An ode to taking risks
Freelancing is not for everyone. Plenty of people I speak to ask me how I deal with the level of risk involved in working for myself. And itās true - itās certainly something that is a concern, especially during a global pandemic, but Iāve always been of the view that this way of life is either for you, or itās very much not.
Adaptation - humans are notoriously good at it and itās something you have to be able to do to be a successful freelancer. In the various online freelancing groups Iām in, Iāve seen a huge influx of people trying to adapt to a new work scenario after a Covid-induced redundancy. Iām hugely sympathetic and yet excited, to see how this new cohort will adapt to their new environs.
I believe it was always a bit of a fallacy to suggest that permanent employment is inherently more secure than freelance life. Yes, you get a steady wage and all those nice perks like an actual pension and holiday pay, but there are a few nasty risks involved in there too. I have written about how my mental health dived as a result of terrible bosses and the idea of a ājob for lifeā flew out of the window long, long before the 2008 recession began. Now that weāre starting to wind our way into the beginning stages of another economic downturn which threatens to be far wider and greater in its impact, Iām left wondering what the future world of work has in store for us all.
In the UK, 15% of the workforce is self-employed and contributesĀ Ā£305 billion to the UK economy - Iām sure weāll soon see these numbers surging as a result of the influx of fresh freelance blood as many take the ālost year of 2020ā as an opportunity to plot a long-longed for career change.
Yes, working for yourself has a number of inherent risksā¦ not least finding clients and keeping them, over-servicing, under-charging, chasing late payments and taking action against non-payers, no employment benefits, no protection from being ripped off other than your own tenacity. But then it also has a freedom you simply cannot get from a permanent job and the ability to change your course depending on what aligns best with what you want, not what your boss or manager wants from you.
I felt a slight feeling of dizzy glee when my friend described me as someone with a high risk threshold. We talked about how Iām someone who loves a challenge, a calculated risk, a grit-your-teeth-and-deal-with-the-consequences-later type situation, as long as what I was doing was in line with my values. And thatās the kicker, really.
So many of us choose to work in roles that donāt fulfil or reflect our values in any notable way. Coronavirus has thrown the reality of our limited time to make our mark into sharp relief and many people are realising that thereās simply more to life than making someone else rich.
So when other people want to discuss your career choices and remark on how risky it is to be a freelancer - shift the perspective you look at that from. Perhaps, they see someone pursuing their passion and think āwhy canāt I do that?ā Part of becoming an entrepreneur is seeing the way other people take ownership over their own career paths and use that envy to their advantage to help them make the leap themselves. It may just be that the people who want to play up the ārisksā to you, are those who are also thinking āI wish I could to do that too.ā
I hope you enjoy this weekās newsletter. I wanted to thank those of you who got in touch last week with your own stories of burnout and even epilepsy (hi team!) it really brightened my day to hear from you. If thereās anything youād like me to share in a future issue, or ideas for what youād like to read about, just drop me an email me at graceamymaud@gmail.com.
This newsletter is an extension to the 2,500+ strong freelance force we have congregating atĀ @FreelanceCollectiveUK. If you donāt already follow us there, come on over!
Until next week, with love,
Grace x
Become an entrepreneur in 5 quick steps!
Have you thought about starting your own side hustle but donāt know where to start? In this 15 page interactive PDF workbook, I tackle why having a gig on the side is aĀ greatĀ idea, how you can launch one in 5 simple steps and what the implications on your tax situation areĀ (itās not as complicated as youād think!)Ā š¤«
What Iāve been appreciating this week
No sooner had I started writing this newsletter, than this article winged its way into my newsfeed. Wired is bang on here with how our concept of risk is changing as a result of the pandemic. Take care, kids.
When talking about risk, itās natural for much of that to focus on money. Five successful freelancers give their tips on how to manage your money when you become your own boss. My top tips? Get an accountant, log your expenses on a monthly (if not weekly) basis and charge. your. worth!
Were you aware that thereās a WWII shipwreck packed with bombs just off the coast of Sheerness? Sheās charmingly known as āThe Montyā. āIf the pandemic has taught us anything, itās that human beings cannot stay in a heightened state of anxiety for long, before they eventually normalise or ignore the situation. A recent survey found that love for the ship and anxiety over its threat was basically a 50/50 split.ā
āNo officer, this isn't an illegal rave, we've just got a DJ for our fox hunt.ā Time for some good old British humour, because hell knows weāve needed it this week. Buzzfeed has us covered.
This is Lizzoās world now. Weāre just living in it. š
The Art (of freelancing)
In her project 'Women in Public Spaces', Romanian-born artist Bianca Mierlea contemplates the ways in which women navigate the world and the way femininity is expressed through the act of walking.
The collection of images below reminded me of something out of Rick & Mortyā¦ in a good way.
If youāre a freelance artist, illustrator or designer and would like to be featured in the art of freelancing, reply or DM me.
The Freelancer Conundrum #4
Every week I tackle a question a freelancer has sent in. Hit reply or drop into the DMs over atĀ @FreelanceCollectiveUKĀ if you have a freelancing question I can help you with!
Q:Ā Iām a freelance journalist and always looking for places to pitch, but all the calls for pitches I see are tweets. Is Twitter really necessary to get work? Iāve avoided it like the plague.
A:Ā Ok, so fundamentally, if you want to be a successful freelance journalist - you ought to have Twitter. As a journalism graduate myself, Twitter is generally seen as a necessary evil for this kind of work and from a PR perspective, itās also where journalists often put calls out to speak to experts for their articles. This week, we were reminded how important stories are often found on Twitter too.
However, I think this depends entirely on your reasons for avoiding Twitter thus far - and good on you if you feel itās definitely not for you. I would never recommend you use a platform if for example, itās causing great aggravation for your mental health. However, if youāre willing to dip your toe in, Iād recommend setting it up so that a lot of the stuff you donāt want to see is āmutedā from your feed and creating lists of journalists who work at publications youād like to pitch work to. You can log in, check your lists and send in your pitches without having to engage in the nitty gritty of the internetās hellfire if you so wish. Itās also worth considering that many readers like to follow writers they enjoy on Twitter, for their take on the dayās events.
There are a couple of GREAT newsletters I want to point you in the direction of, in case youāve not heard of them. Sian Meades-Williams is a freelance writer who writes Freelance Writing Jobs. Sheās a dab-hand at digging out the best calls for pitches going. Secondly, Alasdair Lane writes a new pitches & jobs newsletter (Ā£) called Write At Home.
This goes for freelancers of all stripes: we all know the problems that come with hefty use of social media, so pick your platforms wisely - thereās no need to have a presence on everything and in fact itās better to be selective, so look for the channels where your potential clients are most likely to be engaging. (You probably wonāt be finding clients on TikTok) When you send in those pitches, make sure you truly reflect what your point of difference is and illustrate the story you want to tell - once you start to build those relationships with your editors/clients, youāll soon find success without an over-reliance on Twitter or other platforms.
Do you know someone who has just been made redundant or might be facing redundancy after the furlough scheme winds down?
Iāve written about my own experience of redundancy in the workbook below and given my tips for how to spruce up your CV and cover letter, as well as your social media profiles. You can access it forĀ FREEĀ - just click below.
The Weekly Atty
This week Atticus had to deal with a couple of house guests whilst my friend Nadine was in between flats. She brought her gorgeous fur boys Mika and Hendrix to stay too and needless to say, Atty did not adapt to the new situation particularly wellā¦
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Thanks for subscribing! I'mĀ Grace, Iām a career coach in training and the person behind this newsletter. I am the founder of the freelance community, The Freelance Collective and you can also follow me on InstagramĀ here, and TwitterĀ here.