freelance life poll

(+ walk dogs, perform... then it goes on to list other creative but not steady jobs + app-based gig economy stuff)

i am interested in this because i remember being like 17 or 18 and reading on ilxor about the exciting world of freelancing for a living but everyone was in their 20s or early 30s and times were different. wondering how many people get by on that kind of work now.
freelancing here should include also selling a book, regular work for a publication, etc.

I freelance but in engineering and product development, which is probably not what you are getting at. It’s been great breaking away from corporate life. I like the flexibility but don’t like the hustling.

I have a normal job and my free-time creative energies earn me a very small amount which I can't consider an income really, but maybe one day...

xpost
i'm happy to include any form of freelancing that entails tiresome hustling.

In which case - what enabled me to do it was my wife getting tenure. So far I’ve not had a month where I fell below the target I set myself but I’m down to one regular client at the moment and that feels a bit risky. Plus the re-election of a liberal government could mean the things I do are lessons in demand.

On the plus side I got to do my work from Sapporo in January and work from Tokyo this September and October. Medium term Plan is to try get some Japanese clients so I am less exposed to the vagaries of Australian renewable energy policy.

my job is technically freelance but i've been on the same contract, five days a week, for about 2.5 years. the previous contract ended a few weeks before that and was 1.5 years. it does make a difference to my mindset tho. i like the thought that it could end anytime, the lack of any appraisals etc or having to pretend i heart the business or whatever. i am willing to exchange wider rights like paid holiday etc for that, but i obv wouldn't be if i wasn't paid relatively well. i also work from home 2-3 days a week.

I'm a freelance writer/journo as a supplement to my ft journo job and write mostly abt culture/language and education. I get to pick and choose my subjects for these 'spare time' projects and it's a nice bonus on the side (gov and uni's pay good money). I've nothing riding on it and do it for fun, but I can see myself having to do full-time freelance in the future. Not too keen on that idea tbh.

I've freelanced with one main client for 17+ years. She's starting to have health problems and I'm terrified about my future employability.

Fernando do you have to take an enforced break every three months?

i don't envy yall the hustlin

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