The Freelancer's Tightrope Walk: Balancing Creativity and Financial Stability

Being a freelancer or creator in Europe is like walking a tightrope. On one side, you have the freedom to create and express yourself without the constraints of a traditional office job. On the other side, you're constantly balancing the need to make a living with the desire to do work that you're passionate about.

Every day is a new adventure. You never know what's around the corner and what kind of project you'll be working on next. It almost feels like being a chef in your own kitchen, having the freedom to cook whatever you want, but still having to make sure the food is good and that people want to come and actually eat.

But like all adventures, being a freelancer or creator comes with its own set of challenges. And it all starts with the issue of financial stability or simply 'financial freedom'. Unlike a traditional job, where a steady paycheck is guaranteed, you have to constantly hustle to find new clients and projects. You are indeed a farmer, who plant the seeds, but never knows when the harvest will come.

Challenges are manifold, but almost every freelancers faces the lack of a support system. When you're working for yourself, there's no HR or Finance department to turn to or coworkers to vent to. It's almost like alone on an island. But, just like on an island you have to be self-sufficient and find ways to adapt.

And then there is the baseline to everything: how to stay motivated and inspired. When you're not working on a project that you're passionate about, it can be easy to lose sight of why you actually became a freelancer in the first place. Every musician has to eventually go through it: Playing in small bars before you get to play on big stages.

Despite these challenges, 78% of freelancers say they "do it so they can be independent". Freelancing is indeed a rewarding and fulfilling career choice. It's like climbing a mountain, the view from the top is worth it.

But it is important to remember that achieving financial freedom as a freelancer is an ongoing challenge. It takes time, patience, a lot of hard work and the right support system.

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do". Steve Jobs