Welcome to Writer Rants–where every Friday a writer just lets loose on whatever the heck is bugging her this week. Enjoy.
Sometimes I wonder if clients remember that writers are not available 24/7. We are not sitting at the computer with bated breath waiting for the next order nor do we work continuously without stopping. We are regular people with lives, families, and stress like everyone else. We need to eat, take breaks, and even take a vacation from time to time. We are not robots!
While I understand that our clients are not necessarily on the same time zone as us, I become disgruntled when they do not realize that weekends are approaching or that we can’t always get back to them immediately. After all, we may be sleeping! As a matter of fact, many freelance writers have chosen this profession for the flexibility it offers allowing them to care for small children, take care of ailing parents, or accommodate another job or school. Making the assumption that a content writer is always sitting at the computer is not a good idea.
Living the Reality
One of the reasons that I chose a freelance life is because I used to run a retail store. While I still am required to fulfill deadlines, I can choose which projects I want to work on and pass on those that interfere with my priorities. This doesn’t mean that I don’t work hard; it means that I am in charge of my life. I can take the time to help my teenage daughter prepare for college, relax with my husband in the evenings, or even take a day to recharge my batteries.
I love being a freelance writer. I have always enjoyed interacting with customers in any setting, and I still have the ability to create. Spending part of my day creating fulfills a need that I have and gives me peace. However, I do my best work when I pace myself, taking the time to put my personality into what I write. I have learned after over 20 years of being an artist, that if I enjoy what I am devising, then other people will get enjoyment out of reading, seeing, or wearing what I produce. Therefore, I want to form a partnership with my clients and work with those clients who value my work as the result of a lifetime of painstaking craftsmanship.
Finding Contentment
I have learned how to find contentment within my own life and it comes from the balance of work, family, and the expression of myself in a variety of art forms. Whether I create jewelry, paint, or write, I can exercise the need to forge something new through expression. Expression gives me the energy to work and work provides for my family. It is my humanity that imbues me with the ability to write well which brings me back to the beginning. I am not a robot and if you respect me as a writer, you will get the best result from working with me. In return, I will respect your humanity and give you my best work.
Paula A is writer by day and a voracious reader by night. She is currently trying to keep her house clean and her mind uncluttered…or is it the other way around? She specializes in sales and marketing, hazelnut lattes, and admiring local art.
