The Trials and Tribulations of Becoming a Freelance: The age old question is it worth it?
Once upon a time, in a far-off land, there was a budding designer named Sally. Sally had a passion for creating beautiful designs and had always dreamed of being freelance. So one day, she decided to take the plunge and embark on this exciting journey.
As she began her journey, Sally was filled with excitement and enthusiasm. She set up her workspace, gave herself a routine, (one that fit around her needs, but mostly one that fit around her cat) and optimistically she went out in search of work.
Sally soon realised that finding work would be tricky, contract roles were few and far between, snapped up quickly by other eager go-getting creatives and that finding a design job was much like finding a partner, a lot of ghosted messages, self-doubt and "it's not you, it's me' attitudes.
In addition to the copious amounts of rejection (is it rejection if you never hear back?) some pretty big tell-tell signs suggested now was really, really not a good time to take the leap. "Recession is looming" she was told, "there's a cost of living crisis", "inflation is at an all-time high" and "it's not a good market right now".
But would there ever be a good time? Another elephant in the room told her that soon she wouldn't even have a job in a few years because "AI is only getting more sophisticated".
All of this left Sally wondering... Are the trials and tribulations of being a freelancer worth it? Freelancing certainly comes with its share of challenges, such as a lack of job security, no company benefits, and the need to continuously network and meet new people.
Freeing Yourself from the 9-5 Grind isn't easy. Competition is high, opportunities are low, and there are bills to be paid and demands to be met.
However, we should work to live, not live to work. It's a bit of a yucky motivational cliched expression that gets thrown around but it's true.
Freelancing offers the freedom to plan ahead, take work breaks, and set your value. Although it may not be a walk in the park initially, your network will grow and your perspective on work will shift dramatically. Rather than feeling confined to a job, you'll work in bursts and although the workload can become overwhelming at times, there will always be a bright light at the end of the tunnel, or in this case, a new contract.
To all freelancers making their own paths, there will always be good days and some not-so-good days, but I wish you every single success in your journey. "You've got this" (in case you needed another cheesy motivational quote to get you going).
Gee