The difference a decade makes
I’m not usually the sentimental type. But sometimes the urge to look back grips me and my mind turns to the past. Sometimes it’s to reflect on triumphs. Sometimes on mistakes. There’s always a lesson to be learned, or I can find a a solution or a new approach to a problem.
This time around, though, it was a reflection of how my writing career has evolved and mutated over the last 10 years. It’s been a long, interesting trip. To say the least. A few ups, as many (maybe even more) downs, and a gradual change in focus.
The situation then
At this time in 2000, I was embarking on what were going to be two of my best years as a freelancer. Even though I was working full time for a software company (and would jump ship twice in the space on 10 months), I still found the time to write for a number of newspapers, magazines, and online publications.
Between 2000 and 2001, I’d published a total of 78 articles and had done quite a bit of freelance report writing and technical writing. In fact, in both years what I’d made as a freelancer equalled between a third and a half of my full-time salary. My confidence, never really that high at the best of times, soared. I figured it was time to do what I’d wanted to do for years.
During late 2000 and early 2001 I began plotting my exit from the full-time world and a move into full-time freelancing. The plan was simple: by late summer or early autumn of 2001, I’d stop working for The Man and become The Man — master of my own destiny, best boss I ever had, all of that stuff. But, as always, plans (whether simple or not) run into problems.
The wrench thrown into the works
And it was a pretty big wrench, too — the dot-com crash. I was laid off my full-time technical writing job; I did get a good severance package, though. But a lot of my freelance work dried up. Online publications went belly up. About.com, where I was a Guide, axed a number of sites including mine. Clients were holding off on projects and some of them went out of business.
While I did manage to pick up a little freelance work here and there, it wasn’t enough. And, looking back, I probably didn’t push myself hard enough to find gigs. They were out there, but I didn’t dig deeply enough to get them.
So, I did what many people do in this situation: found another full-time job. Technical writing, again. But I found it less fulfilling than I did before. There are a variety of reasons for that, some of which involved me and some of which involved my then employer. Suffice it to say I wasn’t a happy camper. I did my job and did it really well but I was Mr. Cranky Britches a lot of the time.
When everything changes
And for once I was ready. I met a couple of other writers who had skills complementary to mine. They had the kind of passion that I let dim in myself. That revived another idea I had, and after a bit of planning we started our own company. We operated in stealth mode for a few years, taking on small projects that we could do on our own time. Then everything started reaching critical mass in 2007.
Is everything perfect? Of course not. Could things be better? Yes, and they will. That’s not to say everything’s bad; it’s not. I just want to do and achieve more.
To be honest, if you told me 10 years ago that I’d be doing what I’m doing today I’d probably … well, probably have launched a stream of laughter, punctuated by a bunch of foul words, your way. Don’t get me wrong: this isn’t a case of just settling for what I have or chasing money. It just took me a while to figure out that I actually enjoyed what I was doing, and that I enjoy it more when working for myself.
Do you have similar experiences? Feel free to share them by leaving a comment.
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