Palawenya Tattler

Freelancing is not a new thing; it simply gained popularity after the pandemic.

In this world where work-life balance is easier to maintain, the challenges are many. First of all, it was uncharted territory…so there wasn’t a lot in the way of support or protection. Second, because you are a contractor of services, you are fully responsible for any problem that arises. Third, there is no guarantee of work after the last gig.

Fast-forward to the post-pandemic era…it is no longer uncharted territory, but you are still a contractor fully responsible for delivering what you promise, and there is still no guarantee of work after the last gig, esp. with so many freelancers nowadays. The good thing is that, despite the rising number of freelancers, the need seems to rise along with it. That is why the community of freelancers is such a vibrant giving community. In the Philippines, we call it #DigitalBayanihan.

Of course, it is worth mentioning that most clients retain long-term relationships with reliable and consistent freelancers. Some even provide additional perks such as medical insurance and bonuses. And then there’s remote work…which is what really surged after the pandemic. It rose with the realization that productive work does not necessarily mean physically supervised work.

Ask any freelancer who is a parent and they will tell you that the benefits outweigh the risks. Time is the ultimate luxury…so family time lost is not something large corporate paychecks can make up for. So if you’re not getting a fat paycheck for your brick-and-mortar type of job, the decision is a lot easier to make.

For the millenials, it’s the freedom to move around and get on with life (travels, events, and experiences) while funding the lifestyle.

For most of the creatives, it is having a platform that pays for their ingenuity.

I’m using an AI-generated photo again because I just wanted to point out why creative freelancers need not worry about AI. I’ve coached the photo generator at least three times to bring down the table’s height to where it would make sense ergonomically; and I’m pretty sure you can see many other things that I finally gave up on. Note that I’ve made five revision requests to get to this, and I’m still not happy. The human touch can never be replaced.

Can you think of other reasons why someone would take an interest in freelance work over the structure of a traditional job?