One of the things I've always loved about being a freelancer is the schedule. Sure, sometimes it's nuts... "Can you work tomorrow?" "Hi Dave. I've got a shoot tomorrow in Sweden - can you do it?" As a freelancer, a lot of times, you don't know when your next gig will be so when that 10PM call about a 5AM shoot tomorrow comes in, we usually take it if we're free. BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO. In theory, there's always the option to just say "no" and take some personal time. I have yet to really test that theory.
I remember the first couple of years of freelancing as being stressful, and work so erratic that any normal person might have thrown in the towel. I took ANYTHING that came up, in case nothing ever came up again.
Things lately have been amazing, and "amazing" in freelance language, means "busy." I've been scooped up into the sports department at the news station, which is very consistent work. If I'm available for them, I can count on at least a few days a week there. Add to that some work on a PBS-bound doc, an explosion of high-end corporate stuff in the first quarter of this year, and my own feature documentary (post to follow). This is the kind of schedule freelancers dream of in the early years of their career. I've worked hard to expand my network and I have the ideal consistency of work.
And no free time.
I realize that some independents don't have that sort of flow and I know I'm fortunate to have the workload, but I remember those scary times between jobs, and I think to myself, honestly, Dave, was it so bad? You could use a week off...
But I never actually follow through.
