Freelance Freedom #34




PG

N.C. Winters' art has been included in solo and group exhibitions throughout the New York metro area, including Rock Soup’s Project 001, Forced Future Gallery and LITM in Jersey City and CB313 Gallery and Jacklight Gallery in Manhattan. Winters’ profile as a metro area artist has grown rapidly, both in the gallery world and as a freelance illustrator. His work has been featured in The New Yorker, Time Out New York, New York Press, as well as commissioned by private collectors across the US. Winters continues to work diligently after a recent move to sunny San Diego, California.



  1. PG Phillipe Calmet

    So true… :P
    That is one of the advantages of freelancing ;)

  2. PG Grant

    Not the case for me, who does freelance work but still has college :(

  3. PG david

    Oh, how I dream of that day…

  4. PG Mike

    oh man, i can still feel that feeling of having to get up and do all that. by the time you’ve finished notifying the world, you almost just wish you’d went to work. what a relief now!

  5. PG Andrew

    Yeah, I can’t wait to finish college :(

  6. PG rotationbias

    Huh, this has never been the case for me. It’s always been: Freelance: can’t stop working/call out sick because there’s a major deadline coming up, so work through it. Not having to work when you’re sick is almost — ALMOST — a good reason to go back to work on the outside!

  7. PG Mark Abucayon

    hahaha, this is very true…picture all alone tells everything. nice post. Thanks

  8. PG Christopher Humphries

    Eventually I will have that, not yet though, not even close.

  9. PG Fromescu Fromage

    Sorry but I’m yet to have one of these strips be funny for me. And what ridiculous company wold requite you to notify multiple people in the same business of your illness?

  10. PG ephi

    LOL. I love this one.

  11. PG Jason

    Actually I currently have a full-time job while doing my freelancing, and when I get sick I just need to e-mail my boss. I would personally hate it if I was working at a place where I would have to do all the following above!

  12. PG Phil

    I currently work fulltime as well as freelance, and can definitely say that I have to do every single thing that is mentioned in the post above whenever I get sick :-(

  13. PG Sam

    But when I had a proper job I’d still get paid if I was sick. And now i would have to ring the studio, the clients, the stylist etc, saying I couldn’t do the photo job.

  14. PG neoraw

    haha lol! that’s so true!

  15. PG BJ Mace

    I’m freelancing full time and if I’m sick (which I have been 3 times this year thanks to daycare) I still have to get up and email all my clients that I’m working with and let them know what’s up. That usually effects other’s schedules, meetings etc.

    I think a lot of these clips are funny but I hope that people with full time jobs out there don’t read these weekly and beat themselves up over dreaming about this perfect freelance career. This is the plain truth… if you go freelance you will work harder than you ever did at any full time job unless you love peanut butter and jelly.

    You STILL have to have meetings…. they are just usually over he phone or worse, you have to drive to see the client on site.

    You STILL have to tell multiple people when you are taking off or when you want to schedule freelance. It’s not as simple as I work for myself and can do whatever.

    You STILL have a a paycheck and a budget. While you may set the amount, you only get a raise if you do more work.

    As long as you have clients you STILL have to report to someone… their title might not be “your boss” but at the end of the day they have your money and that makes them the boss in some respect.

  16. PG Ed

    What BJ Mace said

  17. PG SearchEnginePPC

    Definitely not the case with this freelancer. While I do remove as much as possible from my daily task list while sick, I still have to get things done that are required of me. I don’t have any ’sick time’ which I can use, nor anyone who I can call to tell that I’m sick. I am my own boss, but I do have clients who have expectations of me whether I’m sick or not.

  18. PG jcorn

    I guess it depends on the freelancer but if I have a track record of turning in regular assignments for a client then it is not a problem to have a sick day. With a new client it could create problems. There are many occasions where I could turn over and go to sleep and I love the flexibility of freelancing. The benefits from a spouse who works sure do come in handy, though – everything from health insurance and employer contributions to retirement plans. Freelancers sure can get hit hard with health costs, tax consequences and other issues, especially if not incorporated.

  19. PG John Rodriguez

    When I was freelancing, I couldn’t’ get a loan. Now that I have a full time job, I can and when I’m sick I just email HR plus I get to charge more money on freelance because I can afford to refuse it if the client is low balling me and most of them do.

  20. PG linda

    Thank you! After a busy day you’ve made me thankful and re-appreciate my freelancing position.

    :)

  21. PG ed

    The comic’s funny…but inaccurate. What usually happens is you’re sick, so you have to drag the laptop in bed with you to meet the deadline!

  22. PG fedmich

    haha, so true… spread the word

    :D Cheers to all freelancers

  23. PG Michelle

    I just really wish this guy had some pupils – he freaks me out :)

  24. PG dandellion Kimban

    Actually, I rarely call it being ill. Just roll back in bed and get rest one day before the main strike come and there is no need for thermometer. It is hard to call HR and tell you need some rest to prevent getting ill.

  25. PG Ben

    Obviously the downside to freelance in this case is that you aren’t being paid to be ill – if you’re employed you are, one of the few advantages of employment!

  26. PG Kate

    That’s so true…Freelance Advantage

  27. PG Kretes

    Just a nice-to-feel-like-a-freelancer.

    Working as a regular worker now I would only have to call supervisor, and could make everything else the next day..

    And this, what You showed could also be with freelancer, sometimes ever more, because freelancer doesn’t have an office or secretary ( usually :P )

    So – Maybe looks funny but when You think about that more carefully – it;s not true :)

  28. PG Cranky Mom

    I’m a copywriter and went fulltime freelance this past year. I LOVE IT. This strip is accurate for state employees, I would have to do all of this plus when I returned to work do more paperwork as to the “nature” of my sick leave. Also, I’d usually receive multiple phone calls at home asking me questions about work while I was supposed to be off work sick. Oh and don’t even get me started on penalties for being sick – yep they would dock your pay 30%! for being sick.

    Now, if I am sick I call off any face-to-face meetings (never had a client balk at this), I get as much rest as I can, and I try to get some work done because I decide to.

    You do have to work harder and smarter than the 95ers but the extra effort is worth it – except my boss now – she’s a real b*tch.

    Cranky Mom

Leave a Comment