Joining the freelance revolution

Julie Zambetti is one of our freelance Creative Artworkers. She’s taken over our blog to tell us why she took the decision to go freelance...

Is Friday the focus of your week?

Look, I know what you mean when you say freelance seems scary. When you look into the details there are a lot of unknowns – from choosing whether to stay as a Sole Trader or set up a Limited Company, to figuring out how to convince yourself to do the admin, finding clients and even an accountant... it may all seem quite intimidating on paper. I hear you.

Getting company comfy has that safe, familiar feeling. It's being part of a team, having that reserved parking place, chair and set of drawers (with the perfect length steel ruler safely stowed away out of sight...). And, let's say it out aloud, the stability is especially enticing when it comes to paying off the mortgage.

But here's the thing: I feel no less safe now than I did when I was perm, and my work/life/play balance is back in my control.

I work with the most amazing people and teams, on varied projects and even in entirely different roles for some clients. I've used skills I couldn't before and I'm known as a specialist in the fields that I'm good at and enjoy. Oh, and I've even worked in Barcelona!

But my favourite bit, since you asked, is that I feel valuable again. 

We all have our reasons for considering freelance. When it boils down to it, the thought usually flares when we get frustrated; in my humble opinion if it's stopped working for you, then it's stopped working for them. Every freelancer has their own version of this story. 

Mine was that I was doing the same churn/routine jobs in a very top-heavy team and continually running out of work. No one was hugely to blame. Nor did someone upset me. I just needed to feel like there was a reason that I was dragging myself into work every day, that what I was doing even mattered.  

I now know my worth. I don't have to get caught up in politics. I've taken ownership of my career path and even developed as a human being.

Working with CAKE I feel invested in the team and the projects I work on. Besides, the office banter can even make some of my workdays feel like weekends! 

I'd highly recommend taking your skills (think of them as a speed boat) out of the local pond! They need challenge to grow and develop, space and a bit of bravery to be utilised to their full capacity. And trust me; you do not know what your full capacity is. Yet! There's nothing like freelancing to get this chemistry experiment going. You learn to throw yourself into things and to trust that you're able to do the job. It feels a bit shaky at first, but when you experience full throttle it really is a life affirming moment. (And CAKE is great at being proverbial training wheels!) 

I'm not saying that Friday isn't a good day – I'm just saying you don't have to live for it.

P.S. Yes, the mortgage companies will take you seriously.