FREELANCE - MORE OR LESS FREEDOM?
FREELANCE INVOLVES THE WILL TO FIGHT ON
After recently addressing a group of graduating Seniors who are about to embark on a Freelance Career I was posed with this question;
“Should I expect to work more or less hours than I would in a corporate job? Isn’t one of the perks of Freelance the Freedom to control my own schedule— to take breaks when I want to— to enjoy a beautiful Spring Day?”
An absolutely brilliant question and one that you should absolutely know when you’re signing up for this lifestyle.
Having worked fifteen years in the full time world— six of those years as an hourly employee and nine of those years as a Salaried Officer of the Corporation there is a big difference between working a “traditional” job vs working Freelance.
In Freelance, Yes, you do have Freedom. True enough.
In fact, in the ultimate irony- the weeks of April 20th to April 30th are notoriously bad production weeks for us. I know these dates because they encompass both my parents birthdays— and the time of year virtually ensures that everything is in bloom and the warmer temperatures have finally arrived. Couple that with a convertible and a passion for driving and you can see where temptation enters the scene.
We can and do schedule slightly longer breaks for ourselves during the daylight hours but we compensate for that by working later into the evening because here’s the thing about Freelance that very few schools teach you;
With a real job you get a paycheck and you’re expected to show up and work. But realistically of those eight hours you’re clocked in are you actually truly working? It depends on the person, but I’d guess anywhere from two to four hours of a workday is spent doing non-work things. No, you likely don’t get to go sit outside in the grass and take in some Vitamin D, but there is time chatting with a co-worker, time in the break room, the water cooler— and most of all paid holidays and vacations.
With Freelance you get none of that— and worse, you literally have to work every hour you’re in your work space because otherwise you will miss that deadline. So you work six hours yesterday? Pretty good chance you’re behind today. You’re also your own boss, so like running your own business you better be ready to put in some extra hours.
Personally as I write this it’s April 23rd, I’m wrapping up my three year long contract with Makimono, then I’m moving on to finish a project with a mid May Deadline and then I have a few weeks off so I can focus on cleaning my studio which is desperately needed. I’m also negotiating with a company for a contract that will carry me into 2026 and possibly beyond. I also have a bunch of pitches I need to write for Penguin Books. So it’ll be a busy time between projects.
Is Freelance better than Corporate? In my case yes. Your mileage may vary— my advice is to try it and see how it fits, and if it doesn’t suit up and put on that tie and embrace the Office lifestyle— because no matter what else— working is good.
