For Ed Watson, balance starts with structure. After more than a decade working across music, media, and entertainment, he’s learned that creativity needs both space and discipline. From his early days at Vevo to leading social strategy at BBC Radio 1, Ed’s career has always revolved around fast-moving ideas and even faster deadlines.
Now working as a freelance strategist, Ed builds his days around focus, curiosity, and a few key rituals. Morning gym sessions, quiet commutes, and time offline help him reset between projects. In our chat, he talks about finding calm in a constantly connected industry and what keeps his creativity steady when work never really stops.
You’ve worked with the biggest names in music and media. How do you structure your day to stay creative while juggling multiple projects?
In my career so far, never has a day gone as planned. There are always surprises working in digital media – some fun, some not so fun! Learning that this is normal was particularly hard as I’ve always been someone who functions with order and lists, but now I know how to work amongst organized chaos.
I’ve found most of my creativity comes during the commute. Even with music or podcast distractions, I generally struggle sitting still on the train – so it tends to be the perfect time for me to open up the notes app and work on ideas.
After years inside the machine at Vevo and the BBC, what’s been the biggest shift in your daily routine since going freelance?
Flexibility. If I want to start an hour earlier and finish an hour later, most of the time I can. Not all freelance gigs come with that level of autonomy – I’ve worked in agencies where they pay for me to be available to them at particular times – but for the most part, it’s up to me. It’s a freedom you’re not often afforded in major companies (with good reason – colleagues relying on you have colleagues relying on them who have… you get the idea), so I’ve enjoyed that aspect of freelance life a lot.
That said, I do like structure. It’s been really important for me to keep my own routine and avoid sleeping in and staying up unnecessarily late. Factoring in gym visits, time with friends, and times that I have to be at my desk have all helped me maintain a “normal” day and create some separation between work and life.
Social media can be relentless — how do you maintain boundaries when your work revolves around platforms that never switch off?
I love going to gigs and the movies. Activities that mean I can’t actively look at my phone without pissing people around me off means I get a guaranteed couple of hours of zero screen time. Cinemas don’t count as screens, right?!
I’m also a huge advocate for burner accounts or finstas. They’ve allowed me to follow all the necessary celebs, brands, and organisations that are important for the companies I work with, all while keeping my personal algorithm geared towards the stuff I’m actually invested in. I loved working on Radio 1, but do I want every other post on my feed to be a clipped up radio show segment? No, because I want to switch off!
What habits or rituals keep your creativity flowing, especially when you’re managing campaigns for major artists or events?
I try to keep up with general marketing news in the entertainment industry. Substacks like Link In Bio and People, Brands And Things are great resources if you’re looking to stay across trends in ads and digital content. And Substack is nowhere near as overwhelming as social media!
With festivals, red carpets, and viral deadlines in the mix, how do you decompress and recharge your mental battery?
My wife (who also works in social media) and I are huge cricket fans. It’s incredibly unlikely that either of our jobs will crossover with cricket – though it’s been known to happen – so we both escape to England matches when they’re on the TV. Anyone that likes Test Match Cricket will know it inhabits the bizarre space between can’t-look-away compelling and rhythmic cycles that can lull you to sleep.
I also have a band. You can lose hours of your day locked away in a recording studio, which has proven to be a blessing and a curse depending on if you’re asking my wallet or my mental health.
Looking back at your career so far, what’s one routine or mindset change that’s helped you avoid burnout and stay sharp in a fast-moving industry?
Unfortunately, I think burnout in this industry is inevitable. Until companies truly recognise the wider shift in publishing and content consumption, social media teams will remain understaffed and shoulder some of the biggest output burdens. I also think part of loving what you do is acknowledging that, at times, you’ll overwork. Once you acknowledge that, it’s far less daunting and easier to put in place strategies that can help mitigate the impact of burnout. Knowing I have a week off booked in the calendar, or granting myself an extra takeaway in the weeks I finish work too late to start cooking are small ways that help me stay on top of burnout. They don’t solve the problem at its root, but they make it a whole lot easier to manage.
