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Where do you work as a freelancer?
Thread poster: Karvin Sun
Karvin Sun
Karvin Sun  Identity Verified
China
Local time: 22:27
English to Chinese
+ ...
May 5, 2019

Hi, I didn't find any topic about this but I really want to know where you work as a freelancer.

I tried cafes, but they are expensive in my city - for example at least 65RMB each entry, and the local library doesn't have an open Wifi, and at home, I'm easily disrupted by my family.

So since late 2017, I rent an small office to work in, it was fresh at first, but now I feel more and more bored. I have some hobbies, like Chinese calligraphy, and I became very good at it;
... See more
Hi, I didn't find any topic about this but I really want to know where you work as a freelancer.

I tried cafes, but they are expensive in my city - for example at least 65RMB each entry, and the local library doesn't have an open Wifi, and at home, I'm easily disrupted by my family.

So since late 2017, I rent an small office to work in, it was fresh at first, but now I feel more and more bored. I have some hobbies, like Chinese calligraphy, and I became very good at it; besides, I have fish, shrimps and plants in my office, but they become less and less helpful. And sometimes, I would feel depressed.

I tried to find some local fellows to communicate our work and lives, but there are very few freelancers in my city - maybe only me. And I have little to talk with my former colleagues here.
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Shirley Lao
Shirley Lao  Identity Verified
Taiwan
Local time: 22:27
Member (2007)
English to Chinese
+ ...
To freelance or not to freelance May 5, 2019

I personally believe that only those who enjoy being alone can and should become full-time freelancers.

Tom in London
P.L.F. Persio
Adele Eaton
Baran Keki
Joanna Posylek
Josephine Cassar
Gabriela Daniela Ardeleanu
 
Karvin Sun
Karvin Sun  Identity Verified
China
Local time: 22:27
English to Chinese
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
"Being alone" is just a relative expression May 5, 2019

Shirley Lao wrote:

I personally believe that only those who enjoy being alone can and should become full-time freelancers.


You are true about being a freelancer, but "being alone" is just a relative expression, and all people are social animals. You could "be alone" in a single room at a prison, and you could "be alone" in a single room with your best friend nearby or in a splendid villa with your dogs all around.

Of course, the above are extreme examples, but what I want to say is that I enjoy being alone, but that's not contradictory to the negative feelings I have, which are also associated with some realities I'm facing, and I believe I will feel better when some objective things are improved. For example, with better transportation of the city, it will be more convenient for me to travel farther to improve my mood.

[Edited at 2019-05-05 06:22 GMT]


Emma Page
 
Phil Hand
Phil Hand  Identity Verified
China
Local time: 22:27
Chinese to English
I work at home, coffee shops, and just in the process of renting an office May 5, 2019

I have kids, so working at home is never lonely - but not always efficient!

I'm lucky with coffee shops around where I live - they're relatively quiet, and for the price of a coffee or two, I can sit all day. That's good when I get stir crazy at home.

But you're right, being a freelancer can be tough and a bit lonely. You've got to try to build a social life, and maybe some professional connections.

Interpreting is very different, so if you don't mind doing
... See more
I have kids, so working at home is never lonely - but not always efficient!

I'm lucky with coffee shops around where I live - they're relatively quiet, and for the price of a coffee or two, I can sit all day. That's good when I get stir crazy at home.

But you're right, being a freelancer can be tough and a bit lonely. You've got to try to build a social life, and maybe some professional connections.

Interpreting is very different, so if you don't mind doing a bit of basic escort interpreting, it gets you out of the office. Of course, if you don't practice a lot, you won't be able to get good rates, so it's a tradeoff. You could accept a low-earning day that gets you out of the office, and also gives you new contacts.
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Karvin Sun
 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 15:27
French to English
at home May 5, 2019

I mostly work at the kitchen island. I command a view of the front door and the stairs so I know who is where and nobody can sneak up on me (my former boss made me paranoid about that). That also means I can easily stop and chat with whoever comes in or down (I live with my partner and a young lodger, and we often have guests).
If I'm on a tight deadline, I'll take my laptop up to an empty bedroom which has kind of been earmarked for conversion into a study, except that I rarely feel like
... See more
I mostly work at the kitchen island. I command a view of the front door and the stairs so I know who is where and nobody can sneak up on me (my former boss made me paranoid about that). That also means I can easily stop and chat with whoever comes in or down (I live with my partner and a young lodger, and we often have guests).
If I'm on a tight deadline, I'll take my laptop up to an empty bedroom which has kind of been earmarked for conversion into a study, except that I rarely feel like shutting myself out.
I suffer quite badly from feeling lonely as a free-lancer. I stayed in-house so long precisely because I enjoyed getting out of the house, riding my bike along the river past Notre Dame to the office and seeing my colleagues. I only left when the boss decided to shut the office down and make us work from home. This would have involved the worst aspect of free-lancing with none of the benefits!
Still, I don't want to try out a co-working place. I'd be terrified of not being able to concentrate because of the other people. I mean, if they're there to have company, they're probably going to want to talk...
The best set-up was at work when there were two of us in-house translators, so I could discuss translation issues with somebody who could understand, plus two software developers working on a CAT tool, who would sometimes ask my opinion on their new features, and who needed peace and quiet as much as us translators. We would work in total silence all morning, then have lunch and chat non-stop together, then back to working silently all afternoon, and possibly have a drink together after work.
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philgoddard
 
Cornelia Oppitz
Cornelia Oppitz  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 15:27
Member (2020)
English to German
At home and in a coworking space May 5, 2019

I have an office at home, and go to a coworking space once a week. Most of the people there are software developers, the second-largest group are translators. In the beginning, I was concerned that it might get too loud there, but there are designated phone booths to make phone calls, and in my experience most people go the coworking space to work in a concentrated way and limit talking to the others to the lunch break. I also bought noise-cancelling headphones which are really helpful if it is ... See more
I have an office at home, and go to a coworking space once a week. Most of the people there are software developers, the second-largest group are translators. In the beginning, I was concerned that it might get too loud there, but there are designated phone booths to make phone calls, and in my experience most people go the coworking space to work in a concentrated way and limit talking to the others to the lunch break. I also bought noise-cancelling headphones which are really helpful if it is a bit louder around you. I also use these headphones for travelling, it greatly reduces the noise of trains and planes.

[Bearbeitet am 2019-05-05 12:14 GMT]
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Karvin Sun
Ivana Kahle
 
IrinaN
IrinaN
United States
Local time: 09:27
English to Russian
+ ...
Any chances and/or skills for interpretation? May 5, 2019

I enjoy a measure of solitude and enjoy translating very much. I've been a freelancer for 26 years out of 30 in the US but I'd go nuts or die of boredom without working with people too - communication, unbelievably interesting encounters and environments, chances to dress up and wear all my fancy shoes instead of steel-tow boots or sneakers:-) - God, I hate sneakers!!!! and see places.

After an out-of-town interpretation assignment, often in a very crowded and industrial environmen
... See more
I enjoy a measure of solitude and enjoy translating very much. I've been a freelancer for 26 years out of 30 in the US but I'd go nuts or die of boredom without working with people too - communication, unbelievably interesting encounters and environments, chances to dress up and wear all my fancy shoes instead of steel-tow boots or sneakers:-) - God, I hate sneakers!!!! and see places.

After an out-of-town interpretation assignment, often in a very crowded and industrial environment, I crave days of peace and quiet in my own place, surrounded only by my beloved 3 rescued cats, but to be locked up in it permanently with only a computer for a companion... not my cup of tea for sure. Once I've done just that for almost 3 years and discovered some newly obtained personality changes that I didn't like, so I did my best to go back to my normal ways filled with friends and business and non-business events. I've noticed that couch gravity began to strengthen, crowded non-work environments started to irritate me and at times I was getting tired of company, mind it, a very nice one, way too quickly and wanted to get back home asap. Those initial signs of misanthropy scared the hell out of me:-)

Also, I've noticed that I am more productive in my home office than I was during a few short in-house settings. Of course, I kept up with the requirements, especially under tight deadlines, but I am much faster when I am at home without any additional pressure. I felt less concentrated in the shared office.


[Edited at 2019-05-06 00:09 GMT]
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Liviu-Lee Roth
Adieu
 
Karvin Sun
Karvin Sun  Identity Verified
China
Local time: 22:27
English to Chinese
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Maybe I should look for such opportunities May 6, 2019

Phil Hand wrote:

I have kids, so working at home is never lonely - but not always efficient!

I'm lucky with coffee shops around where I live - they're relatively quiet, and for the price of a coffee or two, I can sit all day. That's good when I get stir crazy at home.

But you're right, being a freelancer can be tough and a bit lonely. You've got to try to build a social life, and maybe some professional connections.

Interpreting is very different, so if you don't mind doing a bit of basic escort interpreting, it gets you out of the office. Of course, if you don't practice a lot, you won't be able to get good rates, so it's a tradeoff. You could accept a low-earning day that gets you out of the office, and also gives you new contacts.


Yes you are right, I also heard that some freelancer in Nanjing assume interpreting tasks, but in my smaller city, there is almost no such chances...Maybe I should look for such opportunities in nearby bigger cities, by combining my expertises in website, marketing and Chinese calligraphy, but I'm not sure if there is any.


Adieu
 
Sandra & Kenneth Grossman
Sandra & Kenneth Grossman  Identity Verified
Israel
Local time: 16:27
French to English
+ ...
Suggestions... May 6, 2019

Hi Karvin,
This is probably not new to you, but here are some ideas:

- Social media, such as Facebook pages on calligraphy, shellfish, translation, local events, etc.
- Read online articles on issues of interest to you - news, science, music, books, etc.
- Take breaks: a few minutes of exercise to your favorite music every once in a while is an excellent way to relieve depression and counter the evils of prolonged sitting...

HTH,
Sandra


Karvin Sun
 
Emma Page
Emma Page
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:27
French to English
+ ...
Linguist collective May 6, 2019

I used to work at home, but my partner is also a freelancer and it was difficult for us to spend all day working in the same (small) apartment!

I tried a large co-working space in my city, which was OK but expensive and slightly loud. Also, nearly everyone else there was a software developer so I didn't feel I was gaining much in the way of networking.

For the past six months I have rented a desk in a "language collective" co-working space. Essentially a group of trans
... See more
I used to work at home, but my partner is also a freelancer and it was difficult for us to spend all day working in the same (small) apartment!

I tried a large co-working space in my city, which was OK but expensive and slightly loud. Also, nearly everyone else there was a software developer so I didn't feel I was gaining much in the way of networking.

For the past six months I have rented a desk in a "language collective" co-working space. Essentially a group of translators have rented a large room and set up an office. Some folks like me have their own desks, others share a desk with another person or rent desks on a daily basis. It's a non-profit enterprise, so we only pay enough to cover rent and expenses which makes it much cheaper than the for-profit co-working spaces in town. Everyone works silently, which is great, and we often have lunch together in a little meeting room.

https://www.brightonlanguagecollective.org/ if you are interested in learning more about the model.

It's a lovely balance of camaraderie/networking with quiet and space to work. If you can find a few other translators (or even graphic designers, writers, etc. Our only real membership requirement is that most of your work is quiet, you aren't on the phone all day etc.), perhaps setting up something similar would be an option!
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Srini Venkataraman
Srini Venkataraman
United States
Local time: 09:27
Member (2012)
Tamil to English
+ ...
Home is best May 6, 2019

I work from home and shut the room door. Have regular hours, so all know not to disturb me during those hours. To add a bit of seriousness, get into business casual instead of pajamas, and no social media when I work. 1500 words+ is possible for content writing or anything else.

Karvin Sun
 
Karvin Sun
Karvin Sun  Identity Verified
China
Local time: 22:27
English to Chinese
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
No such thing in my city May 7, 2019

Emma Page wrote:

I used to work at home, but my partner is also a freelancer and it was difficult for us to spend all day working in the same (small) apartment!

I tried a large co-working space in my city, which was OK but expensive and slightly loud. Also, nearly everyone else there was a software developer so I didn't feel I was gaining much in the way of networking.

For the past six months I have rented a desk in a "language collective" co-working space. Essentially a group of translators have rented a large room and set up an office. Some folks like me have their own desks, others share a desk with another person or rent desks on a daily basis. It's a non-profit enterprise, so we only pay enough to cover rent and expenses which makes it much cheaper than the for-profit co-working spaces in town. Everyone works silently, which is great, and we often have lunch together in a little meeting room.

https://www.brightonlanguagecollective.org/ if you are interested in learning more about the model.

It's a lovely balance of camaraderie/networking with quiet and space to work. If you can find a few other translators (or even graphic designers, writers, etc. Our only real membership requirement is that most of your work is quiet, you aren't on the phone all day etc.), perhaps setting up something similar would be an option!



Hi Emma, thanks for your advice. I've checked the site you recommended, but I'm afraid there is not any space on it for my city. I do know a place here where I could share an office with else, but the rent for one desk is almost the same as that of my office, and people there are not freelancers, they are just some small companies; besides, they are not from the language industry, so it doesn't work for me.


 
Karvin Sun
Karvin Sun  Identity Verified
China
Local time: 22:27
English to Chinese
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Here is great May 7, 2019

Sandra& Kenneth wrote:

Hi Karvin,
This is probably not new to you, but here are some ideas:

- Social media, such as Facebook pages on calligraphy, shellfish, translation, local events, etc.
- Read online articles on issues of interest to you - news, science, music, books, etc.
- Take breaks: a few minutes of exercise to your favorite music every once in a while is an excellent way to relieve depression and counter the evils of prolonged sitting...

HTH,
Sandra







Yes, actually here is a great place to social. I used Proz only for seeking jobs since years ago, but I just found there are so many focums here where I could discuss with people like me. So this is great news for me.

You know in China we also have forums on translations, but there don't seem to be very friendly or professional.


Adieu
 
Daniel Frisano
Daniel Frisano  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 15:27
Member (2008)
English to Italian
+ ...
Transportation May 7, 2019

For some reason I find enjoyable and highly productive working on the move, especially trains, planes and ferries, including waiting areas.

Curiously, hearing people talk is extremely irritating and distracting when I am at home, but the humming of the crowd leaves me totally indifferent when moving around.

Bottom line, a change of scenery once in a while does wonders.


 
Karvin Sun
Karvin Sun  Identity Verified
China
Local time: 22:27
English to Chinese
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Networking May 8, 2019

Daniel Frisano wrote:

For some reason I find enjoyable and highly productive working on the move, especially trains, planes and ferries, including waiting areas.

Curiously, hearing people talk is extremely irritating and distracting when I am at home, but the humming of the crowd leaves me totally indifferent when moving around.

Bottom line, a change of scenery once in a while does wonders.


That sounds interesting, but how do you ensure your network connection? By mobile phone hotspot? And how to guarantee your laptop power? And you might waste a lot of time on your way.


 
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