I’ve been freelancing for the better part of 6 months now. It’s been a rocky road, filled with uncertainty. (Life!) My anxiety is through the roof; I’ve had numerous breakdowns that this year is promising to be the 2007 to my Britney Spears. Yet, I’ve accomplished more writing in the last 6 months than I have in the past 2 years. This is easily the most excited I’ve been about my career, one that has finally taken off by liberating myself from the 9 to 5 work grind. It has lent a totally new perspective as far as what being a freelancer means:
- $$$$$
- Jk more like 🤷♂️ (me waiting for funds to be released from Escrow)
- Having a sense of humor
- Working from home 😃
- Working from home 🤪
- Creating a dedicated workspace (setting up is easy, it’s staying dedicated that’s the hard part)
- Extended lunch breaks
- Drinking—woah it got dark there for a sec
- Parameters. Lots and lots of parameters.
- Dealing with unrealistic client expectations i.e. the first draft will be perfect 😒
- Giving up paycheck security for creative fulfillment
- No longer having a Friday
- Always working, even when you’re not
- Working twice as hard for less than minimum wage
- Applying for gigs every. single. day. (I often dream about submitting proposals)
- Not being taken seriously by your own family
- Enduring comments about this not being “a real job”
- Explaining telecommuting and gig economy about 5 times a day
- Falling apart, and putting yourself back together again
- Constantly fighting procrastination, laziness, and self-doubt
- Resisting the impulse to give in (thus giving your doubters the satisfaction)
- Discovering your conviction as a writer
- Having an existential crisis every week
- Forging a career path on your own
- Forging a career path on your own.
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