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What Does Freedom (At Work) Really Mean?

Johnny
Posted: November 5th, 2008

I remember all the way back when I was sixteen years old, I had at the time a job which I thought had the greatest freedom that a job could possibly have. To an extent it still holds true to me today. You see, I worked in a rather rundown cheesesteak shop (without a sign I might add) inside a large shopping mall. The pay was borderline free for my employers here but I had it made.

I worked alone most times, made myself a sandwich when I felt like it, called my friends, gave free food to my friends once in a while and cut out early nearly every day I worked. Don’t tell mom but I even drank beers from next door in the back room. I probably would have worked there for free if they would have inevitably fired me (which they didn’t).

Although this wouldn’t fly in today’s place of employement (that sandwich shop did close down by the way) we still have an idea of what kind of freedoms are ideal for us in the workplace. Can you picture a drunk tank where you can clock in and sleep until you sober up? How about just coming in whenever you feel like it, having a two hour lunch or having a beer while you’re at a meeting?

It would seem our perception of freedom in the workplace is derived from wanting to skirt the rules our so-called superiors set for their employees which is true in a sense. Workplace freedom is, however, the desire to break free from the CONTROL that our employers have to place on us in order to for us conform and do our jobs.

Though I hate to use political references, you can view this employer control as a kind of socialism where your freedoms (to come in late, drunk, etc.) are suppressed for the productivity of the whole, which is the company. The downside to this is that it is totally necessary for a company to survive. OK, maybe there are exceptions like the Google campus, but we all can’t work there, can we?

Then there are the freelancers who would be the democratic adversary to the “socialist” company. A freelancer’s freedom, however, isn’t what you’d expect. Sure, you can expect to sleep in and wake up hungover once in while but what you would actually consider freedom in the workplace actually becomes a distraction to the freelancer.

Control for a freelancer is not placed in the hands of another but within himself. It is ironic that this complete control often drives new freelancers to quit and go back to their jobs. After all, YOU have to look for your own work, manage your own business and make sure you are making ends meet and then some so you can continue. This is all on top of the actual work you do. This added responsibility often drives people to quit freelancing or to not even start at all.

The truth is freelancing does have it’s learning curve and there are certainly going to be times where what you are earning will become an issue. The way to deal with that control, however, is to use it to your advantage. In other words, learn the ropes, take your punches and keep on rolling. I’ll admit that it’s easier said than done but when the end of that learning comes near you won’t regret it. Only then you’ll see what freedom at work really is.

Category: General Rants
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The Revolution Will Not Add You As A MySpace Friend

Johnny
Posted: October 19th, 2008

I hate to admit it, but I think I’m stuck as a part of the product that evolution has brought about our world. In other words, I’m glued to a 19″ flatscreen for a good chunk of the day… every day. On one hand, I’m employed, earn a living and can keep in touch with friends rather easily (I’m residing in Spain). I look into the flatscreen, type a few keystrokes and checks come in the mail on time every month. What a concept, huh?

Though I do not take for granted my means of supporting myself, I do loathe my dependancy on computers to the point where I notice it and try to somehow break free of the habit. Think about it… what’t the first thing you do when you wake in the morning? Check email? News? ESPN? Yep, I’m guilty of all of those.

I got rid of my TV long ago just for this reason. To take up other “creative” outlets such as reading, learning Catalan and mastering my flamenco guitar. The sad news (or pathetic) is none of which has been realized. The reality is that just the internet has taken the reins of occupying my free time. I have no idea of why the NBA draft intrigues me 2000 miles away and without actually having seen an NBA basketball game in six years.

For starters, I’ve decided to take control and start writing, as you can see. Quite ironic since it still keeps me in front of the flatscreen but, hey, a start is a start. It’s funny, but I do notice a change in my way of thinking and I am slightly more motivated to tackle those previously mentioned outlets. One thing and one day at a time I have to keep telling myself.

One thing is that I’m very lucky to live in a rather large city (Barcelona) that isn’t modern, by American (or MySpace) standards anyway. People here communicate face to face. Not through some rented website message board. Blackberries are still common, but amongst the yuppies. The “hip” community looks down on it though as if it were a tool of the devil. The most popular of advanced technology around these parts is blasting reggaeton mp3′s from a cell phone. It’s rather cheesy but luckily, for the sake of maintaining human interaction, it hasn’t progressed a whole lot further.

I am also glad to say I haven’t given in to all that MySpace or Facebook crap that I keep hearing about. I have amused myself and visited some of my friends pages, albeit anonymously. There’s no way to respond to them without creating an account myself but I’m still not selling myself out to those quite yet. My local friends around the hood in Barcelona hang around one of the fifty bars within a rock throw’s distance of my flat. Now that I like though it already opened a new can of worms which I won’t get into here.

Which now brings me to my point… I’m a freelancer and proud of it. We are a breed that sets ourselves apart from all the rest who are managed and kept on a short leash for the most part. OK, I hear those jobs at Google and pretty much whatever tech mega company aren’t so bad. I have my freedom though. The freedom to fuck off when I feel like it. The freedom to work a 50 hour week if I’m in the mood.

That freedom comes with the freedom to do something creative or good for mankind on your downtime. I’m checking up on the NBA draft on my downtime so I might as well be back giving tech support and hawking software at my old cubical job.

From here on out, I promise to be creative on my downtime. I’ll check a score or two for sure but if you see this article in an archive of hundreds of articles then that means I lived up to that promise. Check me on it if you will.

Category: General Rants
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Day 1 For A Freelance Blogger

Johnny
Posted: October 5th, 2008

I just got done with 8 hours of hard labor, also known as my job as a freelance programmer. I’m tired as hell but I’ve been putting off starting this blog for months on end. So dammit… I’m gonna start this thing now. So welcome to The Freelance Rant.

I’m Johnny. Nice to meet a new reader so thanks for dropping by.

If you happen to see a banana on the top of this page, I apologize for the blog design. I’m in the process of changing it. I figured it would be more productive to start this blog out and put off the design until someone complains.

I know there’s six trillion blogs out there and this will be the new drop in the ocean. Probably by chance, too, someone else may have a very similar blog that I don’t know of. That’s fine. I don’t really give a shit. Don’t even tell me about it. Even if it never gets traffic and my most loyal readers are viagra spammers, I’ll still carry on with this here diary of a freelancer.

OK, don’t get the wrong idea about this being a diary. My intention is create an outlet for some of the nuances of freelancing that me and every other freelancer has experienced in their careers. I may offer some advice, but the objective here is to humor, entertain and make light of our occupation. It’s also an outlet so there will be some creative ways to vent our frustrations… just you wait until future blogs.

Even though we’re freelancers and have all that freedom and shit, we take it too seriously sometimes. Some of us maybe all of the time. Well now is the time to kick back, drink that beer while you finish up that project and tune in. This is just the beginning.

Category: Welcome
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