Inspiration
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- puck
Set scene: Work place is dry and day in / day out the same uncreative design work. But, they pay good money and life's "extras" are affordible. The creative appetite within is growing less and less satisfied. The thought / dream of going solo or starting my own business is shadowed by the expenses I can currently afford. And the self consciousness of facing the "risk" involved.
Question: Has anyone (I'm sure there are many) who have been through this and can offer sound advice or stories of inspiration?
- neue75_bold0
yep, mos def feel your pain. I think 90% here do. there are many paths you can take, personally I have long-term plans so in the meantime, I deal with the rigamaroo and know it's all just a stepping stone and walk away from each experience knowing that I've learnt something valuable for whatever comes next...
- kingjulien0
spend the rest of your savings on drugs and booze and floozies and figure everything out when the fun has ended.
oh, wait. don't do that. yes, don't go on a binge and ignore the situation.
yes, that is the moral here.
- ********0
HOLY SHIT....do I have split personalities and my other personality registered as puck on NT?
I'm going through the EXACT same thing right now.
I have been at the same place for a while now and had a 2.5 month break that ended a month ago. During that time I did freelance full time and LOVED IT....the money wasn't as good but the creativity and sense of purpose was well worth the difference. Then, I got offered too much money to come back and work here......sooooo, now I am working 2 full time jobs and am about ready to die but I have a SHITLOAD of money coming in....finally.
Do this....start adding in freelance work at night and on the weekends, see how you like it and if all is good then build it and keep building it until the point where you can sustain yourself on it and then leave the current position.
I am in the process of getting myself ready to go completely solo at the beginning of next year.
P.S. - Get used to the idea, at least initially, of cutting back on spending money on frivolous stuff.
- Jnr_Madison0
Do this shit when you still have the ambition in you, don't rely on thinking you'll always have the drive to want to do these things.
Act now, worry later...or like me, just hit the drugs.
- madirish0
P.S. - Get used to the idea, at least initially, of cutting back on spending money on frivolous stuff.
designaked
(Jul 25 06, 11:08)not trying to be a c0ck here naked, but i would like to think that everyone should have this attitude regardless of full-time or freelance or anything...
- nocomply0
I face this problem on a daily basis, but I am a coward and I have no social skills so I keep showing up to work.
- ********0
Irish - agree completely. I was commenting on puck's comment about the expenses he can currently afford. I was trying to let puck know that, initially, the lifestyle might have to be toned down a bit until things are established and work/clients are built up. I live a pretty simple life now so for me its just a given.
- Momentum20
so whats a simple life?
- madirish0
i hear you loud and clear naked. cool thoughts as well.
puck, i have been through this same exact thing as well. i think naked's advice.comments are spot on and really maximizing your current gig w/ your freelance/solo work is key (if possible). it also shoudl be done for a minumum of 3 quarters for a couple reasons;
1. that is what you will be working in and have deadlines for once you are on your own.
2. this is a pretty good measure of whaqt the taste of fully-independent life is like w/ the fluxuations in money coming in, and what your billing cycles could begin to look like. measureing these two things is very valuable against your quality of life, IMO.as for "what is a simple life?"- i feel it is where you are satisfied and challenged by your role and you essentially utilize from and return to the community only those items your family need to live efficiently as possible.
- Momentum20
nice comments mad
- ********0
nice stuff mad
- ********0
yep, mos def feel your pain. I think 90% here do. there are many paths you can take, personally I have long-term plans so in the meantime, I deal with the rigamaroo and know it's all just a stepping stone and walk away from each experience knowing that I've learnt something valuable for whatever comes next...
neue75_bold
(Jul 25 06, 11:05)"mos def feels your pain"
??
- tkmeister0
start saving instead of indulging on your extra whatever. live the lifestyle 10-20k less than what you actually make.
do freelance. have a set goal of how much you want to make on side.
start making an escape plan. don't sit on your butt and complain. risk is always involved no matter you have a fulltime or freelance. what we need to do is capitalize on the risk.
- puck0
Thanks for the responses and I have considered all these issues. Anyone here ever just balls out quit / gone solo and hoped for the best? According to my projected personal budget, I could save enough to live (just pay bills) for three months by January. Yet, I dont think I could build a client base / good folio by then.
Purhaps jump in head first while I am young and single, and hope things work out?
- Momentum20
Purhaps jump in head first while I am young and single, and hope things work out?
puck
(Jul 25 06, 12:01)its the best time to try... maybe get a part-time design gig and full-time freelance? Just so you know you'll have some income coming in?
- madirish0
thanks guys. just spouting from what i have experienced. i hope it can offer insight to someone else.
- nocomply0
I am probably going to balls out quit some time in the next year. I have been saving up for a while now.
I've tried balancing freelance + full-time work before, but it doesn't work out. I have literally 0% free time and become a stress basketcase. Then the gf starts yelling at me cuz i spend no time with her which doesn't help. So yeah, basically I'm going to balls out quit one day and make something happen. I've been working towards it for 2 years almost, so I think it will be well deserved. If I fail so what. It will make me a stronger person. At least I would have tried.
Of course, talk is cheap.
- tkmeister0
i left the job i was at for 2yrs after getting totally sick of it. working for a company that's ass-backward and trying help them wasn't a good idea. i was wasting my time. it's a long story but i wasn't in a good position.
i did 3month of freelance on side before my departure. had enough to go for 6months without any jobs.
i needed to build my folio again esp after not working on the agency side and doing a lot of b2b work, it lucked diversity and looked dry.
it's been 6months since i left. i re-positioned myself a couple of times to build a better folio. now, i make 30% more and on my day gig and my folio is looking better than ever.
i don't complain much about work especially after 2nd repositioning. i do freelance gigs on decent size $10k+ range projects so i don't go crazy doing lots of small projects.
quitting my job was the best thing i did.
- puck0
tkmeister -
Thanks for the Ispirational story. One day, just wishing it will be sooner than later.
- ********0
I am Mike's long term plan