Joel Falconer has made it as a freelance writer. Looking back at his progression, he sees two things that motivated him.
First, he points to desperation: you have to feed the family.
“The best thing you can do is cultivate the motivation that is derived from this desperation and make it part of who you are. You don’t want to keep the desperation that comes with it, of course. That just leads to stress. But self-motivation is one of those key aspects of being a great freelancer.”
Second, he points to fighting off complacency:
“Don’t become complacent. Not now, not ever. Don’t get comfortable, and don’t get stagnant. Continue to challenge yourself, grow and explore new places and directions.”
July 20, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Thanks for the link and the mention! I hope the article has helped you in some way. There are a bazillion factors to freelancing success, but the fundamental factor is to work hard, and work passionately. Nothing puts off a potential client more than a writer who may be working hard, but produces work that is devoid of passion! Thanks again.
July 21, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Thanks Joel. Hard work is hard. Sure wish there were an easier way! My granfather always said, “If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.”