After relocating back to my home in the Midlands, I find clients are reluctant to look further afield than their back gardens. As a working-class creative, I understand that regional pride is something to be celebrated, but navel-gazing only contributes to the brain drain down the M1. When working with cultural clients, if I make reference to things from London or abroad, it's met with defensive disdain.
My first piece of advice here is simple. You say people gloss over when you mention your day job, so don't mention it! Especially not early on in your conversation. You say you have loads of creative endeavours, so lead with them and make them the first impression of you. Passion is infectious, and if your creative work is where your passion lies; don't give the people you're chatting to any excuse not to hear about it.
As a millennial, financial insecurity has been a theme in my life for a while. But recently, it's grown louder, and I literally can't stop asking: WHERE IS THE GODDAMN MONEY?