Freelance Woes

Had that What'sApp! conversation with Umberraerra about our friend's freelance career quite awhile ago but just rediscovered the screenshot as I was clearing out my iPhone with iPhoto. Made me laugh all over again. Haha. I miss those guys big time. They were such a huge part of my life back then. *emo*

SHOUT-OUT TO THE EX-MCKL CREW:

WE SHOULD MEET FOR LUNCH AGAIN SOON!

You know, going freelance isn't exactly the bed of roses it's made out to be. In fact, I personally think it is sometimes even more stressful than when I was working full time. Because at least with a full time position, I had working hours. And a Traffic Manager to manage the workflow. But when it comes to freelance, you've just gotta get the jobssssss done no matter what.


When I worked at the office, leaving at the end of the day meant leaving work and the stresses that come with it behind, too. But now, I find work creeping up on me whenever! When I'm doing my grocery shopping, when I'm driving in my car, when I'm at home, when I'm cooking dinner, when I'm getting ready to go to bed –  anytime! An email dings, the phone rings, and BAM! Hello, work! It's like I'm like a doctor who's on call 24/7. Sigh.


You know why freelancers who work from home often end up walking around Mid Valley at 3.30pm? Cos that's the time when we can actually start looking for food. Long after lunch hour came and went. You know why we spend hours and hours at Publika's eateries? Cos there's free WiFi for us to kill two birds with one stone – get online and work while we eat, instead of starving ourselves while we finish what we have to do.

But you know what sucks biggest time

when it comes to freelancing?

When the people around you think that you're

just shaking your legs at home doing nothing

while earning a paycheck you don't deserve.

Same as how people think housewives* do nothing but chill at home all day lah. You try and see! Wash clothes, cook meals, scrub pans, sweep floors, clean toilets PLUS take care of kids that require attention all day long. It ain't as easy as it looks to juggle all that. Housewives do blue collar work that requires lots of effort and are offered little reward for all they do. Sad but true. So, trust me, your white collar job in that fancy office with a view is a hell of a lot easier to do. >(

I'll leave you with this excerpt on Going Freelance

that I stumbled upon a long time ago. It was written

by Freelance Copywriter, Sophia Goh on her blog:

"People act as if I don’t work. This baffles me a little. If I’m not doing any work, then it’s not called working from home. It’s called not working. Just because I’m sitting at my mother-in-law’s dining table instead of an office desk doesn’t mean I’m not working. And just because I’m doing my thinking and writing in shorts doesn’t mean my ideas or my work is worth any less. My bosses obviously don’t understand this and neither do the people who act as if I spend my days watching television and getting facials.

In actual fact, I’ve been working longer hours than I probably would in the office because the lines between work and home are blurred. When I’m in the office, work is turned off when my computer is turned off. It’s a clear distinction. As I’ve discovered, it’s much harder to turn work off when I’m at home. My laptop is always there and I find myself constantly thinking about the things I need to do. It’s too easy to keep tapping away at the computer no matter the hour or the day. Which is why I’ve decided to make a conscious effort to do not an ounce of work on weekends. It takes practice, but I’ll get there."

Ok, now I need a cold drink

to cool down. Bye bye.

* Note: Housewives are totally different from stay-at-home wives who have maids to do the housework and tend to their kids, ok.