Real Words

I started working as a freelance writer nearly ten years ago. I went full-time with this work approximately five years ago. There have been a lot of ups and downs in that time, particularly in regards to the finances of being a freelancer. When the recession hit, I definitely had my fears about losing money as a result of the changes in the economy. This made me wonder if it was smart to be basing my career on work as an independent contractor. What I discovered is that the recession has only strengthened my conviction that freelance work is right for me.

Some of the core reasons that the recession has made me happy to be a freelancer include:

• I’m already used to fluctuations in my income. A lot of people have been hit hard by the economy because of the fact that the recession has altered their income. It’s the nature of freelance work to have an ongoing feast-or-famine income stream. I’ve learned to adjust to and accommodate for this. As a result, the recession hit me less hard than some of my friends with mainstream employment in terms of adjusting to income changes.

• My levels of fear about my job haven’t changed much. The recession has struck a chord of fear in the hearts of many. People who always thought that their jobs were stable are now biting their nails as their bosses sit in closed-door meetings to discuss potential layoffs. I definitely had a few moments of worry about how the recession would impact my freelance career. However, this worry wasn’t a whole lot worse than any of the worries I’ve had about my freelance career. I already took a big risk when I chose to go full-time as a freelancer. That’s when I dealt with those worries. Today’s worries about the recession are minor in comparison.

• I like my work. A lot of my friends with mainstream jobs really don’t like what they do. Those who still have jobs feel stuck because they can’t move on to something better when good jobs are so scarce. Those who have lost their jobs have mixed feelings about not having a job they didn’t like in the first place. People who get involved in freelance work do it because they enjoy it. I wake up each morning and like what I do with my day. I can say that whether there’s a recession or not.

I’m not saying that I’m glad that we’re in a recession. It’s definitely not easy for anyone including those of us who freelance for a living. However, I think that being a freelancer has put me in a better position than some to deal with the issues arising out of the recession.