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Working in the creative industries: is freelancing the road to success?

In the creative industries freelancing has always been viable, but in the modern era it's becoming increasingly more viable with people building their online presence as their own personal .... But as appealing as it sounds, is it really the way forward for creative types? Join me as I take out the yellow notepad and review the benefits and drawbacks of freelancing.


As a young person studying web development, the idea of freelancing is very exciting to me. What appeals to me is being able to make money from my work so early, which can be sorely needed as a student. I recently done a freelance job for local restaurant*, it took around 6 months (I will try to refine this in the future) and I was very pleased with the outcome, and so was my client. I got to expand my knowledge of web development and I am to be payed for my work (albeit a discounted price as i am still learning). This whole process was very helpful to me, and fit around my studies perfectly, and I hope to source more work like this in the future. Right now, freelancing to me is the idea that I could leave university, my job and consistently find work as a web developer. I would be working in my own time, answer to nobody but myself (and my clients) and my development as a web developer rests on my shoulders.

What's not to love?

For a start, that was part-time work. I was studying and working two other jobs and worked on the website in my free time, which my client was happy with. In reality, freelance work can be few and far between, especially as an inexperienced young individual. This is difficult for a multitude of reasons. If i lived independently my monthly spending would rely on how much work I got. Some months I'd be up. Some months I'd be down. For some, this lifestyle doesn't phase them and it's just considered "the grind". As well as this, my expansion of knowledge as a developer is my own responsibility. I couldn't say with complete 100% absolute certainty that I would consistently be teaching myself new languages or techniques.

Conversely, there are a multitude of benefits to working in a company. Traditional jobs are consistent, there's no surprises. You get a regular, calculatable salary each month, which will rise after a few years in many workplaces. You will accrue holidays over your time in a workplace, which can be taken when you please, or taken in exchange for monetary value. Many workplaces offer structured learning, or accommodate your own learning in the way of university or college. To top it all off, you probably won't be lying awake at night wondering where your next paycheck is coming from. All things considered - It's a pretty sweet lifestyle!

To conclude, there's no definitive answer to whether freelancing is the way forward. It comes down to your preference, circumstances and stress tolerance. But for the moment, I'll be keeping my jobs!

*www.kaismokehouse.com



Sources: https://launchacademy.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-being-a-freelance-web-developer

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