I feel kind of bad admitting it, as I'm seeing so many people share their struggles at the moment, but I'm earning more than ever from freelancing right now.
It could change in a heartbeat, I know, but I'm mostly using the extra income to:
- build my emergency fund
- save to furnish our future house
- save and invest in my ISA and pension
And yet... I've always got half an eye on what it would be like to get a job. If I keep earning the way I am, I'll end up in a golden handcuffs situation with freelancing. I'm pretty neutral about the future, even though I love freelancing, I can see the benefits of employment clearly.
Definitely a privileged position from which to be looking at it, but that's my reality right now.
I've been really fortunate that a year or so into proper freelancing, I'm still busy. I had a built in advantage in that I had a network and a tiny bit of profile amongst potential client from previous roles. But keeping momentum is really tough, and there is constant anxiety that goes with it. I tell myself that it's no more secure than employment really, where all you've got is a notice period and the illusion of permanence. At least this way I'm in control!
I am finding freelance work incredibly hard to come by at the minute as I can only work part time but the real lack of it terrifies me actually for when I want to go back full time and I will be due to fork out full time childcare fees. I really want to make freelance work for the flexibility, the school holidays and ideally remote but I have no idea if it’s truly feasible. It had surprised me so much that I haven’t found much part time work but hey, turns out I thought the design industry was more flexible than it is. 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
I'm very fortunate in having two big regular clients at the moment (although who knows how long for??) but the drop in inbound leads is noticeable. Although I'm earning a bit more than I have, I don't feel like we have any more money as it all gets hoovered up each month because everything is more expensive. I feel grateful to be afloat, but I can totally see why people are peed off and looking for someone to blame 🫤 Worrying times.
Yeah, freelancing's bit of a wild market rn, what with AI and a surplus of folks who have entered freelancing due to layoffs and the forced return to the office. I had taken up a full-time job (althought that wasn't so much to deal with freelancing issues as due to other reasons) but I also got laid off despite the company raising millions only a couple or so years ago. Nothing's really safe at the moment (which is shit to realize) and it's almost all a game of luck (shittier still), ugh.
I feel kind of bad admitting it, as I'm seeing so many people share their struggles at the moment, but I'm earning more than ever from freelancing right now.
It could change in a heartbeat, I know, but I'm mostly using the extra income to:
- build my emergency fund
- save to furnish our future house
- save and invest in my ISA and pension
And yet... I've always got half an eye on what it would be like to get a job. If I keep earning the way I am, I'll end up in a golden handcuffs situation with freelancing. I'm pretty neutral about the future, even though I love freelancing, I can see the benefits of employment clearly.
Definitely a privileged position from which to be looking at it, but that's my reality right now.
I've been really fortunate that a year or so into proper freelancing, I'm still busy. I had a built in advantage in that I had a network and a tiny bit of profile amongst potential client from previous roles. But keeping momentum is really tough, and there is constant anxiety that goes with it. I tell myself that it's no more secure than employment really, where all you've got is a notice period and the illusion of permanence. At least this way I'm in control!
And thank you for the shout out!
I am finding freelance work incredibly hard to come by at the minute as I can only work part time but the real lack of it terrifies me actually for when I want to go back full time and I will be due to fork out full time childcare fees. I really want to make freelance work for the flexibility, the school holidays and ideally remote but I have no idea if it’s truly feasible. It had surprised me so much that I haven’t found much part time work but hey, turns out I thought the design industry was more flexible than it is. 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
I'm very fortunate in having two big regular clients at the moment (although who knows how long for??) but the drop in inbound leads is noticeable. Although I'm earning a bit more than I have, I don't feel like we have any more money as it all gets hoovered up each month because everything is more expensive. I feel grateful to be afloat, but I can totally see why people are peed off and looking for someone to blame 🫤 Worrying times.
Yeah, freelancing's bit of a wild market rn, what with AI and a surplus of folks who have entered freelancing due to layoffs and the forced return to the office. I had taken up a full-time job (althought that wasn't so much to deal with freelancing issues as due to other reasons) but I also got laid off despite the company raising millions only a couple or so years ago. Nothing's really safe at the moment (which is shit to realize) and it's almost all a game of luck (shittier still), ugh.