I must say it feels a little cruel to be writing this piece straight after my last one.   There I was, trying to get our Freelancer Club family all pumped up with ways of finding your rhythm when getting back to work, or should I say, figuring out how to let the rhythm find you.    I really can’t explain that feeling of empowerment, self-worth, and purpose that pulsates through you when you have that lightbulb moment as a freelancer. You feel indomitable.

In 1987,  Gloria M. Estefan told the world that “at night, when you turn off all the lights, there’s no place that you can hide, the rhythm is gonna get’cha.”  “In bed, throw the covers on your head, you pretend like you are dead, but I know it, the rhythm is gonna get’cha.” I won’t lie, these lyrics hit home with me—particularly coming out of the pandemic as a freelancer. So much of my life and routine have been ‘flipped-turned upside down’ (thank you Fresh Prince), and I lie wide awake at night trying to figure out how on earth I’m going to get “back into the swing of things” again, “find my feet,” and “get my groove back.”  Hey, would you look at that—those are all dancing idioms too.  Maybe Estefan has a point. Maybe all we need is the rhythm to find us freelancers too.

We’ve had a lot of fun in these past few articles, haven’t we?  - Click here for Article 1 - Click here for Article 2 We got to play make-believe and conjure up some outrageous scenarios such as clients paying a freelancer upfront the same way we all do for onions, bottles of stain remover, and our hairdressers—yeah yeah, I know…technically we pay them after the haircut, not upfront, but the same rule applies. C’mon! Cut me some slack, we’re on the same team here.

When we’re nine-to-five employees, it's not often, dare I say ever at all, where we get to choose who we want to work with. Our bosses pair us up in teams or throw us into group projects with others all under the same roof and give us an aneurysm by tasking us with delivering a piece of work together.

Okay, I’ll admit it, my onion analogy in my previous article was rather absurd—and I use this word strongly, not loosely. Yes, it’s ludicrous to believe that a client sees a freelancer as a physical consumer good and not an “intangible service” which can’t be detected by any of the human senses.  Or is it…? (in your best gruff movie trailer voice)  

Does John Lennon’s “Imagine” really need any introduction? I know the song, you know the song, the whole music-listening world knows the song, regardless of taste and preference. Actually, to go one step further, regardless of taste and preference—the whole music-listening world has abject respect for it.

Joy Adenuga is an award-winning freelance make-up artist and beauty brand owner based in the UK. She discovered her love for make-up while passing a stack of beauty magazines at the airport and was so inspired by the make-up artistry that she immediately resolved to get her name on the cover of a magazine one day. After a decade in the beauty industry, Joy finds herself living out her dream as she works with top names like Sarah-Jane Crawford and Ronald Cyler to create unbelievable make-up looks.

The Freelancer Club evolves with the demands and requirements of its members. So, here is your chance to tell us what YOU would like from your Freelancer Club in 2021/22. We read every suggestion and collate the answers for review.