Freelance // Two Months
I’ve been officially freelancing for two months now and so far I haven’t sunk the ship! I actually surprised myself with the number of clients I was able to book and the number of templates I was able to sell this month. It’s a wonder what we can do when someone isn’t watching and critiquing our every move.
I am not and will never be a morning person, so I generally wake up around 11, work until 5, running errands/make dinner/hang out with the Piglet, and then either keep working until midnight or go out with friends. I know I do my best work in the middle of the afternoon and between 8 and midnight, so instead of trying to force myself into some sort of schedule I just work when I’m on a roll.
When I was chained to the cube (and teaching and performing) I was able to book one or two clients a week depending on my rehearsal schedule. Now I’m set at three and it seems to be just the right amount to pay the bills and have a little leftover for my savings account and the occasional shopping spree.
I now have this obsession with growing my business while also cutting my expenses. Mandy and I found a market in the local Middle Eastern neighborhood that has “Wild Wednesdays” and I bought a buttload of produce for eight bucks. My car has been spending a lot more time parked in my driveway too – I got gas two weeks ago and still have half a tank!
But of course it’s not all bunnies and unicorns. Some days I don’t leave the house or talk to any one but the dog, which can be a bummer on occasion. And since I’m now the boss, I get to chase down non-paying clients and be on call for tech support.
I’ve learned that freelancing is best for those who are uber-motivated and self starters. You have to be excited at the prospect of all the things you can do and not worry about how much there is to get done or how you’re going to keep yourself on track. I’m trilled to know that every day the projects I work on, what I design and how much money I make is all in my hands. It gives me this strange, giddy power trip feeling. I’ve set my self up with a big enough cushion and enough experience under my belt that my only concern currently is what time Nicole will get out of work so we can go get ice cream.
Mandy wrote a great post about working from home. I whole-heartedly agree on the no alarm, no bra rules :)
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07.17.12 in freelance, work
Good for you girl!! I am thrilled for you and excited to hear more about your success :) You are super inspirational! Hope you know that :)
Cathy Trails
Optimally, I tend to be productive the same hours you are… in the afternoon, and in the evening… I’d much rather be asleep in the morning! For the longest time I really fought against the hours that my brain wanted to be productive in vs. the hours I thought I should be productive in (aka 10-6) but nowadays, I just go with the flow of things. Some days I’m really productive during the day…. Other days, I’m more of an evening worker.
Best way to do it! Forcing creativity never works
As a current advertising design office drone, I can completely and honestly say that everything you (and Mandy) wrote about is exactly what I want my life to be. I’ve wanted that for a long time but I don’t even know where to start, since my portfolio is a little slim.
This is the kind of motivation I feel like I need to read about to prepare myself to change my life. As simple as it may sound. Thank you. :)
You’re welcome! Just start somewhere – add a few pieces to your portfolio, put a simple website together, grow your client base and then one day you’ll find yourself with enough work where you’ll need to make the choice to leave. It will be worth it!
You are adorable and inspiring! Glad to hear that your freelancing is going well! :)
Thanks Julie <333
Your freelance journey has definitely given me the right amount of encouragement and self-motivation that I will need towards opening up two new shops this year along with my own blog. Keep it up!
That’s awesome to hear – good luck!
Yay! Also those pictures are my favorite.
Grocery shopping with Mandy is my favorite ;)
I hope to get to this point someday too…thanks for the encouragement and the real-life perspective. Congrats girl!! You’re an inspiration. :)
Thanks Shaina!
I love hearing your updates; it encourages me. You’re able to be honest but share positively. I too am working out what working-from-home might look like. I’m going from being a stay-at-home mom, to wanting to earn some cash but still be with my kiddos. I hope my journey continues in a good way.
Catherine Denton
It was strange – I couldn’t really picture how this would all work until I just went for it. I wrote a list of how I wanted my days to look about a year ago and it’s very similar to what I’m doing now. Start small and your business will end up growing naturally.
This is so exciting to hear. I’m an amateur for now, but I truly hope to be living this lifestyle some day in the future!
Good luck Savannah :)