I do believe that withholding our labor is incredibly powerful right now…I also believe that employers have left most Americans in a position where that choice requires sacrifices they aren’t willing to make, regardless of the long-term implications
That’s through low wages and continued control of access to healthcare during a global pandemic.
More than ever, I think people need to explore the easiest and most accessible paths to independent labor that they can find…everybody #BlackBurnout
I think about what a strike would look like for me now as a freelancer vs. as an employee…and I have so much more freedom…mostly because my wages haven’t been suppressed by employers purchasing my labor at a discount…not for a long time
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Anywhere from 50 to 85% of the country dislikes and even *hates* what they spend the majority of their working hours doing. The only solution to that is constant distraction.
Sure, holding businesses/employers accountable would be an option, but the country’s too drunk on the concept of the individual, too scared to hold employers accountable, and too invested in the status of labor endorsed by an organization to even start down that path.
We can’t even bring ourselves to use clear language when discussing their direct and overt behavior
I really think people give this advice in romantic contexts for the same reason they do in employed (network/get a degree)
They don’t want to grapple with how little control we have in reaching our goals…or how infrequently things are working out for those who have “arrived”
Or it’s a tacit acknowledgment that it’s all you’ve really got, so put your energy there. Is it lazy? Maybe, but I also think people know what’s up.
It’s also a way to skate around discussion of core needs (companionship, health, income, attention, self esteem) how traditional institutions aren’t going to be an answer, with high success rates. and how people are going to have to elsewhere to find what they’re looking for
I want to see Black freelancers take advantage of location-independence and lifestyle design…but to maintain and enhance connection with/contribution to communities and find safety…not adopt predatory behavior. #BFTips
10 years or so back this was the thing…make more, outsource to countries with the cheapest viable labor possible, live in areas you enjoy with the cheapest COL you can find…basically encouraging indie businesses to double down on privilege & the worst practices of capitalism
Because practically everybody is actively supporting the facade of the base decency of employment.
They only start to get honest once they know you’ve experienced a crack...and even then they won’t tell you the whole truth because they need the lies themselves.
“Your job isn’t who you are” is a partial truth to keep you invested in the system.
The whole truth starts when we talk about how a job will change, consume, and even destroy who you are and who you want to be...but that’s painful for anyone to admit.
As always, yes, even a good job.
Anything that dictates your sleep patterns, where you live, who you spend time around, how often you see your friends, family, and children? It might not be who you are, but it’s in the drivers’ seat. #BlackBurnout
LOVE this mention of using freelance writing to fund a "Grownup Gap Year" from @vaycarious—"I actually wish I'd started earlier." buff.ly/31xjNfl
I just did my first work-travel stint in Japan and it was amazing how much I was able to do just working a few hrs each morn
That trip taught me a lot. I was getting $500-$700 of work done/day before 9AM (with a little boost from jet lag) but that basically left me with a full day to hang out/explore.
It *really* clarified my high-earning/low-effort services and what slows me down at home.
i.e. I realized that blogging, even at $400+ for a ~500-word post, is a low-earner for me. Long-form work (case studies, white papers) and short form (emails, web copy) is where I start getting close to those $1000 days without working all day. #BFTips