A passion within… as a Graphic Design Freelancer

Written by Siotha on June 19, 2008 – 2:21 pm -

I’d like to make a quick statement. Right now, as you may or may not know I’m taking a break from xTrain.com. My hopes is to find that carefree freelancing passionate girl that I used to be with design, marketing, and life. With that said. I’d like to take a minute and write about what life as a freelance designer is like

Pro’s:

  • Choose your hours
  • Choose your clients
  • Artistic freedom is your choice and not your client, so if the project doesn’t fit your style – don’t hassle.
  • My working hours are 9 to noon, and 7-midnight when needed
  • Spend time with my family
  • Home office upgrades are cheap thanks to craigslist
  • anything business related is a tax write off, as the more I earn, the more I spend… and the more taxes I owe.
  • Working from the lazy boy isn’t an issue with my boss (oh wait, I am the boss!)
  • No Degree required, even though I loved getting mine in Media Marketing and Management!

Con’s:

  • Choosing a client when you need to pay bills isn’t always an option
  • Clients come out of the woodworks wanting 40 hours of your time for something you would make $2 an hour for if you take them on and bill what they want to pay
  • School activities sometimes get in the way of work schedules, therefore extra flexibility is required
  • I’m responsible for: billing, invoicing, balance sheets, purchasing, selling, and all business needs – including finding resources that match the job at hand
  • New software or hardware seems to come out every month!
  • My iphone bill is getting expensive
  • Security of a paycheck is only as good as the person who is writing the check – it could be net 30, 60 or even 90 days if you don’t have a solid contract in place
  • Smoozing  clients is fun but not my favorite thing to do, every day!
  • The only benefits are self created – be sure you’ve got good insurance!

Why the heck do I love it though?

  • My hair color is not required to be normal
  • I can sleep in
  • I can travel when I have money (which – strangely, I’ve earned more frequent flyer miles in the last 8 weeks than I did in the last 8 months)
  • No pressure of “the man” watching me
  • My time with my daughter has increased 75%
  • My stress levels aren’t constant anymore – they fluxuate with each new situation – allowing my health to get better!
  • Somehow I’m spending 80% family time even with my work schedule – (My mother is a consultant who works from home, my father is retired and is home for a few weeks, and my daughter is out of school for the summer…. Now I just need to work on my time with my husband, besides in the bedroom!) ;)
  • I am 100% responsible, at fault or a winner when a project is done and over with. (I like to think 100% proud!)

What about you? What are some other pro’s and cons you like or don’t like about freelancing?


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Posted in Freelancing, bills, finding me, graphc design, passion, responsibility, self employed, travel, work from home | No Comments »