In the "Beninging": First Year As A Freelancer
The first time I remember hearing about moving out and gaining independence was from an American film (donβt remember what movie) where a teenager was kicked out of their parents' home.
Curious, I asked my parents about it. They explained that, technically, at 18, you are an adult and can start building your life.
Right then and there, I declared, "At 18, I'm gone." (We have a great relationshipβI'm just very independent and curious by nature).
Growing up, my goal wasn't just to move out at 18 but also to avoid being a slave to the 9-to-5 grind (and no working full 2-3 days and having the next few off - having somebody decide my program other than me, doesnβt work). Most of the education system had already forced me to be in class by 8 AM, which was against my circadian rhythm and led to 20+ years of insomnia and nightmares.
I tried everythingβfrom pills prescribed by doctors, to natural aids, therapy and lifestyle changesβwithout the possibility of altering my sleep hours (because I had to be present in society). Nothing made a significant difference compared to how well I function when following my natural circadian rhythm.
Currently, I sleep between 3 - 11 AM. This schedule allows me to get enough sunlight (hello, Vitamin D!), stay online when everyone else is and still have time for myself.
I might push it even later eventually, but for now, this is the best compromise.
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You need structure and socialization, a work community
You require the exact same income every month
You have a family and need the benefits provided by Romanian workplaces
You function well by waking up early and going to sleep early (although not all jobs are 9 to 5)
You have or want loans
You engage in spontaneity only occasionally
You can gain the benefits, loans and socializing, from freelancing too, but that implies creating your own opportunities, which is harder and takes time.
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You already have a strong community (donβt confuse strong with big, you donβt need big, although the more the merrier) professionally or personally
You are introverted and want more alone time; you are extroverted and need more socializing than usual jobs provide.
You have enough financial education to manage your income, even if itβs small at first
You want flexibility, time and travel opportunities, which are easier to obtain; you want more freedom to figure out how to replace the benefits of having an employer
You need to make your own schedule for medical reasons
You don't have essential monthly payments beyond the usual bills and rent
You need frequent changes in pace or scenery
Right after graduating, I couldn't dive straight into freelancing. I had to learn the rules of the system to eventually break them like an artist. From 2016 to 2023, I worked as a Content Specialist, Project Manager and Graphic Designer. Despite having these roles, I never gave up on my independent projects because I wanted to escape the 9-to-5.
After years of professional and personal hard work, compounded by my struggles with insomnia, I hit a burnout point. That was my signal to take the leap into freelancing.
Before going further, I need to address a harsh truth: we live in a world where exploitation is ingrained within the very fabric of our system. If you embrace the hustling mindset and criticize the workforce, you're missing the bigger picture. Unless your employers were truly court-deserving cases, the reality is that both small employers, employees and freelancers are not supported to thrive; the system is designed for global profit, not for human well-being.
Before you demonize your superiors or colleagues, understand that they are as trapped as you, albeit in different ways or that some of them find satisfaction in this lifestyle. We are not the same, we shouldnβt be. We should respect our differences to evolve harmoniously. We cannot hope to have a healthy work system until it is designed for collective wealth and health, rather than competition and consumerism.
Understand that even though some people are more privileged than others, we are all chained to the same toxic ways of living. Recognizing this is crucial to changing your life, whether as an employee or a freelancer.
How I Became a Freelancer: Steps, Challenges, and Advantages
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A clear understanding of your monthly financial needs
If you donβt know where to start here, track EVERY PENNY you spend for 3 months. After knowing how much you spend, you will see how much you waste and will be able to determine where to cut costs and with how little you can survive at first.
A portfolio showcasing your work
Time and readiness to seek new clients
A way to declare your income
At least one client when you start or some savings
The toughest part initially is shifting your mindset from being an employee to being self-reliant. Your employer previously handled many responsibilities that youβll now have to manage, including:
Declaring your income / paying taxes
Setting rates
Finding clients
In Romania, as an estimation, consider splitting any sum in half to estimate your net income. Your employer did budget to determine your pay; now you need to do the same to survive. Without an official way to declare your income, trouble is expected. Plus, for benefits like healthcare, taxes need to be paid or private health insurance secured.
Let's say you need at least 5,000 RON net to survive, which requires earning and declaring nearly 10,000 RON gross to cover taxes. To declare your income:
Collaborate with someone who has a company where you can attract your own contracts
Open your own PFA or SRL. This process in Romania is easier now and you can hire someone to help with it. (I said easier, not easy, donβt get your hopes up!)
Determining your survival budget and income declaration method will help set your hourly or daily rate. For example, hypothetically speaking, for a gross income of 10,000 RON, working 20 days a month on an 8-hour schedule, your rate would be around 63 RON/h gross.
I advise against having a fixed rate for all clients (but this doesnβt mean itβs the only correct way). Use this as a middle rate, working for less with some clients (because you will get small projects too, especially at first) and more with others to balance your income. If one client pays only 30 RON/h, ensure others pay 63 RON/h and 96 RON/h to meet your βsurvival income.β
Always leave room for negotiation and compromise; learn to make them work in your favor.
People who think that compromising in life means compromising yourself and your integrity are emotionally immature and have no idea how βthe art of negotiationβ works. This will bring major setbacks because life simply will never work the way you imagine. Therefore, if you are one of these people, please, before you start freelancing, learn how to negotiate and compromise in a way that you enjoy. Learn to differentiate what settling for less versus settling for realistic possibilities really means. From the realistic possibilities, climb your way up to the ideal, to your dream, slowly, by crafting, learning, maintaining and continuing the negotiation and compromise cycle until you reach a point that is comfortable.
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Social Media
Freelance Platforms
Meeting People
Connecting with the people you already know
Contrary to popular belief, social media and platforms like Fiverr helped me the least, for now. I briefly tried Fiverr, Behance and Upwork. Fiverr was too spammy with bots, no projects, so I closed it. Behance hosts my graphic design portfolio (which I need to update for 2024) and Upwork I havenβt taken seriously yet, due to lack of time.
Social media helped me connect with people I already knew, not find new clients. Iβm actually having an incredibly hard time growing my social media presence. Which may suck, but at least you and I know that building recognition online isnβt necessary to survive without an employer; you can build it as you go.
I found clients through actual meetings with new people and connecting with those I already knew. Without countless Zoom calls, I had time to invest in genuine encounters and connect with other people I enjoy working with. If you're shy or introverted, this might be hard at first, but itβs healing over time. Meeting people you enjoy, when you actually want to meet them (instead of mandatorily having to) builds confidence and makes you more relaxed.
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Multiple paydays with varied sums require preparation to pay bills on time. I use a piggy bank on my card for home payments, adding little by little from every invoice. And I use that piggybank for home payments ONLY
Discover what schedule works for you and how your life should look on your own terms. It might be hard if youβre used to a forced routine.
Setbacks will happen and income will be delayed at times. Be prepared for those situations. Working with multiple clients ensures othersβ setbacks donβt affect you as much.
Set your own boundaries. While the EU tries to limit employer contact after hours, you need to create these boundaries for yourself to maintain a work-life balance.
You will always have to come up with smart and creative ways of living, which can be fun, but it will also test you in the beginning.
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I wanted to start with the more difficult aspects because many people view freelancing superficially. Some think itβs an easy way to "defy the system," while others assume freelancers are slackers without careers because it seems easy to do.
Freelancing requires a high degree of self-discipline, financial management and flexibility. Freelancing is not easy. It's freeing, satisfying and rewarding only if you know how to approach it; otherwise, it can turn into a nightmare. Now, let's discuss the advantages:
Financial independence
Time independence
Building your own brand the way you want
Growing in the areas you choose
Learning a lot more because you work in βmore departmentsβ
Choosing your clientele
All these advantages culminate into one concept: if you really want to do this and have a realistic approach, the professional side of your life will become your canvas, evolving to fit your life, needs and people.
Financial independence allows you to set your own value, unrestricted by an employer's budget. Not working traditional hours means you can work from anywhere and have the time to manage your schedule effectively.
As your own brand boss, you have room for authenticity and arenβt rushed to grow too fast. In a traditional job, you might have to find new employment after reaching your maximum potential. As a freelancer, you won't hit this standstill if you manage your work well and can always adapt based on your skills.
Facing and overcoming these challenges teaches valuable lessons you wouldn't learn as an employee. This knowledge will help you choose your clients wisely.
It will be easier for you to get used to all of this if you start doing some independent work while youβre still employed. It helps build discipline, helps you realize how many clients you can juggle at once and gets you bit by bit used to the variety of things youβll have to do.
Where I Am Now, What I Still Have to Settle, and My Hopes
All this talk and no show, you say? Hereβs a summary of my current situation:
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In November 2023, I started with one stable client and began discussions with two others.
Today, I have five stable clients and make myself available for small gigs when I can.
I aim to work between 4-6 hours a day, ensuring more relaxed days if I ever need to pull longer hours.
One of the biggest reasons I wanted to become a freelancer was to focus more on art. While my clients are not all artistic, they are creative. I do web design, graphic design and manage some content. Thanks to my free time, Iβve worked a lot behind the scenes on my art this year. Once putrid.space is completed, I plan to generate some income from my art as well.
I haven't yet consistently earned as much as I did as an employee, but there have been months this year when I did. Iβve had no problems surviving, accumulated no debts. Even though I'm not yet financially where I used to be, the increase has been steady. I'm hoping that in the next two years (give or take), I will reach a comfortable place income-wise. For now, Iβm focused on maintaining my current situation and am satisfied with it. Working from home permanently helps cut costs and the free time allows me to find ways to improve my living.
Because I had realistic expectations, I can say that this year has been incredible! My only hope was for this change to not significantly change my life for the worse. I didn't expect overnight success; I wanted peace and a new way of living with less stress. I achieved that, itβs working and now I can slowly focus on growth, maintenance, and expanding my skills.
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To find more clients so I can continue increasing my income
To continue setting up putrid.space
To enjoy my life with as little stress as possible
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11 AM - 1 PM: I wake up, do my care routine, a quick clean (because I am CHAOS. I donβt keep anything clean. I make a mess and clean up frequently) βtill the coffeeβs ready and see what's in store for the day.
1 PM - 8 PM: I eat work and create, splitting this time between personal art and freelance clientsβ projects depending on my workload.
8 PM - 3 AM: If I've had a busier workday, I continue with art for a bit, then I cook (if it's my turn), spend time with my boyfriend, family and friends, play games, go out, etc.
I respect my circadian rhythm as much as possible and avoid at all costs having to be up earlier (exceptions are travel and lifeβs surprises). If I need to be active in the morning, I take a nap later in the day when I get a break. This happens rarely and I hope it becomes even less frequent as I grow.
Conclusion
With a well-made plan, patience and the right expectations, anyone can become a freelancer, especially today. For those who need the social aspect of "office life," you can replace it by getting out more to find partners. Attend events relevant to your field, ask for connections from your network and work patiently; ultimately, your craft will recommend you best!
Don't be afraid to try and don't be afraid to accept that you might be more suited for employment, if you fail. Don't be ashamed of who you are and what you need to live well, whatever you choose.
For me, despite the personal challenges (not related to freelancing or jobs, but personal losses and other medical aspects), this year has been amazing!
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The first year I could live as my body needed, which made a colossal difference! It's so significant that I thought it wasn't possible to feel this good and now I'm learning that this is how people normally feel.
The first year I had more time for myself and my loved ones.
The first year I felt free to manage my life.
The first year my dreams (nightly and daily) felt like an exciting adventure instead of terrifying.
The first year I felt like I was sustaining my art with my work, rather than sustaining myself to find a little time for art.
The first year my anxiety levels lowered significantly.
And the list goes on, but you get the point.
I didn't write this article to convince you to become a freelancer. I wrote it to share my experience for who needs it / wants to hear it and tell you that you can live a life closer to your values and needs. Know yourself well first, be realistic, make a plan and be willing to make sacrifices. This article might help you realize you prefer being an employee or it might inspire you to start your freelancing journey. My only hope is that it gives you the power to believe that you can live and not just survive.
I'm not rich; I don't come from wealth, but I got my needs and some wants covered since I was born and βtill now. Always exactly right in the middle. I didn't get anything for my appearance (if anything I had to pay for it at times). I've had to work hard in everything and make the most of my privileges and connections. Things were not just handed to me and my innate curiosity led to as much trouble as bliss. If I received any favors, it was because I helped others and people knew they could count on me or my work. I'm not sociable and I don't enjoy the "office life." If we work together, I prefer to focus on the task and deliver. We can socialize after work.
The world will never fully accommodate our needs unless we know ourselves and make a conscious effort to tailor life to them. Even then, the world won't accommodate you; rather, you'll make the best of what the world has to offer.
Let me know what you think of this article. If you have other freelancing questions or if you are deciding between remaining an employee or becoming a freelancer!
That's all from meβuntil next time! Curious if the article about year 2 will be as βoptimisticβ? Weβll see.
Until then, Happy New Year to everyone! β€οΈβπ₯π½ππ₯³π»πΈ