Freelancer, the Lazy Bum – An Essay
Credit: Yuri Arcurs on Photodune
“Free” is both exciting and scary, always followed by skepticism. If something is free we wonder what the catch is, so no wonder the “free” in “freelancer” makes us shady people. I mean, how can we say we work if we don’t have jobs, if we just sit at our computers all day…at home! I mean, the only people who do that are lazy bums, right?
Freelancers are the black sheep of their circles, idealist flakes, slackers who embrace laziness, and are sources of embarrassment to their corporate parents. In an article on annoying questions freelance writers get asked, right here on FreelanceSwitch, commenters mentioned what they go through as freelancers:
- A freelancer and stay-at-home mom is asked, “but you’ll go back to work once your daughter goes to school, right?”
- A guy’s wife thinks he’s playing computer games all day.
- An author is excited about showing her mom a copy of her book not because she’s proud of her work, but just so she can show her mom that she works for a living and no, she doesn’t need to borrow $20, mom.
Why do people think we’re slackers for opting for freelance freedom? Freedom might be something we all say we want, but freedom is also highly feared and misunderstood.
Job as the Societal Norm vs. Freelance Slackers
Throughout history humans have been expected to abide by certain norms and in olden days (and even in certain societies today) if you were different you might even be killed so not to disturb the order, you know, by giving others any pesky ideas, such as the belief that one has the right not to be enslaved.
Freelancing isn’t a new idea, but the norm in modern societies is to have a job that you can go to every day, it’s just what people do. Even housewives who clean, cook, iron and take care of their children are traditionally thought of as non-contributing members of society (and seen as having it easy), as largely you’re seen as productive if you work for someone else and you’re considered successful when you have that corner office. Equating freedom to success makes you an idealist who will eventually ask your friends and family who have jobs for cash.
Mobile Freelancers Must be Lazy Vagabonds
In my case, as a mobile freelancer I’m seen not only as a lazy bum, but also as a loser for having chosen not to have a fixed address for some time. I’m asked why don’t I just get a job and settle in the same tone that someone might be asked, “Why don’t you put that broken arm in a cast?” But if I tell someone that I don’t want a job, that I like going where I want, when I want, their first reaction is “you must be rich!” which is followed by an intense expression of envy in every one of their body cells.
If I tell them that I’m actually poor, that I like my life and that they too can do what they want with their lives I set off their defense mechanism, which releases a black cloud of resignation above their head. “But I have a job! I have responsibilities!” they’ll exclaim.
Explaining that I actually work though I don’t have a job hardly has an effect, since people don’t have jobs because they want to work, they have jobs because they want secure paychecks – forget about explaining that I too have responsibilities, as they firmly believe I have a personal assistant who even feeds me magic grapes.
Humans Need Security, but What About Freedom?
But that word secure… Mostly humans want security and that goes way back to when we were cavemen running from hungry tigers. This need for security is still with us today, if not instinctively then because of real danger, or because of made-up dangers found in the news.
Freedom on the other hand is not secure. You want to hear of the ultimate freedom? I used to volunteer with the homeless and once a former big-league college basketball player (yes, who’d become homeless) said to me, “Don’t feel bad for me. I have to worry about getting something to eat, but I choose to be on the streets because this is where I can be free.”
I thought he was just crazy, but I came to understand what he meant when I started working with people who were enslaved by their paychecks, by their bills, by their fear of failure and of doing what they love; in fact, I became one of those people and only recently have I become comfortable with the idea that a job doesn’t imply automatic unhappiness.
Office Job, Not the Purpose of Life
Sometimes I actually consider going back to an office job, keeping in mind a list of things to watch out for and to ask for. But again I’m now living in Amsterdam, where work is not the purpose of life and where it’s common to work 32-hour weeks.
I mean, there are many perks to an office job. If it’s a slow day the job-holder can surf the web or take 25 coffee breaks. It doesn’t really matter because the company’s in charge of getting the work; whereas, the job-holder’s in charge of doing the work.
If clients don’t pay the company the job-holder still gets his paycheck, benefits, holidays and whatnot. Should the job-holder hurt his hand he’ll go on sick leave and still get a portion or all of his pay. In this sense, a job-holder relies on his ability to work, but not fully on himself to meet his needs, so trying to explain to him what it’s like to rely completely and solely on oneself for everything is usually futile.
Having a traditional job isn’t easy, but the preoccupations that come with it aren’t all comparable to those of a freelancer, who, like the homeless basketball player, can enjoy his freedom as long as he can get enough to eat.
Photo credit: Some rights reserved by Yuri Arcurs.
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Tell it brutha!
Ok, yes we work a lot. We have deadline and people that will hold us accountable if anything goes wrong.
But does anyone beside me, felt so overwhelmed with all these responsibilities and the lack of one person that show you the path or each steps to complete a task, a project?
How many of us have the day ready and don’t divert oneself from it? Dull days how to deal with it?
I think that might happen most with programmers that might spend the day without human contact.
We are not lazy, but we do lazy days, how to avoid it and keep a wining mind set?
@Rogers I know exactly what you mean. Although for me, having the responsibility to “make it happen’ and put bread on the table as a direct result of my ability to bring in work has really helped with my motivation. I consider it a personal challenge to land new clients, and that instills pride in my work.
As a freelancer, I have wished for a clear path to take sometimes though. It seems that every where I look that every freelancer has followed a different route to success. on one hand that exemplifies the beauty of freelancing, but on the other, it is very scary!
I have done my best to model my routine and business model after people that I know are successful in my niche, and have added my own flair to how I operate. It has worked well so far!
Hi guys,
I do get tired sometimes and, like I express late in my essay, sometimes I just wish I worked for someone else and didn’t have to worry about everything else on top of the work itself.
A freelancer friend just got a full-time job after 5 years of freelancing and he seems happy. But I we just have to do whatever makes us happy, freelancing or working full-time
Come up with ways to get out of the routine, maybe try coworking or the library.
The word job has changed so much in recent years especially with the Internet as more and more people are doing what you are doing. I would love to see in a coffee shop little signs over peoples heads telling me what they did.
I bet more and more of them would be going the freelance route. In a lot of cases with job losses they have to do this but I guess the same fears exist whether forced or chosen.
Thanks for the article enjoyed reading it…
I’m glad you enjoyed it Kieran! “Job” is constantly changing as is our world so maybe one of these days freelancing will be accepted as “normal” again and people will cut freelancers some slack
That would be really cute actually: you walk into a cafe and people have these little tags stating “graphic designer” or “writer.” Might be a good idea even!
The stigma of being lazy has kept me from really pursuing my dream to be freelance for a long time.
Hi Jennifer,
It is indeed scary and hard to pull off – and I’m not claiming I’ve got it all under control btw. But you should have seen the faces on my family members as they exclaimed in horror, “But you have a Master’s! What do you mean you don’t have a job?!” Fortunately I live far away from them hehehe
Great article.
The next stage of confident freelancers will probably be *not* defending the lifestyle and just smiling knowingly.
I have also discovered there are always new layers of interdependency to be unconvered in thinking about the freelance concept since we’re always bound in some way. The thirst for freedom remains unquenched for quite a few, though, so becoming a freelancer isn’t so much about a working life but about life and how to “spend” it, oddly enough.
Come surf my couch any time you want, I live in Deventer. That’s about an hour by train, and this is a truly adorable old town.
(Seriously, come hang out
Hi Annedien,
That’s a great way to put it: “so becoming a freelancer isn’t so much about a working life but about life and how to “spend” it, oddly enough.” Whatever path (full-time or freelancer) people choose the most important thing is for everyone to be happy. I find a lot of resistance from “full-time-minded” people who think I’ve lost my way or something whereas I finally feel happy.
Thanks for the invitation! I’m going to find you on CS and come visit
I haven’t seen much of Holland at all.
Groetjes!
Lol, I only seam to run into this with the one person who should know better, my spouse. It was nice to hear that it’s not just me and your take on this issue was so positive and refreshing! Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it Susan! You’re definitely not alone, you web-surfing couch potato hahaha If you come back here let us know what you do!
I work like 5000% more than what I used to when I had an office job. But I’m soooo much happier!
Lazy Bums!
FS does a survey yearly if I’m not mistaken that shows most freelancers work more and make less than when they had full-time jobs but are much happier at the same time
Go “lazy” us!
meh, bad article, who cares what people think. A freelancer is working for the money, if not what’s the point then?
People with “real jobs” are working for the money too, so what’s the difference?
This article is kinda unnecessary, freelancing is about finding money in other ways, that’s all. Money rules. Period. It’s serious.
Sorry to burst your bubble Camilo, but studies have shown that money is not the leading indicator of satisfaction for work. I certainly wouldn’t put the money as my number one reason I freelance. Flexibility beats everything hands down.
Travis, you’re not busting any bubbles. Satisfaction doesn’t rule the world. Money does. I think I bust YOUR bubble.
Travis is absolutely right, and if you are doing this just for the money, why don’t you go, for instance, to the stock market? Or to the Drug business? After all its just about money right? It doesn’t matter if its unsatisfactory, or illegal.
Tell me: Why should I be happy with $80.000 every month in my bank acc, if I can’t sleep well?
Oh man, these internet “fights” are just ridiculous. If you don’t get me, I don’t care.
So why should we “get” your trolling around?
Either express yourself properly or hush hush off to the sandbox you came from.
*shakes head*
cu, w0lf.
good article. It’s nice to know that other people have to deal with the same bullshit that I have to deal with… when people say… “so why don’t you go get a real job?” …. and you just want to say, “why so I can be a lame sucker like you are?” haha.. A lot of people are very good at being ignorant and rude sometimes…. what can you do, but develop a very high tolerance for it. I think I am getting better at it. Thanks for the article! Good job.
Thanks Robert!
I hope someday full-timers will be ok with our lifestyle the way we’re ok with theirs. Apples and oranges are different fruit but they both taste good
I don’t post very often, but this was one of the best articles I have read here in awhile. Keep it up!
Thank you Jesse. I’m flattered and really happy you enjoyed it
I’ve met with similar reactions to what you’ve described here. For me, they are not very important. Everybody has an opinion or some sort of reaction to everything. Just let them react and do your thing.
Wow this was a good post. I really like how it touches on the fact that we in society equal our success with working for someone else. I wish school would teach us the options out there instead of “how to listen and apply” we no longer have the ability to “create” and we feel that we are only as smart as our ability to memorize and repeat. The sad part is we are looked down on because there are fewer freelancers out there than in house employees and we show off our success with nice cars and big homes that we have no time for… Because we work in an office environment where freedom is frowned upon.
Thank you Nate! Such appreciation is one greatest reasons for writing and I’m really happy readers are enjoying my post.
It seems we’ve all become used to a certain idea about what it is to be successful but we forget about happiness. My question has always been: if we’re not happy but we look good on paper, are we still successful?
On a tangent topic, I watched a TED video yesterday about experiential teaching that made hopeful for the future. If you’re interested, it’s “Diana Laufenberg: How to learn? From mistakes”: http://bit.ly/qx5S4P
You know what I do for SATISFACTION? Music!
You know what I do for Money? Freelance Graphic Design!
Anybody has a problem with this?
Obviously you got one, else you wouldn’t whine around like this
cu, w0lf.
I can relate as well. Last year I was paying more than half of the bills for my household, yet I found out that my own (fairly close) siblings were under the impression that my husband was paying all of our expenses!
My husband knows I work, he sees our finances, but sometimes he will go off on me about how I don’t work hard, etc etc. And freelancing IS easier/better than a day job for someone else; that’s kind of the point.
Camilo, you sound very naive. Why is it you are doing freelance graphic design instead of something more lucrative? Anyone with even a basic understanding of human behavior knows that it’s healthier and more fulfilling to earn a living doing work that you find satisfying.
Ok Djheru, yes I am naive, I don’t know anything about life.
You on the other hand sound like you know a whole lot, you sound very smart too.
Have a great day!
Goddamn ironies of life, the reason I’m talking about the money is because I am not naive you effen idiot.
You know what’s naive? you twad?
This is naive:
“… healthier and more fulfilling to earn a living doing work that you find satisfying.”
Why don’t you go and buy my song you dork!
http://theblackbirdies.bandcamp.com/track/rocking-rolling
Nice essay. “Freelance” still has a irresponsible tang about it and people still think it’s what you do until you get a “real job”. Well… after taking 7 jobs with badly managed companies in three years, and getting let go by each of them, I found that freelancing is much more stable, fifteen years and counting. This year I promoted myself to “Internet Visual Development Specialist”.
@ B-Wolf dude and you’re expressing yourself properly? I don’t get your point or any of the people who were commenting on mine.
people didn’t get my point, I didn’t find the article useful, I found it redundant.
hush hush to the sandbox you came from?
what the f**** is your problem?
@ FreelanceSwitch we need a delete button for these comments.
I regret my first comment. I was stressed out. I want to delete ALL my comments!
I love your website. I love it. You guys do great work.
Peace and Rock & Roll!!!!
Don’t worry Camilo mate, I understand what you meant and I agree to some degree.
It’s a balance between both earning money and doing what you want though. Once you find the right balance, great! (note: I haven’t found it yet myself)
I’ve found that playing games all day doesn’t actually pay rent… doing work all day and night does pay the rent (when the client pays) but it’s working all day and not having any fun.
“Money doesn’t buy happiness”, I’ve never been rich and sad… I have been poor and sad many times. Rich people have rich people problems, like what cool rehab centre to go to, not poor people problems like: do I have to sell my body to pay rent this week… BIG difference. You don’t need money to have fun, very true… but you can have more fun with more money
studies say sex is better if you’re rich too.
Cool Jason!
Critical thinking skills are important. It’s not a question of working and having money vs. not working and being poor. I think most adults take it as a given that you have to work and earn money to support yourself.
The question then becomes “Do I want to work at an agency where I will have more security and a stable income or do I work as a freelancer where I will have more flexibility and the freedom to do things like choosing the work I want to take on or arranging my work hours around things that are important to me like my children, my friends, my interests (or even my rock and roll band)?”
And if it is naive to make a living “doing work that you find satisfying”, then why are you asking people to help you “make a living doing what [you] really love”? You have a much better chance of making a comfortable living as a graphic designer than a rock musician.
Even you, with all your naivete, recognize that it’s better to earn your living doing something you find satisfying than to simply live as a slave to your job, even if you are making lots of money.
Whatever dude, let’s get on with our lives ok?
Really liked it
Thanks for sharing Ana.
Hey guys wanna hear some good rock and roll?
http://theblackbirdies.bandcamp.com/track/rocking-rolling
only $0.99
Help me make a living doing what I really love.
For now I’ll keep helping clients make money with some awesome graphic design work!
Later!
Camilo
Good stuff Ana. I’ve been freelancing off-n-on for many years with the occasionally full-time design gig when I start losing my mind working solo. When you can keep the momentum going, have a nice mix of steady but varied clients/projects, and stash away the cash when times slow down, it’s golden. Vacations, sick days and just basic backend business stuff are the big downsides if you want steady income; it took me years to make this one work because I liked designing, not managing the business. Taking breaks, getting out and doing brainstorming in public places or nature are what keep me going when the job gets lonely — email, social media and phones don’t always cut it. It does amaze me that people still think — even my friends — that somehow by working from home I’m just playing video games, slacking, or whatever and just work “a little.” They think freelancing is like a vacation job. Right. Still, I love it regardless.
Good stuff Ana. I’ve been freelancing off-n-on for many years with the occasionally full-time design gig when I start losing my mind working solo. When you can keep the momentum going, have a nice mix of steady but varied clients/projects, and stash away the cash when times slow down, it’s golden. Vacations, sick days and just basic backend business stuff are the big downsides if you want steady income; it took me years to make this one work because I liked designing, not managing the business. Taking breaks, getting out and doing brainstorming in public places or nature are what keep me going when the job gets lonely — email, social media and phones don’t always cut it. It does amaze me that people still think — even my friends — that somehow by working from home I’m just playing video games, slacking, or whatever and just work “a little.” They think freelancing is like a vacation job. Right. Still, I love it regardless.
I left my day job (it was quite ok btw), because I wanted to work my way. I have it now. It is the same heavy, I earn almost the same nothing, I have the same issues with paying bills sometimes, but man, the stuff I do improved a lot! Create out of love and freedom, go for the best results -because it matters for me, not for a boss or a client I never meet – work with a smile: this is what I do.
Thanks for the article,
regards:
István
I’m glad you enjoyed the article István. Best of luck in your endeavors!
These are facts that most people, especially ALL my friends don’t really give a crap about. I try explaining from time to time but got no response, not even an argument. They simply live day by day, doing what they hate, earning paychecks, bragging about their company, how big and awesome it is. But non of them say they are happy with their work.
i think it’s a very strong norm here in Thailand.
Thanks for the great post.
I felt compelled to write this piece for the same reasons you mention. I’ve started to spend more time with people who don’t try to convert me and who don’t complain about their “proper” jobs
I don’t think it’s a matter of being a freelancer — it’s all about the lifestyle one wants. Some people prefer to work for the man rather than for themselves because, in fact, they’re probably more lazier than freelancers when it comes down to comparing their quality of work. Who knows? Let’s twist it around and say office workers are far more lazy than freelancers because they don’t have to concern themselves with managing a business unless they’re the CEO or an executive, naturally. Some people are materialistic, so they go for office job while the others don’t care about their possessions, so they can just go freelance. I think freelancing is gonna be more common nowadays due to unemployment rate at 10% in the USA. I also think freelancing will be the new work structure of the future when we have to take on more responsibility for our own benefits, retirement, etc. at the same time have more flexibility than ever in order to spend more time with family, friends or whatever else. I was hoping that we’ll nix the 40 hour week in the future and turn it into something much more!
Freelancing is all about freedom.
For those of you who feel lazy, bored, diverted to facebook , twitter, whtever! while working.
Feel pressurized, give a damn to what our corporate guys think, feel rebellious, etc and know that, ‘something is wrong’.
All you need to do is:
1. Wear a wrist watch.
2. Buy an office space.
When in mental chaos, I site quite and listen to ticks of my wrist watch. Helps a LOT!
Walking to office every morning doesn’t make me feel tired while working and wrist watch trains my brain to work for 8 hours – non-stop.
Simple enough?