Today is the daaaaaaay
It’s ~Halloween!!!~
And I’m home sick with the flu. :(
Silver lining: I’ve finally had time to catch up on some playwriting work, mainly, uploading scripts to the New Play Exchange and updating this website!
Today I went back, read all of my past blog entries and thought to myself, “Damn…I’ve done a lot!”
And not just this year. Last year too, and the year before that!
First and foremost, I adopted an adorable cat named Lux. Follow me on Instagram if you want this fuzzy face flooding your feed.
But back to theater.
(To be perfectly honest, this is my second time writing this half of the post because the first one was accidentally deleted, so I’m just going to cut to the chase.)
A little over a year ago I decided to transition from working as a part-time ticket clerk, part-time artist to a full-time freelance artist. My goal: try to survive for a year on all my theater-related jobs patched together, apply for graduate school, and focus on writing.
Well, it’s been a year and I’m still alive so, check.
I worked my butt off applying for graduate school, received one offer, and turned it down because it didn’t feel right.
And I’ve written two new full-length plays in that time, one a musical, one a straight play.
Of all my goals, that last one feels like the one I didn’t quite meet. I thought being freelance would give me more time to write, but not so much. There have been pros and cons to going freelance.
Pros of Going Freelance
Make money doing what I love - not soul crushing
Flexibility of schedule - I don’t have to “ask off” work, I control what jobs I accept and don’t accept
Always a new adventure - I’m not stuck behind a desk, in a windowless office, with a phone in my ear. Some days I’m dancing with preschools, other days I’m filming a Fruit Loops commercial in someone’s pool.
Opportunities to work from home - Again, not stuck in an office, I have time to actually spend in my apartment with my cat!
Cons of Going Freelance
Financial instability - always nervous about having enough money to get by
Divided attention span - sometimes I do 2-3 different jobs a day and by the end of it I am mentally exhausted from switching mental gears and driving all over
Feels like I’m not a real adult - I don’t have a house, a 401K, a baby or a marriage. Compared to some of my friends, I don’t feel like a “real” adult.
Ultimately unsustainable - I haven’t been able to save money, only just get by.
So I’m at a crossroads right now. I could either…
Try to find a way to make freelance life for sustainable (like, improve my skills and work as a grant writer or a copy writer, not just a teacher/actor)
Get a full-time day job, with benefits, that I actually like
Apply for graduate school again and maybe do that
Marry rich or inherit a large sum of money from a long-lost relative
We’ll see what happens. (FYI universe, I’m open to any of these paths, so uh...let’s start manifesting, eh?)
Let me be clear though; I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. I’ve worked a lot this last year. I’ve grown as a person and an artist. I’ve pushed myself. I’ve taken risks. I have experienced some crazy things. And I’ve made the world a better place through the work I’ve done.
No matter what happens next, I will never regret choosing to jump into freelance full-time. I will never regret this time in my life.
And just in case anyone is curious, here’s a list of all the gigs I string together on a regular basis. This is my version of being a freelance artist:
Standardized patient for two different colleges
Pre-K ballet teacher with Tippi Toes
Teaching Artist with the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center
Teaching Artist with Kansas City Young Audiences
Teaching Artist with The Coterie
Scavenger Hunt Host with Watson Adventures
Actress with Dinner Detective Kansas City
Radio VO actress
Theatrical actress/director
Commercial actress/print model (occasionally)
Box Office/Front of House
Girl Scout empowerment workshops
Creative Carnivals attendant
Alright, time for this sicky to hit the hay. Until next time. Happy Halloween!