During our first couple of weeks in the CMPW program, we were given a presentation on how to begin a freelance career. The possibility was immediately interesting to me – an introvert who finds it incredibly stressful commuting and has always felt that I would work better in the comfort of my home than an office. During the final days of classes, I daydreamed about getting started with freelance work after my field placement.
Shortly after my classes end, COVID-19 shut Centennial College and the whole world down. All field placements became 100% remote, something no one could have anticipated, and I was offered a work-from-home proofreading and copyediting opportunity. As social distancing made office work for non-essential businesses an impossibility, I found myself enjoying the freedom that working from home, on both my placement and my freelance work, gave me. I found it surprisingly easy to stick to a routine – waking up after getting enough sleep, having my morning cup (or more often, cups) of coffee, signing in to do my work for the day, then finally, signing out and leaving tomorrow’s work for tomorrow.
I had heard horror stories about working from home, and I’d be lying if I said they didn’t make me nervous. I heard how hard it can be to unplug from your work for the day, how lazy you can get with unlimited access to Netflix and all your comfiest clothes, how working in the same space that you spend your free time in can negatively affect your mental health. Having all that in the back of my head, I was almost surprised to find how easy it all came to me. Waking up in the morning and knowing I didn’t have to spend time getting “office ready”, packing a lunch, and commuting to work made me happy.
I set designated working hours for myself, but if last minute urgent work came in, I would adjust those hours. I went easy on myself when I needed to, for the sake of my mental health during a global crisis, but managed to push myself, too. During my lunch breaks, I had the time to make myself fresh food and sit on my balcony to recharge my batteries with a book and a cup of tea. And at the end of the day, all I had to do was shut down my computer and make the commute from my desk to the couch.
I certainly didn’t expect that the pandemic could possibly have a positive effect on me, but I’ve found myself feeling grateful, in some strange way, to have been given a trial run in working from home. I can now say with confidence that I want to pursue a freelance career, and that this lifestyle makes sense for me. And when this nightmare is finally over and we can go out for drinks on a Friday night or to a movie on a Tuesday, I’m sure I will appreciate it even more.
If you’re also thinking about a freelance career but are worried about some of the negative statements about it, I highly suggest giving it a trial run to see if it works for you. This is the kind of career that you won’t know is the right fit until you try it on for size. If you love it, pursue it – and if not, at least you can say you tried.