on freelance writing and the jobs i take

freelance writing has been a part of my life since i left the seminary and took on a few writing jobs for tuition money and allowance. at 19, i began writing, first for a local magazine and a few classmates lazier than i with their theses and reports. it was an easy and expedient way to make money -- i had learned early on never to make the same report in the same tone and voice. from there, it became a matter of survival, a dance of counting out what was left in my pocket against the next freelance project that came along.

i remember my first writing job. it was for sun.star weekend. it was a poem about writing at the late hours of the night, of light and darkness, and of stepping away from the life of merely being a student, to a new life of being responsible for myself. it was revelatory and refreshing. and erma cuizon, literally, opened a whole new world to me. she was my genie in graying hair and reading glasses that dipped down to the tip of her refined nose. and eventually, my friendship and association with fellow writers pointed me to bigger, more lucrative freelance projects.

the thing about freelance writing is that it's always better to do when you don't have anything steady to bank on. for someone whose main source of income was a steady job, doing freelance takes more resources and time management. i am not, i confess, adept at managing my time between work, doing freelance projects and attending to household details. always, there will be one thing that will be left behind. so, when i entered the world of online writing, it was an easy and expedient for me to concentrate on my regular work, and choose my freelance tasks when my time was available and if the project was practicable.

my last two projects were serendipitous -- as half of all freelance writing projects are -- and truly enjoyable writing experiences. (i value enjoyment in freelance writing, because if it's not something i enjoy doing, i'd rather not).

the first is dimension architects. it is a young architectural firm, but it was full of vibrance, enthusiasm and dynamism. they had vibrant and realistic plans and ideas for transforming the cosmopolitan's skyline. so, when they came to me through sean lapus, and explained their need, there was no hesitation. i knew i just had to do their marketing collaterals. i like working with young, emerging companies / individuals because they are open and welcoming, not set in their ways and are forward-thinking. they will not compromise anything in their pursuit of their vision and i find that very refreshing. it's always a good idea for a writer to be in the company of people who are active and dynamic, because it adds to their own experience and breaks down preconceived notions, not just about writing, but of what to write about.

niel quisaba is a joy to work with, i've always said. he is brimming with ideas and new insights that early on, i've decided not to put a price tag on our working relationship. his insights about his art and about life, in general, just adds loads of new ideas and perpectives to how i can approach writing. it's always great to work with him.

as i continue my writing career, i've realized that freelance writing should never be about worrying about where you'd get your next meal, or getting on from paycheck to paycheck. a full-time job should take care of those necessecities. freelance work should be enjoyable, and you must take on projects that you will take pleasure in doing, and derive personal satisfaction from.





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