Freelancing comes with its thorns

 

“Freelance job?”, the aunties asked, “Is that even a job?”

This is a question I frequently hear every time I step out of the house. The questions continue:

• “Couldn’t find a regular job?”
• “Is the payment any good?”
• “Why don’t you go for PSC coaching or something?”
• “Oh! Your in-laws won’t let you go for work, right?”

Having got used to these questions, I tend to ignore it now. Why convince the world that writing is my passion? Why bother explaining that freelancing offers me the perfect work-life balance?

But then I noticed something. Whenever someone asks my husband if I am working, he always says “No”. That is disappointing.

Ignoring the aunties is easy. But here is a man who knows I work 5-6 hours every day. He knows I’ve been freelancing for 17 years. He knows I contribute to the household income. He knows I manage household chores and our kids pretty well and still find time for writing. He knows….and yet he shrugs his shoulders and says, “Nah! She’s not working.”

I did ask him about it, he just said it was more convenient that way. Nobody would bombard him with further questions, it seems.

But to be honest, it hurts.

You might say this is not the place to vent all this. 

But at the end of the day, we are all mere mortals who come ‘pre-loaded with emotions’ (the way Nikhil Narayanan puts it).

So, yes it hurts when freelancing is not taken seriously?

It hurts when my career is casually brushed aside as ‘nothing’.

It hurts when WFH is equated with unemployed…

 

Tell me, have you had such experiences in your freelancing journey?