How I Balance Freelancing with My Museum Career ⚖️

Shannon Kira Mcmillan
Nov 28, 2025
2 min read

Freelancing alongside a museum career is a unique balancing act — one that blends flexibility, structure, and a lot of self-awareness. Because I am disabled and chronically ill, a traditional full-time role isn’t always accessible for me. I need adjustments that align with office-based heritage work, archiving, and curatorial support — areas I’m actively striving toward long-term.

This means my career hasn’t followed the typical linear path for someone my age, but I’ve learnt that different doesn’t mean lesser. With the right support, and with my passion leading the way, I’ve still built a meaningful, skilled, and growing career in the museum and heritage sector.

Freelancing has become an important part of that journey.

Why I Freelance Alongside My Museum Career

Alongside my experience in collections care, archival documentation, and visitor engagement, I run two main areas of freelance work:

✔️ Remote administrative support, including data entry, digital content management, transcription, copy typing, spreadsheet auditing, editing, and proofreading
✔️ Pet sitting services through Rover and Cat in a Flat, offering walking, enrichment, feeding, drop-ins, and overnight stays

Each supports me differently.

Remote admin work strengthens key museum-sector skills such as organisation, accuracy, metadata handling, and communication.
Pet sitting supports my mental health, gives me the joy of being around animals, and offers a flexible, manageable structure that works alongside my disability.

Both together allow me to build financial stability while continuing to develop my heritage-sector career at a sustainable pace.

The Challenges of the Balancing Act

Balancing museum work with freelancing comes with its own set of challenges, especially when navigating chronic illness:

Energy constraints — pacing is essential
Time management — planning work around symptoms and commitments
Multiple roles — shifting between curatorial tasks, admin duties, and pet care
Emotional resilience — remaining motivated in a competitive sector

These experiences have strengthened my ability to prioritise, communicate clearly, and create boundaries that support my wellbeing.

Practical Strategies That Help Me Stay Balanced

To manage both sides of my work sustainably, I rely on:

Flexible, health-led scheduling
Careful workload selection to avoid taking on too much
Clear communication with clients and museums
Routine check-ins to monitor capacity and adjust expectations
Choosing meaningful work that aligns with my long-term archiving and curatorial goals

What I’m Learning — and Looking Ahead

My path may not be typical, but it’s one I’m building with intention. I’m creating a sustainable, accessible career that reflects both my abilities and my needs as a disabled museum professional.

Looking ahead, I hope to:

Grow my portfolio of freelance admin work, particularly with cultural organisations
Continue developing supportive long-term pet sitting relationships
Gain further experience in collections, archives, and museum operations
Eventually secure an accessible part-time role in collections or archiving with the adjustments I need

This hybrid approach allows me to pursue the work I love, support my wellbeing, and build a meaningful museum career at a pace that suits me.

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💻 Check out my Remote Admin Services: Portfolio Page and Fiverr Profile