a brief background
This time last year, I was approaching one year out of grad school and spent my days serving traditional afternoon tea in a fast-paced, competitive restaurant inside of the Boston Public Library. After work, I had failed interview after failed interview and felt like I was stuck behind everyone else on LinkedIn. Then, like a lot of people, I was laid off in March. A job search that was already penetrating my mind as hopeless just became more so with a global pandemic and looming recession.
After nearly 8 months of being laid off, I felt like I went through every stage of grief for the early years I envisioned for my career. I had no option but to face my fear of failure head-on and just cope with it. Being unemployed was somehow both boring and exhausting. But, it got easier. With so much free time on my hands, I did a lot of comparing where I am versus where I want to be.
Months passed, scrolling through job listings and applying to any role that I was remotely qualified for and I finally got a temporary position that was supposed to last for a few months. I am so, so grateful to have a job after last year, even though I did not accept a longer-term position. As the end date approaches, I’m back to wondering: What do I want to do with my time? What do I have to lose that I didn’t already one year ago?
I’ve been seeing a lot of people around me come to a similar conclusion - starting their personal brands, art projects and blogs. I recently downloaded the Clubhouse app too, listening to other passionate people discuss their goals has sparked some inspiration in me. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’d like to help other people follow their dreams, by helping creatives and entrepreneurs grow their brands (at least until I figure out a dream to pursue myself!).
I won’t lie, I don’t think it’s going to be easy. But I’m up for the challenge! I think there is so much opportunity for finding creative projects or employment online. There’s quite a bit of research I need to do to start with, but I want to take you along with me while I try to figure out the answers to some of my first questions:
Do I need some kind of license for this?
How do I file my taxes as a freelancer?
What groups do I admire/want to be a part of?
How do I find people who want to work with me?
If you have advice or resources that I can reference for my next posts to answer these questions, please reach out! I’d love to hear from other contractors or freelancers who might have some wisdom to pass along.
Thanks for taking the time to read this! Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
