It's now the last month of 2018 and between the parties and trips to the movie theater (there are so many great films out right now!) I find myself reflecting on my first year of working as a freelancer.
Part of the reason I switched to freelancing was because I hoped it would be a way to push myself and to deepen my experience. While there have been ups and down, I can confidently say that I am exiting this year with far more knowledge than I entered it with. I've learned a tremendous amount about my field and I've also gotten to do research on a number of different topics and industries. I even took on projects outside my comfort zone. (Would you believe it if I told you I recorded voiceovers for one of my clients? I did! And it was kind of fun.)
Freelancing forces me to sell myself in a way I haven't always been comfortable doing. Sure, I know I'm a great writer, but telling people why and what I can do for them? That can make me feel a little squirmy. But, I'm improving!
Another unexpected result of this year has been my discovery of my comedic voice. Sure, I was always a bit of a smarty pants on Slack, typing jokes for the lols. But I never thought much about it. Then, at the beginning of the year, I learned about Medium, a platform for writers and readers to connect. Freelancers are often advised to try and build an audience on Medium, as it can amplify their voices and create opportunities.
So, I resolved to start an account.
What I didn't expect was that I'd end up writing satire. That was never my intent. I thought I'd write helpful articles about copywriting and freelancing, etc. Instead, what came out, and what my readers seemed drawn to, were my humorous pieces. It turns out, there's also a very active group of users dedicated to writing comedy on the site. Getting to know them on Medium and on Twitter has been way cooler than I could have imagined.
At the same time my follower count was growing, I wondered whether my satirical articles might hurt my freelancing career. I questioned whether to feature them on my portfolio, or even my website. Perhaps potential clients would be scared off by my excessive use of sarcasm and inclination to make up funny words? In truth, that hasn't been my experience. I've had clients tell me they read my articles on Medium and it was actually the content of those articles that sold them on me. I wouldn't have expected that! But it turns out way more people are weirdos than I could have imagined.
When you make the choice to freelance, a lot of people will tell you the key to making lots of cash is to specialize. I struggle with this advice because I find so many different things fascinating. Eventually I will need to narrow my offerings and choose the area in which I want to specialize. But, at the moment, I'm really enjoying exploring lots of different things. I'm still making dances and I even create designs for my clients and illustrations for my Redbubble shop.
I asked Mike if he were to find a common thread between all the projects I take on, what would that thread be? He thought about it for a moment, then came back with, "Whimsy gilded in darkness." I'm glad I married someone so articulate. And I like the idea of whimsy gilded in darkness. Sure, I can write in all kinds of different voices and I enjoy creating work on many different themes. But whimsy coated in darkness feels essential, like it gets to the root of who I am. So, we'll stick with that for now and see where it grows in 2019.
Thanks for reading and please have a wonderful holiday season.
Part of the reason I switched to freelancing was because I hoped it would be a way to push myself and to deepen my experience. While there have been ups and down, I can confidently say that I am exiting this year with far more knowledge than I entered it with. I've learned a tremendous amount about my field and I've also gotten to do research on a number of different topics and industries. I even took on projects outside my comfort zone. (Would you believe it if I told you I recorded voiceovers for one of my clients? I did! And it was kind of fun.)
Freelancing forces me to sell myself in a way I haven't always been comfortable doing. Sure, I know I'm a great writer, but telling people why and what I can do for them? That can make me feel a little squirmy. But, I'm improving!
Another unexpected result of this year has been my discovery of my comedic voice. Sure, I was always a bit of a smarty pants on Slack, typing jokes for the lols. But I never thought much about it. Then, at the beginning of the year, I learned about Medium, a platform for writers and readers to connect. Freelancers are often advised to try and build an audience on Medium, as it can amplify their voices and create opportunities.
So, I resolved to start an account.
What I didn't expect was that I'd end up writing satire. That was never my intent. I thought I'd write helpful articles about copywriting and freelancing, etc. Instead, what came out, and what my readers seemed drawn to, were my humorous pieces. It turns out, there's also a very active group of users dedicated to writing comedy on the site. Getting to know them on Medium and on Twitter has been way cooler than I could have imagined.
At the same time my follower count was growing, I wondered whether my satirical articles might hurt my freelancing career. I questioned whether to feature them on my portfolio, or even my website. Perhaps potential clients would be scared off by my excessive use of sarcasm and inclination to make up funny words? In truth, that hasn't been my experience. I've had clients tell me they read my articles on Medium and it was actually the content of those articles that sold them on me. I wouldn't have expected that! But it turns out way more people are weirdos than I could have imagined.
When you make the choice to freelance, a lot of people will tell you the key to making lots of cash is to specialize. I struggle with this advice because I find so many different things fascinating. Eventually I will need to narrow my offerings and choose the area in which I want to specialize. But, at the moment, I'm really enjoying exploring lots of different things. I'm still making dances and I even create designs for my clients and illustrations for my Redbubble shop.
I asked Mike if he were to find a common thread between all the projects I take on, what would that thread be? He thought about it for a moment, then came back with, "Whimsy gilded in darkness." I'm glad I married someone so articulate. And I like the idea of whimsy gilded in darkness. Sure, I can write in all kinds of different voices and I enjoy creating work on many different themes. But whimsy coated in darkness feels essential, like it gets to the root of who I am. So, we'll stick with that for now and see where it grows in 2019.
Thanks for reading and please have a wonderful holiday season.
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