Tag Archives: Freelance

Society’s Restrictions

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I’m in deep thinker’s mode again lately trying to figure out what I want and where I want my life to be. To be honest: I have no idea, I’ve felt totally lost for some time already. I was thinking and trying to trace back when I started to have this feeling of uncertainty. I realised it was years ago when I was told that by law I no longer could do the work that I love so much and that I was forced to have a career change due to the results of an accident I had in combination with the perfectionist attitude which caused RSI.

This is the moment things went into too many different directions, I lost focus and I lost part of what was the creative me. I lost it because of the system in the Lowlands because of what politicians decide in The Hague. I was ‘officially approved disabled’ and if I would continue to do my work I would suffer the consequences: no compensation money. So I had to change career and became a System Operator and started an evening job teaching, passing on my knowledge to others, which I enjoyed very much.

The evening job turned into a day job and I moved away from being a Sysop because of this manager feeling threatened by the fact that a woman with a brain and looks too, knew more about technical stuff than he did. In order to satisfy his insecure machismo he felt the urge to pester me until I made a tiny mistake which -as we say in Dutch- led me to the guillotine even though I corrected it straight away he’d found something to complain about to the director who took his side so I quit the job: I have pride and dignity.

Teaching and giving support to people was a great way to stay linked to my former line of work and stay updated. I really enjoyed this work but it didn’t pay the bills and I didn’t get a well earned raise in all the five years nor extra hours and I felt extremely unappreciated and not valued by the board of directors. The reason why I stayed was because of the people I worked with, they made the job so much fun. Wonderful colleagues are priceless and some of them and some of the students are still part of my circle of friends.

Back to where I started.

I realised I never really completely let go of the work-that-I-wasn’t-suppose-to-do and because of that I became ‘unfocused’. I wanted to do what I loved most but on the side… So my CV changed and because of its diversity I’m now in a catch 22. Society needs to think in structures and grids, I no longer fit any of these structures and that’s what I have to face and deal with. I absolutely love design work but when I apply for jobs, they reject me because of the diversity of my CV and their narrow-mindedness and prejudiced views.

So I either need to focus one hundred percent on the freelance jobs or I need to start a ‘new career’ from scratch and if so… in what? I still have a Moleskine with a plan, perhaps it’s time to pick it up again, jot down more notes and make more sketches? I think I should let go of the grids from the past and start a new one and find some silly job just to pay the bills in the meantime until my Moleskine is full and I’m ready to visualise the new grid. Or until I’ll be getting more freelance work in…

Anyone needs a professional website or anyone you know? I’m really good at what I do!

Ain’t I lucky!

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I didn’t get much sleep Monday/Tuesday night because I had one of my work fits again so I stayed up till 04.00 in the morning to finish a website for my wedding photographer friend in Scotland. I had an appointment with the dentist at 10.45 who is situated at the High Road. Since last week I have been working on business cards for the glove company based on the design I did for their eCommerce website. I sent them a quote along with my terms and conditions translated from ‘lawyer Dutch’ into ‘lawyer English’ language thanks to the skills of MvdM. He translated my version while I was at his place for lunch to discuss business, last week. I’ll design the bi-monthly email newsletter for his stock photography company! *yay!*

Back to yesterday: while I walked down the High Road I passed a large window covered with several posters and one particular poster caught my eye although it wasn’t very clear what the place was about. The poster referred to having business cards printed so I wondered if it was a print shop. I noticed another poster which said that they were looking for a part-time graphic and web designer. I still couldn’t figure out the deal so I went in and asked the woman at the desk if she had a price list after I asked her about foil print and spot UV varnish. She couldn’t answer my questions but a guy came from behind the partitioning wall. He must have overheard my conversation using jargon that the woman didn’t understand.

He answered my questions and offered me a generous discount on the business cards. I told him I’d moved from Amsterdam just over two years ago and that I’d never noticed this place before. He asked me something in a weird language that I somehow recognised: I understood what he was saying but I thought I misheard. Then the penny dropped, it was South African so I answered him that I was good. Too funny… He asked if I’d seen the sign on the door about the web designer and if I was interested. I told him I was but I explained that I really should send him my CV so he could have a proper look at it. I did show him the website that I had been working on all night and several others.

The conversation went really well and both of us were extremely enthusiastic about the whole thing. So today I will go over there to discuss a quote for the business cards, give him my CV and show him my portfolio.

Ain’t I lucky!?

I tell you I was extremely hyper yesterday when I got home… And the cool part is that I found out that this place is part of a social plan organised by the borough I live in to develop local businesses. So, it seems I have finally found my way into the local community. Even if I wouldn’t get this freelance position I still have found a good printer who’s only an eight minutes walk from home. I know it sounds weird but I finally start to feel that I’m settling in in a way. This opportunity will open so many doors for me and not just business-wise also social-wise and I’m really excited about it! The Universe has wicked ways of showing me that patience will be rewarded *hehe*

Latest update: I’ve got the job, I’m now their official graphic and web designer, all freelance and with a steady flow of work coming in. I think that calls for a tiny celebration *hehe*