The Truth about Freelancing (Realities of a Creative Freelancer and Myths Dispelled)

Creative Freelancing is perhaps one of the most vague, yet lucrative industry you could get into. Why? Because there are technically no rules (apart from laws, of course). You create your own rules - and that is actually as scary as it is freeing.

I personally didn’t set out to ‘be a freelancer’. I sort of stumbled into that world through my passion for photography and slowly I began meeting people who were making a living doing what they loved… and it baffled me. Up till that point, I didn’t think it was possible to earn money from your passions - not unless you have a rich family. “How do they do it??” - I wondered?

In this particular article, I wanted to share the things I have learnt over the years about freelancing and dispel the many myths that surround the idea of ‘freelancing’. I’ll be talking about how much money you can earn, the hardest and most rewarding aspects of freelancing - and ultimately, what kind of people would suit freelancing.

CONTENT:

What is a Creative Freelancer?
Common Freelancing Myths Dispelled
How much money can you earn as a Freelancer?
The Challenges of Freelancing
The Rewards of Freelancing
Who is Freelancing for?

1. What is a Creative Freelancer?

A creative freelancer can be anyone who receives income, goods and/or services in exchange for their creative work/service - and is not ‘employed’ but rather work in ‘contracts’ on different projects. This does not have to be limited to one field, it could be multiple (ie. content writing, making videos, selling e-products, etc.)

For most freelancers, no two days are really the same. You might be juggling a few different projects in a short period, and then suddenly have a long dry spell. Some nights you’ll be up working late past midnight and other times you might decide it’s time for a well-deserved vacation. The best part? You have that freedom.

How hard is it to make a living from freelancing?

For me, I still consider myself relatively new to the game so at the moment my answer would be: it’s bloody hard work. Because it is. But ‘work’ has also never felt more rewarding because I derive so much value from my creative work. The learning curve has been and still is exponential.

Having the privilege of knowing some successful freelancers, I think most of them would agree that the initial phase is always the toughest. It’s not an easy or conventional path to take because it truly does require a lot of dedication, perseverance and hard work, even when you feel like things are going nowhere.

What kind of freelance work am I doing?

I would first and foremost consider myself a freelance photographer… but that is slightly being blurred now by the fact that I also do a lot of content writing, copy writing, translating texts (from German to English), some website design gigs, and running this blog (which also derives me a bit of passive and active income).

Does it sustain me full time? Definitely not (yet). I’m still keeping my options open because I’m not quite sure which way I want to sway and I’m always discovering new things that get me super excited and immersed in (like web coding). But in the future, I’d like to run a little creative company that would allow me to be location independent.

***What web-coding (aka. backbone of websites) looks like!***

2. Common Freelancing Myths Dispelled

When I tell people I do freelance work, they are so curious that I can make money doing different things and they often have various perceptions about freelancing that are simply not accurate. Here are some of the common myths of freelancing dispelled.

You should have a certificate, study the subject at University or academy in order to build a successful freelancing business

Nope, you just have to be good at what you do. If you have the drive and determination, you can self-learn so many skills and build a portfolio without having to go to an academy or University.
You have be a registered company to freelance

You actually don’t. It’s a very blurry line there, but to get started - you technically don’t. Further down the line, maybe you should. This might also be country-dependent?
You have to quit your day job to pursue freelancing - because it’s like a full time job

It certainly can feel like a lot of work, especially in the initial stages of learning and building your skillsets. But if you have a 9-5 job or a work part-time - use your free time (even just a few hours a week) to work on building your portfolio!
It costs money to start up a freelancing business

If you already have the skills, then actually, it doesn’t have to cost you anything! Perhaps a website, software or some upgraded equipment would help but it’s not a requirement (depending on what you do).
You have to be popular or have a huge following to be successful or make money

Not gonna lie, it certainly helps - but again, is not a requirement for starting a freelance business nor does it have a causal relationship to income. There are people with thousands of followers who might earn less than those with just a few hundred because they don’t know how to properly monetise their skills.

If you fight for your own limitations - you get to keep them
— Jim Kwik

3. How much money can you earn as a Freelancer?

Beginning Stages of Freelancing

Many people think that you just ‘start’ freelancing, as if it was a job that earned you a fair salary on day one for all your hard work - I wish! In reality, it’s far from it. At the start, you might be earning pennies - so little that it’s not even worth pursuing this dream.

Some people who start out will work for free (which I advise against because there is value in your work), or they will work in exchange for products and experiences - which is more of a win-win situation. It takes a while before you feel ready to start ‘accepting’ money for your work. This comes with experience in your craft.

Part Time Freelancing

I would put myself in this category. The money I get through freelancing is not yet enough to live off (but it does help fund my travels) because the incoming cash flow is rather sporadic. It still requires me to seek work and clients, but slowly I have had more work and projects trickling in organically.

Most of my freelancing income is still tied to the amount of work I put in (aka. active income). Whilst my passive income (eg. from affiliate links), is slowly increasing. I still have to work part time/full time employment in order to sustain my lifestyle - but I’m always doing freelance work on the side and on my off days.

Full Time Freelancing

On the flip-side, those who have persevered through the initial phases and took time to nurture their craft over the years can now enjoy the fruits that their hard work brings.

Some freelancers (or digital nomads) can earn 6-7 figures through online courses, digital and physical products, blogging, photography, writing … you name it! I have met people who make hundreds (and even thousands of dollars) for just a few blog posts or a short video!

These people make enough income that they technically don’t even have to work - but they choose to because they have a purpose and so much passion behind their work that drives them.

4. The Challenges of Freelancing

Depending on which field you’re in, there will be different sets of challenges. However, some of the most commonly shared struggles are the following:

Valuing/Pricing your Services (Underselling Yourself)
Volatility of Work and Projects
Imposter Syndrome (not believing in yourself)
Business and Accounting Structures
Finding clients and jobs to build a reputable portfolio
Marketing Your Services
Being self-disciplined and consistent

Personally, the two things I have struggled with most have been: Self Discipline & Valuing my own work.

Why Self-Discipline is important

It’s hard when you have no one to tell you when your work must be due, how many potential clients you have to email today, what time to start work, when to knock-off, which tasks are urgent and which ones are important. Should you outsource or do it yourself? Should you spend money on this course to learn and improve your skills?

Most importantly: who’s going to hold you accountable when you’re feeling lazy? You are constantly overwhelmed with choice that it’s so easy to procrastinate or just pick the easy (unimportant) tasks to do. There are no consequences really, you are responsible for your achievements and failures - and that is actually kinda scary.

There are times when I wish someone could just tell me what I need to do. Or at least have someone push me when I’m slacking off - but I have no one to answer to but myself. If I want to watch Netflix the entire day - I can. Or I can use that time to be productive, to learn and to create. It’s my choice.

Why it’s hard to Value Your Own Work? (Imposter Syndrome)

As a freelancer, you have control over how much you to charge your clients - and while that sounds awesome, it’s actually incredibly difficult for many people to realise how much their work is worth.

Yikes, it feels almost criminal to charge people to do work that I genuinely enjoy doing. It’s as if money is the compensation for our precious time - often doing jobs that don’t truly satisfy us. So when you’re suddenly doing work that you enjoy and would do for free, how can you put a price on that?

Does putting a price on your work dirty the intention behind your creative work? Or does doing ‘work you love’ not really count as ‘work’ because you enjoy it? It’s crazy that there is almost shame behind telling people that you make money doing work you love.

I’m still trying to get over the ‘Imposter Syndrome’ and the feeling of not deserving money for doing work I love. But I realise that if I don’t learn to value my creative work, then I can never live the lifestyle that I dream of and have the freedom to work from anywhere in the world on my own terms.

***Daily struggles of a freelancer (jokes) - eloquently captured by: Yuris Alhumaydy***

5. The Rewards of Freelancing

There are so many benefits of freelancing, especially in the long term (if you’ve been working hard and consistently over the years).

Personally, my biggest drive is locational freedom. All my family and closest friends are scattered around the world, and I would love to have the financial freedom of being able to spend quality time with them, while still being able to work and derive sustainable income.

Here are some of the other perks of freelancing:

locational freedom (being able to work from anywhere)
passive income (so that even if you’re sick, injured or want to take a break, you have a source of passive income flowing in)
making money doing what you love (and not something you dislike)
you find endless energy to keep working because it doesn’t feel like work
connecting with other like-minded people (perhaps in the same field)
not trading your precious time for money. Instead you’re making money whilst investing in yourself and improving your craft
you wake up motivated and excited to work/create

***My Work View on the Greek Island of Kefalonia - whilst finishing a photography project***

6. Who is Freelancing for?

I would love to say ‘anyone’ and while that is in-part true, it is also not completely true. You have to have an unshakable purpose behind why you decided to choose this lifestyle. What will your reason be to persevere and keep working even when it seems like you’re going no where? Money simply doesn’t cut it.

Most people I know who freelance (full-time) actually work extremely long hours and often don’t give themselves many days off. But their underlying purpose behind what they do gives them the drive and energy to keep going. They have an admirable work ethic and ‘do whatever it takes’ attitude.

For me, there is no other alternative. It’s either I work hard doing what I love or spend a lifetime regretting how lazy I was and end up working decades in a profession that I’m not passionate about and feeling like I wasted my youth.

The people who excel in their field and have created successful businesses are some of the most hard working people I have ever met. The dedication they have for their craft blows my mind and they are a constant inspiration and motivation for me - to keep working, improving and persisting in pursuit of my own excellence.

What will your reason be to persevere and keep working even when it seems like you’re going no where?

Hope you enjoyed this insight about freelancing and if you have any questions or would like to add to this topic, please drop a comment down below or message me @emilypeilan - looking forward to hearing from you!

Soulful Musings