Freelancing is harder than it looks, Ikea’s air purifying curtains and Webster Hall reopens

Welcome to our weekly dispatch for creative professionals wanting to know what’s happening in New York City and beyond. If you like what you read, don’t forget to hit ‘subscribe’ above. Let’s dive in:

The downside of freelancing. Whether it is by choice or simply that circumstances dictate it, most creative professionals have at least dabbled in the freelance lifestyle. Those who have yet to try it may be surprised to know that the flexibility and autonomy frequently espoused by its evangelists often comes at a price. Freelancing can be lonely as workers toil in solitude and battle feelings of insularity and rudderlessness. Then there’s the issue of budgeting and the uneven nature of payment collection, which can be supremely challenging. This week, we put the call out to LinkedIn members from the creative design world for their thoughts on the freelance life.

Shelly Edwards outlined some of the challenges: “For me, the toughest part of being a freelancer is the interruptions. Friends and family stop by because you are ‘home,’ which many times gets me off track. I also have to say ‘no’ more often than I would like. All in all, positives outweighs the negatives, but in all honesty, some days are a real struggle.”

Graham Nelson has also endured some ups and downs:  “It’s a mixed bag, for sure. It can be solitary if you keep a home office. I used to joke that I finish the workday as a feral creature, unsure and skittish around other humans. Then I found myself yearning for client calls, and the joke suddenly got way too real. Then there’s the great, gripping fear once a job concludes: will I ever get another one?”

Christopher Swirski says he has worked full-time (in-house), freelance (home office) and also full-time (remotely-home office): “I’m a bit of an introvert, so I personally welcome the solitude and do my best work solo without all of the office distractions. When I freelanced, it was difficult to keep the train moving because the frequency of work was inconsistent. Also, paying for your own benefits and making estimated income tax payments was no fun.... My favorite way to work is full-time but remotely. That way you get the best of both worlds.”

Amy Santee reflected on client expectations: “It’s unfortunately tough to get clients to understand there is a lot more involved than just the hours you work and the end result. (With) biz dev, expenses, health insurance, etc. (to take care of), freelancers have the right to make at least the same money as in-house employees.”

For his part, Garrin Evan was positively ebullient about the freelance life: “I worked stable corporate marketing jobs for 30 years and was absolutely miserable working in cube farms. I will take the tradeoffs of being a freelancer any day over a steady paycheck and soul-sucking work. 10 minutes too long on a lunch break earned me a corporate death stare. Oh heavens!”

Are you a freelancer? Do you yearn to be your own boss? Join the conversation here.

Ikea’s future thinking. Ikea — the Swedish retail behemoth renowned for its slavish devotion to accessible design, flatpack furniture and stringently maintained one-way foot traffic plans in its stores — has had a busy month. First came news that it’s moving into the burgeoning furniture rental market. The move, it says, is merely one plank in a larger philosophical shift embracing sustainability. It encompasses an overall move “towards a circular economy that includes refurbishing and re-selling products.” And this week, Ikea unveiled plans to sell air-purifying curtains starting next year, made of a fabric encased in a photocatalyst solution “that’s activated when natural or artificial light passes through it.” According to Ikea, its designers teamed up with scientists on the curtains, which aim “to break down common indoor pollutants like odors and formaldehyde.”

An East Village landmark returns. Webster Hall, the art deco-inspired club and live music venue located near Union Square, shut its doors in 2017 for extensive renovations. This week, the theater’s new owners (who are also the proprietors of Brooklyn’s Barclays Center) announced that Webster Hall will begin hosting shows again in May. Housed in a building originally constructed in 1886, in previous decades the 1,400 capacity venue has hosted bands such as U2 and Depeche Mode as well as numerous hedonistic club nights. The latter will be less of a focus for the new owners, who have posted a schedule of gigs through summer on their revamped website.

Building with robots and drones. In South Korea this week, Dezeen reported that the architecture firm Melike Alt?n?sik is planning to build its Robot Science Museum in Seoul with, yes, mostly robots and drones. Robots will be relied upon to build a curved metal facade for the building, which the local government is commissioning “to educate the public about robots.” Other elements of the construction will be “moulded, welded, assembled and polished by robots,” and the, ahem, concrete landscaping will be manufactured by a 3-D printer. The firm will muster the services of drones for “mapping, site inspections and to control robotic construction vehicles.”

Summer’s coming. Although Coney Island is not at its most hospitable this time of year, in just a few months it will be brimming with music lovers. The organizers of the misleadingly-titled Greatest Day Ever Festival — which curiously runs over two days, on July 13 and 14 — have announced their line-up of acts for the summer. Pusha T leads the charge, along with Carnage, Zeds Dead, Snakehips and Nina Las Vegas. Tickets are on sale now.

FOMO: What to do in NYC this weekend

It’s Oscars weekend. Most movie houses around the city are embracing the event, but the Nitehawk Cinemas in Prospect Park and Williamsburg are our choice for some last minute homework before the ceremony. With the exception of “Black Panther,” which is already streaming on Netflix, they are showing all of the Best Picture nominees over their two venues. Visit https://nitehawkcinema.com/

Meanwhile, in a bid to make the most of the spectacular Oculus that anchors the Westfield World Trade Center, the Tribeca Drive-in series — an outdoors staple in the balmy months — will head indoors this weekend. Films will be screened for free under the Oculus and food and drinks will be for sale, including presumably, popcorn. This weekend features screenings of the classics “Hugo,” “E.T.,” and “Finding Neverland.” Visit https://www.westfield.com/westfieldworldtradecenter/dinner-and-a-movie

One of the more intriguing performances at the recent Grammy awards came from enigmatic British singer James Blake. His unique vocal stylings, augmented by his inventive writing and production, have helped him build an impressive decade-long career in indie-pop. Blake is a strong performer live and should comfortably fill the cavernous Terminal 5 space on Sunday and Monday. If, as expected, tickets sell out, Stubhub is likely your best bet. Visit https://www.terminal5nyc.com/

New York City loves to dance, even in the frigid months of the year. This weekend’s New York Dance Festival at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan offers something for everybody with ballroom, Latin, rhythmic, and cabaret performances on tap throughout the weekend. Visit https://www.nydancefestival.com/

For something slightly different, the futuristic, multi-level gaming haven VR World is a solid option to wile away a couple of hours in these cooler months. For $39, you’ll get two explosive hours to run rampant over several levels of gaming areas viewed from the confines of a set of gaming goggles. What could be more fun? Visit https://vrworldnyc.com/

And finally…

The passing of fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld this week has left many in the fashion industry asking, “What’s next for Chanel?” Virginie Viard, Lagerfeld’s key lieutenant and company stalwart, has been named to take over for the brand as its new creative director. We’re curious: what do you think of Viard’s appointment? Do you think she should follow the lead of her former boss or boldly attempt to forge her own path? What direction would you like the storied fashion house to take? Join the conversation here or in the comments below.