Freelancing 'til when?

When I was in my third year of college, I began working as a freelance writer for an Australian website. I wrote hundreds of articles. I did this until I finished my studies and it has helped me pay for projects and allowed me to spend a little more on food. I only stopped from doing freelance work when I began my shortlived career as an account associate at TeamAsia. Then I went back to doing freelance work and it has brought me to places I've never been, meet very important people and allowed me to buy things I never thought I could afford. More importantly, it gave me complete control over my time.

A corporate slave can only wish for what I can do in my spare time (which is a lot mind you). I can do what I want--sleep late, wake up late, meet friends for lunch or dinner, watch a movie in the afternoon--provided that I finish my tasks early. Right now, I am handling two online jobs, I still write for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, a few PR projects and I host every now and then, but I still have time to manage the house, walk the dog and go to lunch with friends. 

But when you've been doing freelance work for a long time, especially if it's mostly online, it tends to make you want to stop every now and then. There are days when I feel that I'm getting tired of what I'm doing and wish to take a day off and I've done that. I went on leave for a day without actually going on leave. I just made sure that my superiors can reach me whenever they have questions about my work (I haven't done that in a long time). 

Also, there's a thought that never seems to stop bugging me: stability. Obviously, I can't do freelance work forever. The money is really good, but only when there are projects. There are days when I think of working for a bigger events firm like Eventscape or maybe go full-time at NCCA. Or finally working for a magazine. The money may not be as good as what I'm earning now, but there is stability there, experience and professional growth eventually. Besides, what purpose will my degree serve if I do not work full-time for a company?

Hold on. I did not study to become a corporate slave, did I? A degree is a privilege not given to everybody, but does that mean we have to do what society expects us, college graduates, to do and slave twenty to thirty years for a couple of companies? Nothing's wrong with doing freelance because a freelance job is still a job and it does not mean we should only give a fraction of what we are capable of to finish it. My work still gets criticized, we still get feedback (sometimes too much) and we learn from them. I'm not very different from my contemporaries in the corporate world.

But the nagging thought of stability is still there and after giving it much thought, I realized that it all boils down to lifestyle. It's the only thing that's keeping me from leaving my freelance posts. So the questions now is: when will I be ready to give up the lifestyle I have grown to enjoy and go back to the corporate world? Something I'll have to answer soon.

Interpretations

In the Mood For Love - Yumeji's Theme by Shigeru Umebayashi

Two young women walk down a cobblestone street with trench coats, bright scarves and colorful paper bags. They seem like they are having a wonderful conversation. They pass through the town streets, looking at stalls of ripe fruit and Persian cloth. It is a cloudy afternoon. They go to a cafe, sit, and order their favorite coffee. Cars pass by swiftly. From the other side of the road, a boy quickly looks from left to right and takes his first step into crossing the narrow street. He gets to the other side and sees one of the women. He feels a sudden burst inside his chest. He could not breathe, he could not speak. Everything around him begins to slow. His entire world dawns upon the clear vision of a face he has never seen before. He sees her beautiful brown hair, her luscious red lips, her almond-shaped eyes, and her perfect teeth. It was a vision. Pristine. Wonderful. Everything around him becomes a blur. The only clear image is that of the woman in front of him. He could hear her laughter – it is music to his ears. She moves a bit, unintentionally showing her perfect white legs and thighs. The wind caresses her fresh face and lifts her brown locks slightly, revealing her perfect neck. Her bosom is round and full, though hidden beneath from him and from the rest of the world. Her delicate fingers gently touch the length of her tall brown cup. Steam rises from the drink as she gently lifts it to her supple lips. The white foam touches her lips. The boy breathes heavily. His own temperature rising. He stiffens. He looks at her with intent, thirst, and desire. She turns to him as if to answer his call and she gives a nod, her smile present. Her eyes are bright and inviting as day slowly gives way to night.

*Interpretations is piece I wrote during my freshman year in college for our creative writing class. We were asked by our professor to listen to the song and write what we imagine to have happened. It was one of my favorite activities back then. Thank you, Prof. John Paul Abellera!