“A freelance life is sometimes like putting messages in bottles, on a desert island, and hoping that someone will find one of your bottles and open it and read it, and put something in a bottle that will wash its way back to you: appreciation, or a commission, or money, or love. And you have to accept that you may put out a hundred things for every bottle that winds up coming back.” – Neil Gaiman
When people learn that I work as a freelance writer, their eyebrows tend to raise and a wide grin uncurls across their face as they contemplate – in their mind’s eye- what my days must entail. Surely, I must use my creative juices each and every day, possibly penning novels or screenplays or poetry. Little do they know that most of my day is spent researching, formulating an organized idea around a narrow focus, and writing content and articles on wildly different subject matters.
Instead of telling them this, I usually let them salivate on the great unknown that is my life freelancing. Even now after a decade of doing this in one form or another, freelancing remains the great unknown even to me- its malleable nature constantly ebbing and flowing.
If you’re a freelancer- whether a writer like myself or an artist, consultant or a slew of other titles- you probably crave the new challenges that each day brings. The realization that each day is new- that there are no guarantees- seems to mimic life itself. It can be a tough life- with no salary, no vacations, no sick time, no preordained career trajectory, no coworkers to help carry the burden or bosses to help push you to the next level.
It’s only you- learning how to get yourself from Point A to Point B and being completely, unequivocally OK when you inadvertently reach Point C instead. For as John Lennon penned, “life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans”. To be a freelancer, you need to truly embrace each moment- each day- each project- as if it were the last. Here are a few tips I try to remind myself of. I’d love to hear the ‘reality checks’ of other freelancers, as well!
Your income & self-worth are not intertwined. I’m going to go out on a limb here and contend that you know a few ignoramuses who seem to be rolling in cash. And a few more people who put in their day’s work and bring home a nice paycheck every other week and seem perfectly content with doing the same job over and over and over again- year after year. And still more who chose a very particular field of study based solely on cushy pay, nice compensation and great benefits. And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with them. But freelancers often don’t fit into that mold. We tend to value money less than we value our own autonomy in earning it.
When I began writing, I didn’t make any money. I mean zero. Zilch. Nada. I just did it because I loved it, and I knew that if I kept it up new opportunities would arise. I wrote every single day about things that often didn’t interest me terribly only because the opportunities were available. Eventually I began making little sums of money that led to larger payouts (albeit no mother lode as of yet). My first $100 article was thrilling. My first $1000 article was even better. In a nation where salary is held in such high esteem as the epitome of self worth, you need to learn right away that your value stretches far beyond your net worth.
Freelancing is a choice we make because we value new opportunities – professional and personal- that working for ourselves brings. And for the record, this is probably an internal conversation that I catch myself having often. Nothing is set in stone. You may decide that it no longer works for the priorities in your life. Embrace it when it does, and let it go when it doesn’t.
You aren’t always going to love what you’re doing. Just like any other job, remember that even the most mundane project you take on is momentary, but it’s putting you one step closer to where you want to be. Each new project or client brings with it a new professional experience for you (and while that will look good on your LinkedIn, it’ll look even better in your ever-expanding brain). You’ll make new connections (of the professional and neural kinds, of course) and you may even earn additional money.
From my own experience, working on projects that aren’t terribly enticing have been among the most fruitful. Perhaps because I go into them with the clarity of knowing that I have a task at hand to accomplish, and damn it all I’m going to deliver the best article on how to tie your shoes that I can muster! Leverage what you have- you really do have everything you need already- and seize every opportunity that comes your way… no matter how seemingly small or insignificant or paltry of pay. They add up.
Learn to approach each day constructively- Employees in an office can feed off of one another’s excitements, ambitions, insight and tensions, reading between the lines of formal communication and leveraging the team’s energy as fuel. As freelancers, we are faced with both a blessing and a curse: we don’t fall prey to other peoples’ negative spirals in an office- hoorah! But we also don’t gain from the communal confidence and trust that a team can foster. Strive to develop a constructive – not destructive- approach to your daily work, reminding yourself that you and you alone have the power to make today fruitful. Following a strict morning routine helps me to get into my ‘work groove’ even on days that I’m not feeling up to it. A new practice of mindfulness and patience is also reminding me that good things always come to those who wait- and work.
Become a professional communicator. The only way to bridge our geographic gap by working remotely is to ensure we keep open communication channels. Start with the macro issues when tackling new projects: know the project scope and expectations, deadlines and any other KPIs given. Then gain additional insight into the client, particularly if you are new to working with them. Recently, I edited a new business brand blog for a client. I did research on her business and her market. I then asked her to give me a few examples of brand blog content that she would like to see avoided or integrated into her own. This gave me a more accurate view of the ‘voice’ that she was looking to get, enabling me to make the right edits for the job. Communication trumps most things for freelancers. We don’t have the ability to tap a boss or coworker on the shoulder if we missed what they asked us to do this morning. Instead, learn to be specific with your questions, listen carefully to the answers and take great notes.
Find a mentor… or two… or ten. As I mentioned previously, we might not have the benefits of coworkers and bosses who can guide us in our approach and give us that necessary feedback which we all require. So we need to go and make our own connections. The Internet can, indeed, bridge some of these gaps and LinkedIn groups are one excellent way of connecting with others in your field to share ideas and get updates. Finding a group of other freelancers or people in your field is crucial. A mentor who you can call on the phone or pay a visit to on occasion can make all the difference between keeping yourself energized and enthusiastic about the work you’re doing and- well- not.
Learn to pat your own back… no one else will do it for you. A job well done deserves appreciation. Sure, we get paid to complete a task. Hopefully, our client recognizes our efforts and adds an additional thank you in the form of a quick note, a recommendation or a future project lead. Still, we don’t have that team camaraderie that many professionals find so valuable.
Besides connecting with a group of mentors or other freelancers who can say a simple ‘Congratulations!’ or who can meet up for monthly coffees (and p.s. if you’re in Silicon Valley and have any good recommendations, I’m all ears), you’re going to need to find other ways to feel appreciated.
Personally, I seek positive affirmation from my husband more than anyone else (thank you darling!). Just letting him know how my latest project is coming along provides me with a nice outlet that I don’t have otherwise. Still, I can’t expect him to read my work (I don’t look over his work, after all!) like a co-worker might do. To get over this little hang-up, I remind myself of my greatest assets, the work I’ve accomplished completely alone and the work I intend to do yet. And sometimes, that actually makes up for all the missed birthday cakes, drinks and friendly games of foosball.
If you’re a freelancer, I’d love to hear your own affirmations and tips and tricks that have worked for you.
bonnie boglioli randall 