The perks of being a freelancer

The first step to becoming a full-time freelancer is daunting. No employment insurance. No health benefits. No water cooler chit chat to brush off the cobwebs on a sleepy Monday morning. But if you're lucky enough (or un-lucky enough?) to find yourself sitting at home midweek in your PJs avoiding eye-contact with Netflix, freelancing can quickly become your dream gig.

1. Dog/cat cuddles on tap: 'Nuf said.

2. Flexible hours: It's challenging to get yourself up and at 'em every day and stick to a routine, but there's beauty in being routineless. Workouts, baking, quick chats with faraway friends - these are some things that I do to get me through a mental block or when I need a creativity jolt. That freedom actually increases my productivity tenfold.

3. Location independent: Yeah yeah yeah, I get it, you still have to BUY the plane ticket and get your ass to the sandy beach before you can actually work there (spoiler: it's a great Insta story but don't plan on getting much actual work done. No power, too much glare, sore neck = no bueno). But the prospect of being ABLE to go work in a sweet coffee shop or on a train or from the comfort of your own sofa is the biz. Earning anywhere, anytime makes for happy clients and a happier bank balance.

4. Control over jobs & clients: After years of working corporate positions in finance, consulting, and merchandise (yikes), getting to control what projects I work on is so invigorating. An anthology on the use of scatology references in 18th century literature? Sure! A paper on groundbreaking HIV treatment research? Sounds great! Being your own negotiator means you’re never bored, or at least not too far away from The Next Great Thing.

5. You da boss: This one is equal parts terrifying and Hell, yes! But it is sooo satisfying to finally be able to quote Queen Bey and mean it: "I'm not bossy - I am the boss". *Mic drop*