5 Downsides of the Creator Life I’ve Learned After 13 Months of Self-Employment
Plus, some helpful antidotes
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Last year, one of my friends asked me how much time I was taking off over Christmas. “A couple of weeks, I guess. I haven’t thought about it.”
He smiled wistfully. “You’re living the dream, mate.”
I can see why he said it. I get to work from anywhere, anytime. I sometimes hike in the afternoons with friends. And I’m making the sort of money I used to dream about.
But I don’t want to paint a picture that’s just full of rainbows.
You see, there are downsides to being a full-time writer that I should tell you about. It would be irresponsible if I didn’t.
So here are five of them (plus some antidotes) if you want to try the Creator Life.
#1: “Happiness is to feel loneliness.” — Will Young (Song: Love Revolution)
As an introvert, I enjoy my own company, so I rarely feel alone.
But there are definitely times when I feel lonely.
Because so much of my time is spent in front of a screen, hours can go by when I haven’t spoken to anyone. I communicate with clients over email.
What’s the antidote?
You need a Third Place.
Writer and podcaster Kieran MacRae puts it wonderfully:
“Think Central Perk from Friends. If Ross gets bored, he can head to Central Perk and just hang out till someone he knows shows up […]
“When I got my dog, I thought I’d explore the Scottish countryside to find new adventures. But the real joy came from my usual walking route. I’d see the regular dog walkers and we’d stop for a chat. One of the old guys I see tells me all about the tractor he’s restoring. I love it.
“It clicked. It was these small acts of kindness I’d been missing.”
What are some rules for creating your own Third Place?
Kieran suggests the following:
It has to be somewhere public where you can linger without judgement (e.g. your favourite cafe, the gym, the dog park, a yoga class, church)
Go there at around the same time on the same days. Make the habit of going to your third place, and you’ll find people with the same habit.
Ask people’s names. Introduce yourself. Go out on a limb and say hi. “I’m terrible with names, but I always ask. Then I ask again when I forget. People don’t mind, and it makes things even more friendly.” — Kieran MacRae
#2: “I couldn’t buy an eye full of sleep” — Audioslave (Song: Show Me How to Live)
The lines between work and play get blurry when you go self-employed.
And the little voice in my head gets carried away.
I should be grinding as hard as I can. My competitors don’t stop. I can sleep when I’m dead.
It’s exhausting. Sometimes, I feel like I’m wasting my time if I’m not working every moment of every day.
The inevitable result?
Burnout.
What’s the antidote?
When I experienced burnout last year, I told my followers, and they rallied around with encouragement.
They also gave me suggestions.
Here are my favourites:
“Opt for you. Be gentle with yourself and be still. Let the magic find you. And it will.” —Alison
“Each time you transition between activities, hit pause, take your breaths, [and] decide how you want to feel as you do your next activity […] Some days, my purpose for the day is just, ‘Have a great day.’” — JD
“[…] maybe more isn’t your next goal. Maybe peace is. Maybe doing more of what you love and enjoy so that writing can become something you truly enjoy again.” — Atiyya
“It sounds like you need to take some time off to just live a bit and not think about a work schedule. Take a couple of weeks off, [or] take a month off if you have to. Just take it day by day and do some fun s**t!” — The Workers Den
“[…] What helped me was finding a new goal, something bigger than before. Something that I couldn’t achieve in a few years. Yes, it might take some time to figure out what’s big & meaningful that you can work towards again, but it’s worth it.” — Niki
#3: “Paranoia, paranoia, everybody’s coming to get me.” — Harvey Danger (Song: Flagpole Sitta)
When you’re an employee, you don’t have to worry about tax. It’s hacked off your salary before you get paid.
But when you go self-employed, you’re paid pre-tax.
It’s up to you to pay the tax man.
And that’s fine. I want to pay my way. We’re blessed with amazing public services in the UK, so it only seems fair.
However, because I actively pay my country’s government, I feel more concerned about where my money goes. And I get annoyed when the government pisses it away on pointless projects. (HS2, anyone?)
That’s about as political as I’ll ever get.
What’s the antidote?
There are two, really.
Save 30% of everything you earn
Hire an accountant
Obviously, different countries pay different levels of tax, so working with an accountant — at least in the beginning — is highly recommended.
#4: “Life’s a fickle game we play.” — Amber Run (Song: Fickle Game)
Guess what happened after I jumped into full-time writing?
Two of my “steady clients” ghosted me.
Occasional punches in the face are to be expected when you go into self-employment.
Try not to take them personally. Other opportunities will present themselves when you put in the work.
What’s the antidote?
Here are the conditions I recommend hitting before you hand in your notice:
A year’s worth of savings. Six months might be enough. Your gut will tell you.
Making at least $2,000/month online. This was enough to pay my bills. Your bills might be higher.
Work on a proven process for landing new clients. This told me that freelance writing is sustainable.
#5: “When the day that lies ahead of me // Seems impossible to face.” — Bill Withers (Song: Lovely Day)
Some days, I think, “What did I get done today?”
Other days, I think, “What did I have to eat?”
Balance is hard to achieve — if not impossible. There’s always more you could be doing. More work, more clients, more money.
I call it the self-employment paradox.
In theory, you get to choose your hours. But here’s the thing: When you switch off, you think you should be working. And when you’re working, you think you should take some time off.
What’s the antidote?
Sundays are for rest.
They’re the one day a week where I give myself permission to switch off completely.
This means I usually spend my Sundays sleeping, watching my favourite shows, reading, and going for long walks.
Takeaways
There’s no doubt that becoming self-employed is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I get to work where I want when I want, and I’m making the sort of money I could only dream of 13 months ago.
But don’t be fooled.
It’s not all dreamy, and there are things I miss about having a normal 9–5. Working in a team and not feeling the pressure to keep grinding spring to mind.
Then there are the things that worry me. They’re a constant, low-level buzz. Taxes. Clients ghosting me. The self-employment paradox.
Don’t get me started on AI!
So, would I change any of this to go back to the office life? I don’t think so. The pros outweigh the cons, but this may change in the future.
Either way, I hope you make this choice with your eyes wide open.
Want to ditch the 9–5? Get my free 19-page guide: Everything I Did to Quit My 9–5 Job & Transition Into Profitable, Sustainable Solopreneuring :)
