What if you didn't talk yourself out of it?
What if you actually started the freelance writing business you've been thinking about? What if you started that blog you've wanted to for years? What if you actually told people you're a writer (or artist or photographer or ___)? Quelle horreur! What's the worst that could happen? You fail? Big whoop.
Let me explain.
Not starting is stealing time from your future
You're not only not doing something: you're stealing from yourself. You're letting fear take up space in your head, stealing your confidence. You're telling yourself your goals and dreams aren't important and it's stealing your autonomy.
And you're stealing your own damn joy by not doing stuff you wanna do.
And worst of all? You're stealing money from future you. Potentially a lot of money.
Not starting a business when you've wanted to for awhile isn't a passive act. You are actively not choosing yourself. You are choosing to remain a bystander in your own life.
Trust me, I know! I never thought I could start my own business and even when I did, I never thought I'd be successful. That was for smart MBA types and rich people and basically anyone who wasn't a 30-something high-school-barely-graduate with a string of unrelated jobs and crippling anxiety and depression, right?
That was also before I was diagnosed with ADHD, hoo boy.
Why you should start now
The book that remains unwritten is always perfect, right?
Yeah, you're gonna suck.
Yeah, it's gonna be tough at first.
Yeah, you're gonna make mistakes.
Yeah, you're gonna doubt yourself 700 times (an hour). It's going to be messy. But it's going to be worth it.
And, honestly, you know what the biggest reason is? THE TIME WILL PASS ANYWAY.
Cliche, but true. I started freelancing when I was still working full-time, so I had the flexibility to try things, experiment, and not be pressured about money or paying my bills. A few years later, I was unable to return to traditional employment due to not having any childcare options for my medically complex twins. (Seriously, they weren't allowed to attend daycare, which should be illegal but isn't where I live, and don't even get me started on that ableism...)
Luckily, I had skills I could turn into starting my own business – marketing and writing – AND, crucially, the experience and connections from already starting years before. I'd paused my business during the last half of my unexpectedly very complicated pregnancy, so I had to find new clients again, but due to my past, I already knew how and was able to generate consistent income almost right away.
So even if you're scared now, you don't have to go 100% in (although you should, don't be a weeny). Start learning skills you'll need for your business, whether it's copywriting, design, or even boring accounting shit (it comes in useful, trust).
Take on a few projects, learn from the experience of estimating, quoting and delivering the work to your client. Refine your offering, specialty or process. Or, just start posting more about your industry on social media. Open a business social media account, post, comment, make connections, learn from others.
Small steps add up to big actions later on if you want (or need) to ramp up your business suddenly (e.g. layoff, or a pregnancy situation like me).
Even if you ultimately decide not to pursue being in business for yourself, you'll still learn valuable skills to use in your next career role. (Plus life skills like more about tax forms than you'll ever want to know.)
The only not useful thing in this situation would be to continue daydreaming about your fictional-for-now business without taking any tangible actions to make it a reality.
OK, so HOW do I start freelance writing?
I know, right? Easy for me to spout off and tell you to start when I'm where I am now, but I remember what it was like:
"HOW do I even start? Literally, what do I frickin' DO?!"
"How do I get my first freelance writing client? I don't even have a portfolio!"
"What should I write about?"
"Who would hire me?"
"What should I charge?"
"How do I deliver a project to a client?"
I got you. That's why I started this blog. I've been a freelance writer for 7 years now and for the last few years, have been in the place I only dreamed of:
I have awesome, high-paying clients who find me first.
A full-time income on my own terms.
Creative freedom, being sought out by my dream clients for my unique voice, without having to water down my style.
Learning new things daily and writing about my favourite topics: marketing, social media, tech tools, and apps.
So how did I get here? By making a ton of mistakes along the way, honestly.
And, learning from other freelancers and people "ahead of me." (Which is a gross expression because creative business isn't a competition, but you know what I mean: people who were where I wanted to be before I got there, too.)
I've always loved sharing what I know. One of my favourite parts of my pre-freelancer agency career was training clients on software tools, and having strategy meetings to brainstorm ideas for their business.
So that's what you can expect to find here: No-bullshit advice from someone who's been where you are, and templates and tools to get you where you want to be faster.
Plus? Bonus points if you're neurodivergent like me—I have ADHD—because there are some unique challenges to working for yourself when you struggle with executive dysfunction, time blindness, social anxiety and/or crippling rejection sensitivity. Perfect mix for freelancing, right? 😜
Take action today
What can you do right now to move yourself forward?
You can subscribe here, because this is only my first post and I'm going to be sharing a ton of resources going forward. (Shameless plug, yeah.)
You can make yourself a coffee and daydream about buying a vintage typewriter, if it helps your vibes.
You can write a post on LinkedIn, Twitter, or your social network of choice that you're taking on freelance clients and to email you to inquire. (Hey, takes 2 seconds and you never know who may reach out.)
Most importantly, you can start calling yourself a writer.
Because from now on, you are one, right?
However you decide to start, do it today.
