quiet. In my twenties I worked in an office in the music business and I found it very difficult. I didn't like talking on the phone around other people and I found it very distracting. I thought there was something wrong with me (laugh)! It was before I understood that different people work in different ways. And now, I couldn't go back. I know people like to go to cafes, but not me. I like it to be quiet or have a bit of music on for certain types of work or podcasts. I just like no distractions and no one around, I feel that when I'm most productive. People tell me "I can't bear being at home, I have to go to a cafe to work and I'm like "oh my god! That's awful!". It wouldn't feel like work, I’m sure I would waste my time on Twitter.

Do you procrastinate? Have you got tips for prioritising, especially when you work on very different projects (films, photography, online courses)?

Well... procrastination is just part of the process, isn't it? I would get so annoyed that I left everything to the last minute. And now I accept it: if you give me a deadline, I will work to that deadline. In my head, if I know it has to be finished on a day, I won't start working on it long before. It's just who I am. I need that pressure to get it done.

It's not to say that I won't have prepared or start working on things, but I need that finish line. So, I don't worry that procrastination is a bad thing. For me, it's part of the process: if I started to work on something 2 weeks ago, I wouldn't have found the result that I've got today. Juggling between different projects is difficult. If I do find myself in the middle of an edit, and then an email comes up about a shoot that I've got to do tomorrow, I will have to prepare, and so I do find that tricky. I'm afraid I'll forget something. So, I write things down to remember what I need to do, and break tasks down into different manageable chunks. But I haven't really got a system that I'm totally ok with (laugh).

How do you stay consistent with your goals? For example, how do you motivate yourself on days when you’re tired, or a bit sick?

I know, there are different schools of thought on that. There is "if you're not feeling it, you shouldn't do it". But I am one of those of people who pushes through, because I know that I will feel better, once it's done. So, even if I'm not feeling it, for an edit of a film for example, sometimes I think "well look, just go in and add a few clips to see what happens”. I just take it in small portions, rather than think that I'm going to edit the whole thing. Rather than leaving it, and then working on something else having it in the back of my mind that I haven't completed it, I just try and push through. Experience has shown me when that is the right thing to do. And if I am tired, overwhelmed of feeling a bit burnt out, then yes, rest is important! And you come back to it with fresh eyes. But that's something I do least. I do try to find my mojo somewhere else if I'm not feeling it.

What used to challenge you that you are now comfortable with?

I'm always learning and discovering new things. When I first started learning photography, I was teaching myself, and figuring things out along the way. Now I know loads and you forget that because you keep learning. I don't really want that to end. And if I'm teaching other people, when I first started my own courses in 2012, they were basic, but they were helping people. Whereas now, I have way more knowledge and way more experience that I can pass on to people. But even with video editing, I still don't know everything. Sometimes people ask me questions and I say: "I don't know, let's google it! Let's figure it out. " (laugh). I'm never going to say that I am the authority on everything. For example, I did a job for a client and we needed the audio sound muffled. And I didn't know how to do that. But I found a tutorial on google and it showed me how to do it, it was very easy. And know it's a thing that I can pass on to people! So yes, always learning!

What are your favourite tasks?

A selection of clips from stop motion films I've made for brands for their social media channels. See more examples of my work in previous stop motion showreel here - https://vimeo.com/184584546 Brands included here - Cath Kidston, Boden, The White Company, Jo Malone London, Etsy, Tilda Rice, HP, Puffin Books, Warner Music, Yumbox, Pretty City London, Paint Box Yarns and Usbourne books. See the stop motions in full - https://www.xantheberkeley.com/portfolio_page/stop-motion-for-brands/ www.xantheberkeley.com Music from Premium Beat.

It depends on the project. I like things that are more creative than the other side of business, I don't like doing my accounts, I'm not a big fan of emails as it sucks your time. If I could be shooting all day, every day, I probably would choose that. But it doesn't always work out like that. I like editing as well, I like doing both, and perhaps that's another reason why I'm not moving to having a team of people. Because, of course, I could be shooting a video and then pass it over to someone else to edit, but actually, I quite like that part of it. And I'm happy to do all for now.

Do you multitask?

I am quite good at multitasking so, I do do it. But I have realised that I probably work better if I can just concentrate on one thing. I have felt during the last few months that my brain is a bit scattered. It's a mix: if I think "this afternoon I'm just going to work on an edit, then I will do that”. But then, I see there's an email that needs to be responded to, I'll do it. And sometimes it's nice to change the focus. I'll work solidly for 25 minutes on something, and then go walking around, getting a drink, and coming back, and doing that again. And that's been quite good. It also keeps me focus on how much time is going by, because sometimes, I feel that the afternoon just vanishes, and I wonder where the time's gone.

So, I have been trying to get into more time blocking, setting my timer for 25 min. But I like to be flexible because if something comes up, you’ve got to deal with it.

Are you a quick or a normal or slow worker?

I think I’m quick at some things. But I always think that things will take less time than they actually do. I'm not very good at being realistic and estimating actually how long things take. Then, if I do need to get stuff done, I can do it quite quickly.

The best piece of advice you ever got?

My own advice to myself sometimes is "just do work and share work that you want to do more of". When I was a wedding photographer, I went to a wedding photography workshop and it was then I realised that I actually didn't want to be a wedding photographer. Because everyone was talking about how much they loved it! And I thought "well I don't feel like that about it". But, the one thing that they said was to share the kind of work that you want to do more of. And that's something that I've kept with me all the time. (that's a good one!)

How do you balance your life between word and personal life ?

I think it's a work in progress. Life is different now than it was 4 or 5 years ago, in terms of balancing mainly family life and work life. You have to be strict with yourself and make sure that you aren't working all the time. When you are freelance, there is the potential to do that all the time.

I worked less when the boys were little and now, I can work more, because they're busy doing their own things. They don't need me as much. But I don't think there's ever a true balance. I think we're fed a bit of a myth by the world, that you can have it all and get it all done. You are juggling and sometimes things don't stay in the air, fitness and health can drop down.

How do you take care of yourself though?

Doing yoga, exercise, sleep is really important. I stay up late sometimes watching things or doing things and then I wonder "why did you do that…". I also love to ride my bike. Sometimes I think I don't have time because I know it's 45 min of my time, but I am always so glad when I do! It's a good way of getting out of the house. But we humans never really learn, do we? (laugh). We know what we're supposed to do, but we still push against it and think we know best. I think sleep is really important, eating well, and again trying not to get too stressed about things.

Fortunately, the work I do isn't saving lives, so if I don't do well at something, or I can't deliver on time, no one is going to die! It's not the end of the world, it's just photography, I try to remember that. All I can do is show up and do my best.

Who are your mentors or role models?

I have a very good friend - Kim Klassen - who lives in Canada. We met years ago at a photography retreat. She is such a great supporter of me and my work, and she is actually now a coach. So, she is even better at supporting people. We support each other and it is quite nice, that kind of mutual "what are you doing this week? How are you feeling about that?". It's been a huge part of my business and how I've grown having that kind of peer mentoring. We try and talk every week or every couple of weeks. And be accountable to each other, come up with ideas... That's been huge. I often recommend to people to find someone you can connect, even if your work isn't super similar. To have someone to talk business with. It's so valuable, the peer to peer element of it. You're giving something as well as receiving something (Definitely, and more than you know Xanthe!).

Go and check Xanthe on Instagram for some instant cheer up and briliant video & stop motion online courses!