Cake it ’Til You Make it!

Freelancing is a piece of cake! (Said no freelancer ever). 🎂🍰💆‍🎉

As my first full year of taking myself seriously as an illustrating, graphic-designing, freelancer comes to a close, I took some time to reflect upon, and write about this crazy rollercoaster of the last 365 days. *LONG*, vulnerable, realness lays ahead — you’ve been warned!..⚠️🎨👩‍🎨🎈🤪👀💀🌈🍳✏️📓

Freelancing is not for the faint of heart. I repeat, not for the faint of heart. Sometimes I’m not even sure if it’s for me? But it’s what has felt right thus far. This path has challenged me in more ways than I’ve ever imagined — as a business woman, and as a human being. It has tested my patience, character, and creativity, and has allowed me to wear many hats (smiley-face berets included). It has encouraged me to look inward and ask some very hard questions in terms of what I want in and out of my career. It’s pushed me to set/slay some serious goals.

“I’m still learning to stop being so hard on myself, to celebrate small victories, and realize that rolling with the punches is all part of the game.”

In no way, shape, or form is freelancing ever glamorous or easy. With its ebbs and flows of workload, cut-throat competition, and learning-curve, it’s a constant rollercoaster of highs and lows. In one week I celebrated news that a campaign I worked on for CB2, ‘Give Hope a Home,’ had raised $33,851, double their goal and enough to furnish 11 homes (which is awesome)!

In that very same week I was navigating my way through a very challenging situation in which a client refused to pay me for work I poured my time and heart into simply because they didn’t like it. And while I gave it a damn good fight (contract included), sometimes you need to pick your battles, know when to cut your losses, and walk away. Sometimes it’s just not worth your valuable time and limited energy.

I’m still learning to stop being so hard on myself, to celebrate small victories, and realize that rolling with the punches is all part of the game. So at the end of the day (and at the end of the year) if you’re still excited to wake up and do it all over again, despite the ups and downs, then that’s all the more reason to keep your head up and keep hustling.

Whew, that sure is a lot and I may or may not have just accidentally written the bare beginnings of a memoir?!…(TBD)

If you’ve even made it this far, THANK YOU! You deserve a giant piece of confetti cake. *Inserts shameless plug here* and on a side note, I’m available for freelance! 🤓🔌🔌🔌

This story is published in The Startup, Medium’s largest entrepreneurship publication followed by + 375,985 people.

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