Monday morning, 7:00 a.m. I've been lying awake in bed for thirty minutes, staring at the ceiling Thoughts buzz in my head like dust in the sunshine: “Am I really doing everything right?”, “Are my prices too high, or am I just not good enough?”, “Where are the customers hiding? Are they possibly in hibernation? With a mixture of motivation and slight despair, I finally get out of bed.
After the shower comes the coffee Of course Do I need it to wake me up No, but I've grown fond of the taste and somehow it's part of the ritual I quickly do the essentials around the house - well, okay, let's just say I skillfully overlook the growing mountain of laundry - and off to the office.
My desk: lovingly organized to beat the chaos of being a freelancer I plan the day through It's really quick, as I don't have much to do at the moment That's the bittersweet luxury of being a freelancer: lots of time for self-realization - and also for self-doubt management.
Today I have a project for a client. Nothing big, just a small scene and a CAD model that I have to optimize and light up nicely. “A piece of cake!”, I think and get started. But as it happens, my perfectionism takes a seat in the cockpit and does an extra loop: couldn't the model be even more realistic? Maybe a light source here, a texture there... Before I know it, I've reworked the scene four times. It's a blessing and a curse.
Finally, I render the whole thing out. While the computer gets to work, I type away on a blog post that - let's be honest - will probably interest exactly zero people. You're allowed to dream. And sometimes, very rarely, I get a heart in response. That's my little “blog lottery” - and I almost never win.
The pictures are finally finished and I send them to the customer, hoping for feedback and a little cloud of praise. My cell phone beeps - break time! But the break is just a theory. I quickly grab a coffee and get back to work.
Now to the supreme discipline of the freelancer: customer acquisition. I scroll through various freelancer platforms, only to find that my inbox is empty as usual. Most of the jobs are either laughably underpaid or outside my qualifications. Frustrated, I discard the platforms and turn to traditional cold calling. I write emails and call people. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to be arrested by the “freelancer acquisition police” at some point.
The alarm clock rings again at midday. I ignore it and work on my beloved Cinema 4D instead. A new particle system, perfect opportunity for a drop simulation! I can immerse myself in the code for hours and try everything out. Around me, the phone rings and the voicemail beeps - and sometimes it's even a customer, not just an advertisement for luxury vacuum cleaners.
When the simulation is finished, I switch to After Effects, where I want to animate the company logo with special effects. The whole thing follows the tried-and-tested “try and error” principle. And if the error wins out, there's always YouTube. Hours later, I have dozens of tutorials open and try everything out. My eyes are already flickering slightly, but I think to myself that it's a bit like a video game: new levels, new challenges.
Suddenly the alarm clock rings again - this time it's the sign to call it a day. Theoretically. In practice, while cooking, I have the great idea of combining another texture with a 3D animation. So, back to the PC. At some point, my head gets heavy and I finally manage to switch off.
Couch time. I start a new series - and stop it after five minutes. I quickly scroll through YouTube and come across a tutorial by Maxon. Yes, I know, even in my spare time I follow tutorials - but hey, it's my passion!
At some point, I finally lie in bed, grab my e-book reader and read myself to sleep. A day as a freelancer can be high and humorous, but also challenging. But ultimately, I remain convinced that there will always be clients who appreciate my work. And that's the thought that puts me to sleep - and motivates me to get up again the next morning.