Leaving the Cube: Working from Home

I left Cubicle Hell back in April – and not by choice, either. Sometimes these things just happen. In my case, I began searching for another corporate gig, and freelancing on the side just to earn a few dollars to tide me over. It was months before I realized that a) the economy sucked and I wasn’t going to get another corporate job, and b) I preferred to work from home.

When I was a child I dreamed of being a writer, of not having to leave the house on rainy days (like today), of being able to move around and not have to switch careers mid-stream. Now I’m finally doing it. However, it meant leaving a $45,000-a-year lifestyle. No, it’s not a lot, but it was more than enough for me.

Now I have to learn to work my freelancing model so that I can start earning the same amount again. I’m hopeful. My first month I made $130. The second and third months I made $50 combined. This month’s earnings will be over $500! I have made good contacts and been given repeat assignments. I am building a good base for myself. I am marketing my skills as a freelance writer.

I still have so much to learn, but as it turns out I know much more than I thought I did. The years of blogging for free are finally paying off – now I can blog for money, too! I spend a lot of time reading articles by other freelancers who have been at this way longer than me, too. And books! Lots of books! I’m a member of MediaBistro, where the higher end jobs are posted. They have a book I will be ordering, Get a Freelance Life.

Another one I want is My So-Called Freelance Life. The table of contents makes it not only seem informative, but it is written in the easy-going style I appreciate. Not for me the collegiate texts of yore! In fact, the opening section is called “You fled the cube – now what?” How perfect is that?