My transition to freelancing was a relatively easy one.
While I didn’t make the smooth transition of building a side income slowly while fully employed (though I was building solo-employment skills), I did have the benefit of a layoff that left me with economic resources.
This meant that the “summer slump” of freelance writing work…I just didn’t feel it. Like at all.
Part of that was intentional. I gave myself a few months of not really changing any spending habits. That choice was a compromise—I’d read about all these people…all these White men actually…who’d left white collar jobs to travel the world for six months or just laze around and do nothing. Well, while I knew I was leaving one of those jobs, I was very aware that I didn’t have the familial financial safety nets they did, nor did I have the security of knowing that re-entering the job market would mean me being evaluated based on my skills and abilities instead of how non-threatening I was, or how much I defied the angry-Black-woman stereotype. I also knew that any return likely meant stepping back into a culture and environment that was hostile and at best, unwelcoming.
I knew I couldn’t live their lives, but I also knew I needed time to heal. So I compromised. I let myself have moderate fun while not worrying about income. Things went well. I started getting a few clients…enough to cover my base expenses and to live without touching my savings. It was great.
That was over a year ago though, and now, I’m in my second summer slump and I feel the financial changes more acutely. They’re uncomfortable, scary, and they’re honestly useful. Here are a few reasons why…
- I’ve had to take an honest look at the health of my business.
- I can clearly see where I’ve been spending emotionally and frivolously
- I’ve increased empathy for people who face financial challenges
- I’m more motivated to do what I need to to make this work long term
So I’m torn. I’ve been considering using services like Even that let you simulate a regular paycheck (for a pretty low cost), but I’m not sure I should yet. Maybe it’s my ego leading me astray, but I want to figure out how to manage myself in insecurity a while longer before I sign on for a taste of that kind of stability again.
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