I just want to remember how I felt doing a recent little writing job, after a friend read the email I sent out about being on the hunt for a better job, and/or wanting to start freelance work.
My client was her marketing agency, for their client, a well-known fast food chain headquartered here in town. It was a tiny little job -- just writing some headline options for a menu board.
But it required me to be creative, which is something that has disappeared from my 9 to 5 these last 2 years. The first 13 years, I was writing articles for our magazine, and then for our websites; writing product descriptions, and even asked, from time to time, to come up with marketing content for promo campaigns. Relatable text, "punny" or pop-culture referenced, to catch attention. (Was it always used? No. Once the graphic designer got hold of it, she typically wrote her own text despite having asked me to provide something. That was frustrating.) But since 2023's mess, and budgets being slashed, and various other things taking place like corporate HQ deciding to do all the creative for all the countries, there's been nothing. I was worried my Creativity skill had run dry.
This project proved that wrong. :) I felt like I had good ideas. Some of them came to me in the shower. While driving. While trying to fall asleep. But there were ideas! And they were unique. I was asked to present 5-7 concepts, and I came up with 6, surprising myself (7 seemed like soooo many, I wasn't sure I would have it in me).
It was a welcome energy rush, I have to say. Made me feel confident, like I could do this freelance thing. Even more so when the agency came back with compliments, no notes. I only spent about half the time I had estimated for the project, which means I won't get paid as much as I would have liked. So that's a lesson for the future. But maybe... there's a future. At least on the side.
I'm not even sure I would fully focus on writing, if I tried to start up a business -- I'd rather do proofreading and editing, which I'm told is a skill that's in demand. But a gig is a gig! I'm proud of myself for the work I did, and kind-of hungry for more. It was nice to test the waters and be reminded that I CAN DO IT.
9 to 5 update: I have a new boss. Again. He's much nicer and much more capable than any we've had recently, so that's good. I know it's not good timing to be looking for jobs during the holidays, so that's on pause for now - I was looking pretty heavily from Aug-Sept. We'll see how I feel at the end of January; that should be enough time to tell about him. I hate that his coming on board has stalled my "Get Me Out of Here" momentum once again. But best to take it one day at a time, I suppose. Do my best, get paid. (Or, put another way: please click but NSFW hahaha I love this woman.)
