The "Free" in Freelancer

Instead of posting a factoid this Friday, I'd like to make some observations on my current situation. I was so worried a few weeks ago when I lost a large part of my regular magazine work. I had no idea what would happen - how would I keep my business afloat? Would I have to go full time? What would I do with all the extra time this month?

Here's the good news: I still have work! In the past few weeks I've worked on a bevy of interesting things including an e-marketing program for a coffee house, a multi-cultural travel guide, a logo design, a recital poster and a few ghostwritten articles for a CEO. While none of these are recurring or regular pieces of work, I'm still very excited to see that my business lumbers on without the big contracts I was relying on.

(If you happen to know someone who is looking for an experienced copywriter, here I am, with time to spare!)

Shameless self-promotion aside, one of the best parts about the last two weeks has been realizing what the "free" in freelancer really stands for. Even though I've kept busy, I've also utilized some of the extra time I've had to do fun things that I find personally enriching and rewarding. Here 10 of the unexpected and wonderful things I've been able to do because I'm a freelancer:

1. Come up with exciting marketing ideas to help another friend promote her amazing all-natural vegetarian/vegan soaps: Sarva Soaps   ***Check out her soaps, I will be giving them rave reviews on the blog very soon!***
2. Help my friend promote his awesome indie film about a real-life (so the documentary subject says) vampire: Impaled: Painfully Blunt - it will show at the Geauga Film Festival on June 13.
3. Meet some exciting new friends that I can collaborate with in the future: John Ettorre, a great freelance/blog writer and Carol Drummond, an amazing illustrator. 
4. Get together with friends for lunches, dinners, movies and fun! Friends like: @jodioneill, @marketing_mj, @kateeidam, @mikeschwabe and @shoesalwaysfit all of whom I've seen these past few weeks.    
5. Take special photos for my friends Heather & Keith, @jonathanwehman & @kadihall, Sharon Shaffer and @shoesalwaysfit. 
6. Give a few voice lessons to prepare a friend for a big audition.  
7. Spend some time being there for a friend who really needed someone to listen.  
8. Enjoy some time with my husband @izzymd. We've been missing one another with our overtly busy schedules. 
9. Get ready for my Masters degree in the fall! There will be a blog post sharing the details of this soon.  
10. Prepare for my trip to Cincinnati next week with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus where we will join forces with the May Festival Chorus to sing Mahler's 8th Symphony.   

So the moral of the story is: the "free" in freelancer makes it worth all the trials and tribulations of being self-employed and being responsible for generating all the "business" to support your business. So, this fine Friday, as I enjoy the beautiful Cleveland weather, I'm glad to be a freelancer.

Comments

[John Ettorre]

Glad to hear all this, Julie. This falls under the heading when god closes a door, he opens a window (or two). Sometimes the way we grow in our work and in our lives is through improvising during setbacks. You'll be all the better for it. Keep scribbling!