I mentioned about a month ago that I achieved a byline at Huffington Post, which I'm really proud of, despite the fact that I had to write from a vantage point that made me really unpopular.
I'd arranged ahead of time not to have to deal with the comments, as I knew they wouldn't be pretty, but my husband read a few of them. Only one really peeved me.
The comment said that I couldn't be any kind of successful freelance writer, because truly successful freelancers don't have time to volunteer at their kids' school.
Um, sorry, wrong.
In fact, not being able to be present in my kids' school was one of the reasons I quit my 8-5 gig. And as far as "successful," I think being able to pay my bills while working 9-2 feels pretty darn successful to me.
So tell me:
1) What's your definition of success?
2) Why did you choose to become a freelancer?
My definition of success is setting goals and then achieving them. For some people, that means bringing in a six-figure income, no matter what that means. For others (like me), it means supplementing the family income while accepting stimulating, creative work and increasing credibility and visibility on their own terms. And for others, who knows? It’s different (and no less valid!) for everyone. But you know, I definitely feel successful. I’m a more experienced, capable freelancer today than I was one year ago. How can I not count that as a “win”?
I agree with your definition!
1- Jen, Ditto
2- “Freelancers don’t have time to volunteer” sounds like sour grapes to me, or maybe “No good deed goes unpunished – or un-criticized.”
Thanks for your column Allena
I think if you don’t have time to spend time volunteer, whether at your childs school or elsewhere, you aren’t successful. Giving back, even if one day a year, is never a waste of time. As for writing, the people you meet and the experiences you have while volunteering is one of the many resources a writer can potentially tape into for a story or article. It should go into your journal of potential story lines.
You definitely have your priorities straight if you went into the freelance side of things so that you were available for your children. They are children for such a short time, but they will always remember that you were there for field trips, bake sales and whatever volunteer tasks you were involved with during their childhood.
I’m just starting to build my freelance career and hope to make as much of a success of it as you have. Being self-sufficient and working on interesting projects, doing what I love, writing and researching, is success to me.
2. As to why I chose to try freelancing, having been laid off from two jobs in the past two years because of company down-sizing, and not being able to find a good job in my area made me look at the possibility of trying to be self-sufficient. I’ve always loved the written word, and researching and this seemed like something I might be able to do. Wish me luck.
Being a freelance writer is still very new to me. I’ve always wanted to be a novelist but freelance writing came up when I realized I could still be creative AND make money while freeing up time to write my book. The thing that really drew me was “picking your own hours.”
Well I don’t get to pick my own hours but I do get to work around some more important events in my life. I have always defined success as loving my life (whether that be personal, work-related, religion, whatever). I started freelancing just before my daughter’s 2nd birthday and I haven’t missed a Doctor’s appointment, a play-date or a McDonald’s playground time since. There is still food on my table and I still have a roof over my head. I may not have the nicest things in the world but writing has given me the opportunity to trade those things for the most precious thing to me – time with my little girl.
That is success.