Freelancing is an Emotional Rollercoaster

Are you normally a basket case when it comes to your emotions? Yeah? Well then, maybe the world of freelancing isn't for you. If you laugh in the face of your feelings, keep reading.

Let me just say, I've been at this for a few months now and I've very quickly learned some valuable insight into the world of freelancing. Don't get me wrong, I did my research before I jumped in, BUT word got out very quickly about my freelance services and I started getting clients before I even had a chance to settle in. Good problem to have, so I'm not complaining. Besides finding all the scary legal mumbo jumbo regarding taxes and such, there wasn't much information out there about how freelancing can affect you emotionally. So, here's what I found...

In my first few weeks I had a few clients, several projects, and things looked good. I had no doubt that what I was doing was the right thing for me and I could definitely make a living from it (not an incredibly lucrative living, but at least it would pay the bills). I sent out invoices for completed projects and then waited for more work to roll in. And waited. And waited. Ugh.

In the meantime, I worked on personal projects like getting my website up and running while also creating designs for my Redbubble store. A few projects came up, but they were small and I was quick to knock them out, leaving me with almost an entire week of no paying gigs and the looming thought of, "Maybe freelancing isn't for me."

And that my friends was the beginning of my rollercoaster ride. I started out at the top with tons of projects, promising clientele, and enough enthusiasm to make even my biggest fears hide in the dark. Then, I quickly descended to the valley of no projects and no income. It was there when the self-doubt kicked in. I started to think I wasn't good enough. I was just an amateur and all of those people who sang my praises were just as naive as me. It wasn't until 40 minutes ago when I received my seventh, that's right...SEVENTH new project this week that I realized something—freelancing is an emotional rollercoaster.

One week you think everything you touch is gold and the next you're wondering if you even qualify as a valuable member of society. Moral of the story: the quantity of your work doesn't define you. It's the quality of your life that counts. So what if a few weeks are slower than others?! Enjoy the free time and don't feel guilty about it! Next week, you'll be slammed with work and forgetting to eat lunch. Speaking of...I gotta go heat me up something yummy.