Have The Passion For What You Pursue: Lynn Wong

“Having the passion for what you do is a big deal! Once you have the passion for what you pursue, all the right paths will open for you” – Lynn

I recently sat down with a dear friend of mine, Lynn, who is currently pursuing the life of a freelancer. Let’s step into her shoes and explore some honest truths, shall we? Hopefully this would pique your curiosity for freelancing and answer a few burning questions for those of you who intend to step into this arena. Happy reading!

What did you use to do before and what made you choose the freelance career?

Lynn: I was a video and film editor for the past eight years. I decided that the chapter was over for me because where I was in my industry and level, I knew it has come to a plateau in terms of learning curve, even if it means switching to another production company. Working in a video production house, you are constantly busy, even during weekends and sometimes up to 24 hours. I wanted to learn more and therefore stepped into the world of freelancing, which is a big decision I made for myself. Now, I am a freelance video editor, a part-time design assistant, and also turned my hobby of sewing and crafts work into a business.

How long has it been since you’ve gone freelance? And how are you finding the life at this moment?

Lynn: I’ve been doing it for four months now and still figuring things out on my own. I find it hectic, very hectic! I guess taking a leap from eight years in a company to becoming a freelancer is a HUGE jump, and nobody expected me to do it. I think freelancing for me is really high management as I had the luxury of time and manpower for my previous job. For example, if I can’t meet a deadline in my previous job, I can just assign it to someone else and that person would complete it for me. However as a freelancer, I’m doing EVERYTHING on my own, and it is a challenge. In term of finances, it is a different story too! 

Four months is considered very new, do you think you would go back to a full time employment? Are you having fun and never going back?

Lynn: It’s a bit too early for me to tell right now as I haven’t had a break since I quit. I’ve been constantly working and it feels like a full time job. It feels like I’m still working for a company, the difference is that it’s my own company and for MYSELF. For now I am enjoying it although it is tiring, but hey, at least I have time for myself. And have the choices to say no! Before this, it was harder and almost impossible to say no as the company was paying me to do the work.

What do you hope for in the near future, say in the upcoming months?

Lynn: To be more secure and relaxed. When I first came out, my freelance peers gave me a heads up that at the beginning stage, maybe two years or so, it is quite natural that I would want to accept all the jobs I can get. This is because you never know who will be your loyal client or whether you’d get jobs. So I guess for me, my hopes in the near future is to secure permanent clients, and with that be more relieved so that I don’t have to keep chasing jobs or keep accepting more jobs than I can handle.

What would you say to people who are thinking about embarking on this career?

Lynn: Don’t do it! (laughs) Just kidding. Think before you do it I mean. I’ve told this to many of my interns who are interested in becoming video editors. If you want to do something, do it whole-heartedly. If you are doing it for the sake of doing it, yes it might look perfect, but eventually you’ll feel like its not perfect and genuine at all, as it does not come from the heart. Having the passion for what you do is a big deal! Once you have the passion for what you pursue, all the right paths will open for you.

Lynn is a perfect example of a young creative freelancer and I had a fruitful time talking to her. To sum it all up, going on your own does not necessarily mean having more time, but it means having more control over your own time. I thank Lynn for sharing from her heart. Do check out similar stories like Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone or Time Management For A Creative Entrepreneur for more insights.