I won’t lie: I have the best job in the entire world. In my down time, I marvel that it took me so long to get my act together and start on this path.(Here’s a huge secret, lasers and jellybeans: if you have a dream – GET TO IT!) That’s how fantastic my life is. And, so , out of purely educational purposes, I’m going to run through all of the reasons you might consider making a similar career choice.
Why You Want to Be a Freelance Writer
When I first ventured into the freelance world, I wrote a sample blog article about working from home. Of course, now most people are pros at working from home. That ISN’T one of the points I’m going to hit on (exactly), though it’s certainly a perk. Nope, I have five other reasons to delve into.
1. You Get to be You
While I fully admit I’ve never worked in the food service industry (which is for the best, as I lack the grace and dexterity required), I’ve worked in most other industries in the past. They all have one thing in common: soul-sucking requirements placed by management. Uniforms, rules about tattoos/piercings/hair, and restrictions on office decor. It’s conformity at it’s worst.
When you freelance, all of those little nit-picky details float away. Case in point: for work today, I’m wearing Harley Quinn socks, comfy shorts, and a Bruni tanktop. (And before you snicker about my being a slob, all of them have purple on them – so there) The majority of my clients communicate via direct messaging or email. Which means I have the freedom to dress exactly as I want. My personality gets to shine. I can experiment with whatever hair color I want and play around with my pixie cut. I tossed out my boring, practical tennis shoes in favor of adorable Demonia Cult shoes. My geeky wardrobe might raise eyebrows out in public, but it makes me happy and keeps me smiling.
My office is ME. (I promise, photos will come as soon as the new prints I ordered arrive and get framed) Oh, sure, I have reference books on my shelves, and there are sticky notes, notebooks, my whiteboard calendars, and pens (well, at least one that Tonks hasn’t stolen) present at all times. But I also have tiny stuffed animals, Funko POP! figurines, shark teeth, and signed photos and posters from my theatre days. I don’t have to suffer with the decor foisted upon me by others. I get to decide what I want to have around me, channeling my creativity. It’s the best kind of freedom!
2. You’re the Boss
You decide who you want to work with. At this point, my work schedule is full. (I’m not exaggerating, either. My calendars – yes, I had to break down and buy a second one so I have two months up at a time – have up to three assignments due every day) While I still duck onto the job boards and submit proposals here and there, a lot of my work now comes in through invitations. (Awesome feeling, by the way) I make the calls on what I accept.
If you don’t want to work for a certain price, you can make that call! If you don’t want to accept a job, you have that choice! You hold the power to make all of those decisions! There’s no weight sitting on your shoulders, telling you you have to do something because…well, you can fill in the blanks. If you aren’t comfortable, or you feel something’s off, you have the right to step back and say, “No.” It’s the most liberating feeling ever!
Even better, for people like me who demand nothing less than perfection for themselves, freelancing grants you to outlet you always wanted. Clients WANT the best, and they respond to the exacting standards you set for yourself. I have a 100% satisfaction rating on Upwork (one of the job platforms for freelancers). I’m damn proud of that rating, too. I’ve rejected job offers that prioritized quantity over quality. I don’t compromise my standards, and I can do that because I’M THE BOSS!
3. NO Co-Workers
Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration. After all, I have Assistants that wander into the office and interrupt my work every day. However, they’e not on the payroll.
However, in general, those obnoxious people you want to throttle on a daily basis? Yeah, they don’t exist! People who get away with breaking rules that you get slammed for, people who sit around on their ass all day while you get sniped at for breathing for 5 minutes, and people who lie through their teeth to get out of work? Not here! It’s just you, baby! You can stretch out and breathe in the freedom of not having to deal with those irritations ever again.
This goes in conjunction with being your own boss. You don’t have to deal with the inequality inherent in the workplace. While a client may employ more than one freelancer, odds are you won’t interact with them or even speak with them. (You may never even know who they are) Even if you exchange messages, they don’t share your workspace. You can always let messages pile up while you work and answer them when you’re finished. (The equivalent of a “mute” button you wish existed in the real world)
4. 9 to Whatever
Freelancers create their own schedule. Yes, you have to meet deadlines set by your clients. You negotiate a lot of those deadlines in the first place, though. (And, most of the time, they’re a day and not a time) As far as WHEN the work happens, that’s up to you. Want to work through the wee hours of the night? Go for it! Want to stick to standard daylight hours to match a family member? No problem. Want to skip a day? No one’s going to say anything (provided you hand work assignments in on time).
You’re in control of YOURSELF. (I know, it sounds crazy, right? Almost like you’re an adult) I don’t work weekends. I save those days for family. Obviously, holidays are hit or miss (since I am working today – but I did my research ahead of time to minimize my working hours), but you can make a decision not to work holidays, if you choose. I’ll take the week of the wedding off, which means working my ass off right up to that point.
It’s a freedom you can’t find out of the freelance world. But it makes my life a MILLION times easier. I can schedule appointments whenever and work around them. I don’t have to go grovel to a manager and face an annoyed or disappointed look because *gasp* I needed to see the doctor. I don’t have to apologize to a frazzled receptionist when I have to beg for a weird appointment time to avoid inconveniencing my job. It’s one less stress in my life.
5. Personality’s a Plus
Does your regular job hand you binders of precisely how you’re supposed to behave? Do you get scripts of recitations to make sure everyone speaks and behaves exactly the same? You’re such good little sheep. Freelancers don’t have that problem. In fact, clients seek out freelancers precisely for their individual personalities! Ditch the uniformity and find your voice!
I get templates for some of my work. Clients want specific formats for the blog articles they request. Which I don’t mind, because I understand the look they’re adhering to. But within that framework, the voice and writing style are mine. It’s what the clients liked in my proposal (or the writing samples they clicked on in my profile). If they wanted a different voice, they would have hired someone else. Instead, they picked out my little quirky voice from the pack.
Instead of focusing on trying to follow the pack, you get to stand out. You WANT to stand out. Find your voice and make it sing. Figure out what makes your writing (or other freelance work) unique and play it up. The humor and geek culture references I always slipped into my narratives in other jobs (and caught flack for) are what earn me clients and five-star reviews now. You have an element of your personality destined to shine, and freelancing will turn it into a diamond.
Fly Your Freak Flag
Drone jobs suck the life out of you. I know – I’ve been there. Now I work my dream job, the job I assumed was always out of reach and impossible. It took NOTHING more than having the confidence to step up and say, “I want it.” It sounds insane, but it was that simple.
If your dream involves a freelance opportunity, then start exploring your options. You won’t regret it. Languishing in a job you hate – you’ll regret that forever.
15 thoughts on “Freedom!”