Why I Love Freelancing

Ok, my boss is a psychotic, moody, mouthy bitch, and I never know how foul a mood she’ll be in at any given moment, but then again: This is no different from my last corporate job. And at least now I don’t have to get up at six to do my hair.

I love buying groceries at 10am on a Wednesday, when it’s just me and the little old ladies with their social security money. No more rush hour dinner planning for me.

I love not having to go downtown regularly. I still go, but not every day. I get to stay in my Midtown apartment and avoid the sweat and stink and urine-y taste that pervades Downtown Toronto.

I love Office Depot. Yes, also at 10am on a Wednesday, when it’s quiet. I love ogling the notepads and pretty gel pens, the agendas and binders… I was the kid who thought buying school supplies was the ONLY reason to go to school. I got off on it. I don’t actually buy much of what I ogle because I don’t really need it, but I still love gawking at it all.

I love Topless Wednesday™ and No Pants Friday™, the celebratory casual days of the home worker. Denim Friday? Pfft. How about flipflops and shorts? Every day is Margaritaville if you work from home. (ask me how I do all this shopping on Topless Wednesday™ – go ahead, you know you wanna)

I love making money doing what pleases me. Five years ago I started my political blog. Now I get paid to blog for others. You can too. I get paid to sit at my laptop and play with words all day. I get paid to think up new and exciting ways to say things that are neither new nor exciting, but sound that way when I’m done with them.

I love new media. I love my podcast, and I have lots of time to experiment with and improve it.

I love that I’ve come to terms with running my own business. Freelancing has a scary period in the beginning where you’re terrified that you’ll starve to death. But that scary period can be your downfall if you don’t get a grip. You have to let yourself be free to try new things.

I love that my “office” comes equipped with a Chihuahua and two cats. They never gossip at the water cooler. They never criticize. They do, however, stink.

I love being able to look at a project and say “this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen” and then pass on it. I couldn’t do that in corporate, or I’d get fired. Now I have control over the work I do.

Sure, being a freelancer has its downsides, like budgeting and marketing. But at the end of the day, it beats being someone’s bitch, wearing heels, and getting jammed like a sardine into a stinking subway car.

I strongly suggest that anyone who wants to break into freelance writing or blogging for a living tries Ali Hale’s Staff Blogging Course. Do a read-through of the 8 modules, then go back and put the lessons into practice. I did, and have since scored TWO blogging jobs in the last two weeks. Cost of the course: $19. Income of jobs I’ve scored: $125/wk.