Waiting to exhale

That giant whooshing sound is me exhaling after three months of holding my breath waiting for work (freelance writing). The client that gave me most of my business last year just called with three projects starting in another week or two that should help me keep my head above water for awhile longer. The last work I had from them was in October, and I’ve had exactly three days worth of paid project work from other clients since November 1st. I also have a promising lead for a short piece for a new referral client (thanks again, TK!).

This falls on the heels of two and a half years of slow income. The first six months of 2001 I did my best business ever (I've worked for myself for 10 years), then it just stopped. I worked at half capacity (or half income) in 2002 and slightly more last year, at least until November. I’m not great at marketing myself – I keep in touch with existing clients and all my business has come from repeats and referrals. I did some prospecting that didn’t get me anywhere. The work wasn’t there.

I have a number of friends who regularly pounded down doors looking for work and couldn’t find anything. My last housemate got by on telemarketing work (I got dragged into some heavy wine-consuming evenings as a result!). But I’m lucky I don’t have a family to support. Just a mortgage (thankfully my condo value has gone up), health insurance premiums (oh yeah, that went up too), upkeep on an old high-mileage car, plus all the basic necessities. I have no retirement savings. None.

They say the economy is improving. Or I should say, Bush says the economy is improving, with his usual highly selective use of information that obscures reality. Newsweek reports:

About 2.3 million jobs have been lost since President Bush took office. In December 2003, just 1,000 new jobs were added—well below the figure predicted by most economists—and long-term unemployment surpassed a 20-year high. Nearly one quarter of the jobless, or about 2 million people, have been out of work for more than six months.

But I have to stay positive. What, me worry? I’ll have actual income…say, sometime in March.

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