Where Corn Dogs Roll

A few weeks ago I was discussing the economic downturn with my father and I mentioned how it was contributing to a sour freelancing market.

While I’ve been a freelancer for years and years, the opportunities are shrinking like polar ice caps due to companies cutting back or adopting a slow-pay (or, in some cases, a no-pay) policy.

As creative budgets are slashed, more and more top-flight designers are finding themselves out of agency work. This pushes them into the freelance arena and the result is a crowded pond. While I’m certainly capable of swimming with the sharks, there’s a lot less chum to go around.

His solution to the problem was for me to consider getting a “real job”.

Ouch.

On the surface it may look like he was taking a shot at me, but he truly wasn’t. He’s simply had a “real job” for 40+ years so it’s a completely rational thought. I just think the freelancer concept is foreign to him because I’m not sure freelancers existed back when he entered the job market.

Then again, it may be possible to trace freelancing all the way back to the Stone Age. Surely not everyone wanted to paint their own cave walls, right? Somewhere, there was Grok’s Cave Painting Service. And knowing how lazy cavemen are (as most present-day wives will attest), he was probably rich…swimming in monkey molars and seashells.

But I digress.

As ludicrous as they were, his words did end up inspiring me. Not to look for a “real job” but to show him that it could be worse.

DISCLAIMER!

I don’t have fancy audio and video equipment so while I have great ideas in this noggin, my creative outlet is limited to a headset and Photoshop. Anyone know a good A/V sponsor?

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