I’m going to bat one to left field here and give you a little pick-me-up. As Dave wrote about in a previous post, getting motivated is sometimes hard as a freelancer. On one hand, you have absolute freedom to work on what you want, when you want, and for the amount of pay you want. Ideally, at least.

However, since you have that freedom, you need to rein it in for maximum productivity. My lifestyle does not fit very well with schedules. Appointments? Those are fine and I can meet them easily, but I wasn’t looking for a 9-5 job when I started writing. However, I try to do some work every day so it doesn’t back up too far. I brought my laptop with me while visiting friends for a day, but I didn’t feel like working, so I ended up with about 15 hours of work backed up. That’s what happens once you get out of the schedule.

Hopefully, you noticed that the title of this post is “The (Freelancer’s) Gospel According to Tom Petty,” and I added “Freelancer’s” parenthetically because this message can apply to several parts of your life. I listen to music to get me into the swing of working–I listen to that instead of staring at a blank screen and feeling stressed if I can’t produce. Some of you may not like Tom Petty, but I’m going to use him because I’m familiar with him and your taste in music is probably awful.

Here’s what Tom has to say about (freelancing):

I’m learning to fly, but I ain’t got wings / Coming down is the hardest thing

That’s from “Learning to Fly.” For new freelancers, that’s a common feeling. You get that first job, and you’re excited. Also, you’re scared. What if you don’t do well? Will the work keep coming or is it going to dry up in a week or two? How do I make this thing work?

It’s perfectly normal to be nervous about a career in freelancing. It’s controlled chaos, and it’s true that the market could dry up tomorrow. Then again, it could remain saturated as it has been since long before you started on it. There’s a reason that people make a living out of freelancing, and you shouldn’t be afraid to jump right in. Of course, preparation and caution is good to a degree, but don’t let fear stop you from making the life you want to live. You are here because you believe you have a skill that is marketable, so go out and market that skill like you’re worth the money people are paying you. A little confidence will make your buyer feel better about investing in you, and it will make you feel a whole lot better as well. Just remember you’re worth it.

We’re all learning to fly. Every day, we’re logging flight hours with each job we take on. None of us started out with a pair of wings, but we look that first step off of the ledge anyway. Some of us went splat on the ground, and others flapped their arms really fast. It hurts to lose that big contract during the interview, but unlike jumping off of a cliff, you can always pick yourself up and try again. Earn those wings by jumping off every day.

Well, I won’t back down / No, I won’t back down / You can stand me up at the gates of hell / But I won’t back down

There’s two messages in this Petty classic, “I Won’t Back Down.” The song was originally recorded by Petty because he wasn’t happy with the commercialized rock that the studios wanted him to produce. He thought that they were trying to turn him into a puppet that would hop around the stage and sing lyrics that someone else wrote.

The first and most obvious message is that he wasn’t going to quit until his message was heard, and he’s willing to go to any length to succeed on his own terms. That in itself is admirable. That’s what we all need to do. It’s so easy to throw your hands up and give in to fear or pressure. Start flipping burgers instead of doing what you love because it appears to be more stable. Even if you’ve got a high-paying job you didn’t mind too much, you have become or are looking to become a freelancer for a reason. What is the reason? Maybe you should think about it hard and decide for yourself whether it’s a good reason. Regardless, if you’re going to become a freelancer, you need to throw yourself into it seriously. This is one of the rare occasions where you really do “get back what you put in.” If you’re just going to dip your toe in the water, you’ll get that much money and satisfaction back. If you’re going to cannonball into the ocean before you know how to swim, you’ll probably drown. Pick a moderate sized job, and walk into it with confidence. You’ll get back what you’ve risked.

The second, less obvious lesson is about standards and ethics. Tom wasn’t going to betray his fans or himself by singing something he doesn’t believe in. Instead, he chose to write a song as a direct affront to the authority which wants him to bow down to their wishes. I think this is an important life lesson. If you contract with a buyer who wants you to do something you consider unethical, don’t do it. Most of the time, bowing out gracefully without the money will give you greater peace of mind than a few extra bucks and a load on your conscience. Don’t forget that you’re your own boss, and you should never be a slave to money. Think of the money as a by-product of performing your craft well and doing what you love to do. If you don’t think that way, then you’re just at another desk job you hate.

Yeah runnin down a dream / That never would come to me

That’s from The Heartbreakers’ “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” It’s pretty obvious what he’s got to say. The dream of a successful freelancing career is not going to drop down in your lap. You have to put elbow grease into it. Your fingers should hurt at the end of every day. Your brain should be close to meltdown. You have to have that gut feeling that you’re an animal, a screaming, barking, clawing dog trying to make your way to the top of the pile. Every day, every hour, every minute.

To me, freelancing isn’t about working in my pajamas. It’s about doing thing my way, making it own my own, fighting every step of the way. I don’t want an easy job. I don’t want a regular job. I want to feel the blood boiling in my eyes because I’m on the edge of going extinct. I’ve known that I want to be a professional writer for a long time now, and I’m willing to do what it takes to get there with my ethics and self respect intact. Every difficult day I’ve faced as a freelancer shows me how to make tomorrow better. Every contract I’ve lost due to a stupid mistake is experience. It’s excitement, it’s adventure, it’s day after day of pulling your gun at a wild west duel not knowing if you’ll see tomorrow or not.

I don’t work in my pajamas. I don’t own pajamas. I work while covered in the blood of my competitors while sitting on the spoils of war.

It doesn’t matter if you have wings or not; show some guts, and jump off that ledge with your arms flapping.

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