When It All Started

While a non-native English speaker, I started loving the language as soon as I learned to speak it in middle school.  In high school, I started dabbling in creative writing – poems to vent the woes of my emotional vulnerability and stories that, during that time, hinged on my life.  But reality pulled me away from what I never guessed would be a passion.

Eldest in a brood of five girls and taken under the caring wings of three unmarried devout Catholic paternal great aunts, I felt responsible at the age of 10, albeit unconsciously.  With both parents starting new families, I had no ultimate life goal but to be a pillar for my younger sisters.  I didn’t even realize that I silenced a dream.

Life Happened

When I entered college in a community school, I started earning my keep.  From being a school registrar assistant and a fast-food cashier to a beauty product salesperson, I drifted through life with no definitive aim on the horizon other than to get by day-to-day, even when I landed a contractual job at Procter & Gamble Philippines.  However, my fascination with the English language and an innate passion to write kept pushing from the surface.

From simple email communications to written reports, I beamed at the pats on my back.  What started as a basic secretarial post at a small networking company blossomed into spearheading and writing the company’s newsletter.  I even traveled outside the city limits to lecture about the networking process.

Curveballs

Life went on and I entered marital bliss at 29, leaving the workforce to become a hands-on mom.  But life threw me curveballs.  I became a single mom after six years and got separated from my son.  To care for his younger sister, I joined the BPO bandwagon.  But caring for my daughter in the mornings and working at night soon burned my candle on both ends – until my sisters started their water refilling business.

Once again, my hibernating passion to write came alive.  From cold-call emails to enticing proposals, my creativity juice flowed once more.  I once shunned away from marketing, recognizing early on that it wasn’t my cup of tea.  But as a startup business, I knew I had to dip my toe in strange waters.

Anything But Dauntless

I believed that my sisters and I could deliver quality, but some clients focused more on spending less.  So, it felt frustrating when a deal didn’t go through.  But such was life – you could never please everybody.  From listing prospective clients to crossing them off the list, I spent my days overseeing the operation and building a portfolio for the business.   When I eventually did, I realized that if I put my heart and mind into something, there was time for everything – both new and old

In 2010, I started my manuscript.  In between business calls to prospective clients, I sat outside the nearest Starbucks, pen scribbling on the back of used bond papers.  I stayed late in my sisters’ business office turning those scribblings digital because I had no means to buy a computer.  When eventually I owned one, I ‘met’ Quora, which was an interesting happenstance.

I came across the platform while searching for how to resolve an issue with my printer.  As someone eager to exchange views, I joined.  Given my limited interaction with the platform, I was surprised when I became one of its top writers in my initial year.   It was also around this time that a sister introduced me to Upwork, which was oDesk back then.

Despite joining the workforce at the tender age of 16, communicating with foreign people was rare as a blue moon.  Yet, I strived, banking on my love of the English language and passion to write.  But life once again pulled me away.  With a daughter about to enter high school and moving to my father’s place to keep him company, focusing on a full-time job at my sisters’ business felt ‘practical’ – until it wasn’t.

A New Sunrise

‘When a door closes, a window opens’ couldn’t be more apt when in September 2018, after nearly a decade, my sisters’ business had to close shop.  I couldn’t recall when I started seeing my glass half-full, but despite being jobless with a daughter about to enter college, I revisited Upwork with no immediate expectations.

There was no small deed for me, so I started perusing the platform for projects that required writing.  My first collaboration was a short story with the barest of prompts – two distinct characters and a setting.  After 3,000 words of a world that only lived in my mind, I earned my first $5 in Upwork and I was in heaven!  For me, it wasn’t every day to get paid for something you love.

Upwork was such a vast ocean of writing opportunities that I didn’t venture to sail other seas.  It became my open window when the door of my sisters’ business closed.  More importantly, it freed my passion to pen words that move and make a difference.

The Perks

Across my nearly four years at Upwork, I gradually sensed the beauty of freelancing.  Having worked in a plethora of 8-to-5s, the key takeaway in freelancing is FREEDOM.

Yes, you’re somewhat bound by the project’s requirements and the client’s expectations, but the first step is yours to make.  You’re in charge of what you want to do in a timeframe that you can customize.

There’s no ‘I have to’ in freelancing, like tasks in a job that you only applied for the paycheck.  In freelancing, you spend efforts on things that interest you, consequently nurturing your skills and empowering what you can offer.  You also can work on projects even before you brushed your teeth, something that will be frowned upon in ANY traditional and physical workplace.

But similar to a physical workplace, the virtual world of freelancing has drawbacks.

Not Always a Bed of Roses

Platforms like Upwork overflow with freelancers, competitors that you’ll constantly but wits with.  Particularly after the pandemic slapped the world hard, many professionals shifted gears to the world of freelancing – and this somewhat ‘favors’ clients.

With several options at their disposal, some clients can drop you like a hot potato in a snap.  Unlike in a ‘regular job,’ while freelancing platforms offer security for both clients and freelancers, job security isn’t high in freelancing.   Unless you land a long-term project, your income isn’t a steady stream.  Even these seemingly ideal collaborations can end with a single misstep or misfired communication, and I’ve had my fair share.

I feel privileged that I can only name two instances that nearly drove me to a corner.  Both clients dropped off the radar when an initially agreed compensation should have been more.  Constantly moving my best foot forward, I felt cheated.  Letting go and filing them as learning experiences was the hardest decision I ever made as a freelancer, but I refused to sulk.  Instead, I became cautious moving forward, with my passion, grit, and resilience as constants.

My Two Cents

Whether you’re only starting to ponder a career in freelancing, or you’ve been in this world for quite a while, experience taught me these key ‘ammunitions’ to keep your boat steady.

Don’t Do Things Half-Baked

Yes, rewrites are common elements in any writing endeavor, but it pays to prime your deliverables right off the bat.  You save time from the back-and-forth and the client appreciates your dedication to revert with quality materials.

Be Thick-Skinned

It’s a dream to collaborate with clients who recognize that appreciative words are free.  But you will come across those who think otherwise.  When this happens, recognize that you can’t please everyone.  Provided you’re confident of what you delivered, personalities are just diverse.

Time Management Is Crucial

On some occasions, I’ve multi-tasked two to three projects at the same time.  If you’re new to freelancing, you might want to stick to one project at a time for a start.  While the prospect of earning more is enticing, you might compromise the quality of one or all the projects at hand.   Remember, quality almost always outshines quantity.

I only multi-task when the projects aren’t time-sensitive.  When you become confident about working on projects simultaneously, create a workable timeframe and be upfront with the concerned clients, which leads to my next unsolicited advice.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!

An open channel of communication eliminates potential hurdles before they become Mount Everest.  I’m not saying that all clients do the same, but it’s wise that you’re doing the end of the bargain.

Impersonation Only Works Well on The Stage

When we submit proposals to projects, it’s customary to populate them with reasons why we’re a good fit.   But there’s a thin line between pride and exaggeration.

NEVER claim expertise about something that you’re not.   Be upfront with what you can – and can’t – do.  Your clients will appreciate it, consequently building trust.  I should know because I gained clients that way.

Clients: The Good, The Bad, And the Ugly

The client pool is as diverse as our (freelancers) pool, but there’s a way to weed out the chaff.  Before submitting a proposal or responding to an invite (Yes!  There will come a time when clients encourage you to look at their projects), read through the client’s past projects.

Both clients and freelancers can optionally leave feedback once a project concludes.  Decide how to move forward from these invaluable insights from your co-freelancers.

Similarly, while it’s ‘safer’ to interact with clients with a project portfolio, don’t be quick in dismissing those who are new to the platform.  One of my steady clients, albeit seasonal, only signed up with Upwork a few days before we started collaborating.

The bottom line is, employ critical thinking before moving forward.  But sometimes, successful endeavors involve calculated risks.

Happy freelancing!