We freelancers...

Still waiting for a new housemate to walk into my flat.

Listened to friends' lament over house-moving deadlines.

Hoping to move into a `house' of my own one day, to house permanently, my wonderful bundles of clothes and bags.

Speaking of clothes and bags, I just want to report that being a freelance performer is nothing like some of my friends think it is.

People are always saying things like "Oh I wish my life is like yours, you don't have to get up at 7am and drive through madness to work." or "Oh, so nice la your job, just go up there and sing a few songs and get paid..."

Well, if a job of a freelance performer is that breezy and easy, you'd be surprised how come our city is not over run by singers. We are over run by....ok I've decided not to offend any profession here.

I think the difference, differences of a say, ok, take my old job as a membership executive for an association, to what I do now....

Are that, working in a corporation, you can get your employer to send you to all kinds of trainings & workshops to make you a better employee, soft skills, technical skills, you name it, there are companies out there to make you better at work.

Working for a corporation, there's finance department to produce invoices and look after getting debtors to pay up, promotions & marketing department, HR department for training & education...etc.

Working as my own agent and a singer, I have to train myself as PR manager, account keeper, entertainer, secretary, my own singing teacher, stylist, make-up artist, driver....

Basically making it as a singer here in this country, you need to figure out your career path yourself, there's no one in the `company' to guide you through which job to take and which event to drop, what repertoire to start from and how to advance, etc. The singer who can plan it all by himself and execute it exactly is one who succeed.

For young singers who are just starting out in the business, you better be one who can make good contacts fast because who you know makes a difference. In fact, the way that a freelance performer need to make it in the business, to me, is no difference from the way an insurance agent/multi-level-marketing-businessman need to. You get ahead using your charisma, charm, people's skills, talent and without a sales team behind your product, you knock on doors, pitch your craft and close the sale on YOUR OWN.

but yes, freelancers like me do have the freedom of planning movies during office hours, get up after 10am and sleep at ungodly hours....all these to make up for what we don't get for working as a freelancers.