Going freelance- what time is the right time?

AnyaElvidge

Hi all,

I'm interested to hear about people's experiences with their transitions from full-time employment to freelancing.

I'm especially interested in things like how long you worked freelance on the side before transitioning, how many clients and requests you were receiving before you decided to switch, how it went in the first few months and how it is now if you still freelance.

Thankyou so much!

Neox

as i am not a solo freelancer anymore this is a bit more complicated on the how it is now part

but back in 2007 when i switched to freelance, my old company was shut down. I could have taken a full time job in any local games studio, but i knew i will be crunhing again it will take again another 5+ years before the game i would be working on would be out. And i decided i didn't wanna do that.

I had the chance to get a minimum 3 days a week, but if needed 5 times a week with a local advertisement agency who have their own small games unit.

I was making a fair bit more with those 3 days a week, than any local studio offered me for fulltime back then.

So the choice wasn't a hard one to make.

Since then i just worked for various clients of various sizes. but soon realized that working from home with my PC in the same room i live and sleep in, wasn't for me. So we moved to a bigger apartment with a seperate workspace.

From there we just stumbled upwards, formed a company that offers art services to games companies.

Atm i think we can call ourselves lucky that our jobs are this stable in the state the world is in.

Lets knock on wood, it doesnt destabilize more. once people have to make the choice between basic necessities and games, i am afraid we suffer alongside the industries that are crumbling right now

AnyaElvidge

@Neox thanks so much for your considered response. I think the 'stumbled upwards' thing is absolutely the bread and butter of freelancing from what I've heard, and certainly it feels that way for me from my freelance experience so far!

Currently I freelance but with the stability of a great full-time studio job at my back. I definitely fear for the future of freelancing in the games industry (and games jobs in general) with what I believe to be a hard economic downturn on the horizon. It's something I'm bearing in mind as I plan my career...

Carryborn

I think a hard economic downturn will not affect the games industry

AnyaElvidge

Carryborn said:

I think a hard economic downturn will not affect the games industry

Let's hope not!