Why Freelance?

On the slow days, when working out where my next job might be coming from, I wonder about the decision I made to be “freelance”.  It is the normal (I hope) feeling of uncertainty, when you have chosen the road less travelled.  One that does not align with loan applications, holiday planning or continuity, the stuff of suburban dreams.  I have been lucky, I have been employed and paid for much of this first year of my freelance career.  And whilst things might be slow today, I know that things can change in a few days.  And it does give me the time to spend doing the things I’ve been putting off (hello journal article). 

And of course, while the lure of stability, a regular paycheque and workmates might tug from time to time, the reasons I made the leap still exist.  The leaking of my work into my days at home with my kids, the challenge of managing staff when you’re not there every day, fitting a full time job into three days – with the inevitable loss of the fun stuff (strategy, planning) for the immediate operational necessities, and trying to juggle sick kids, sick staff, distressed students, clients and sponsors, whilst doing at least a half decent job at any of those things.

Don’t worry, this is not a rant about how women can or can’t have it all.  That is a debate I detest, as I am not in this by myself.  But the most important reason I did this was actually to have control over my work.  Not just the hours that I worked, but the work that I did as well.  I am working towards a position where I can chose how I use my intellectual capabilities and capacities (whilst making allowances for paying the bills).  Perhaps that is the Gen-Y in me, wanting only that that interests me, not wanting the other boring stuff.  But I would say my CV shows that I am not a shirker of the hard work, nor the boring work.  I was once a legal secretary for a banking law partner for crying out loud.  If you can think of something more boring than typing dictated letters about derivatives...well, you know the rest.  

The positives of this choice are abundantly clear: sitting at my desk (right next to the kitchen table), looking at the blossoms emerging on the trees in the front yard and a pink galah appearing on the electric wires; not having to explain to the boss that I can’t come in today because my 3 year old has a fever (today’s experience); being able to clear my head by taking the dog for a walk in the park, rather than wandering the concrete jungle at lunchtime; and not rushing out the door of work at 5pm in order to get the kids from childcare before they turn feral.

So, I have the intellectual challenges (hello again journal article), I have the flexibility (3 year old now watching a movie in the next room), now all I need is the next job...