I’m not going to lie. The past four months have been rough. December is usually slow because of the holidays, but things normally pick up in January. This year, they didn’t. I’m still not sure why. Maybe it’s the economy. Maybe it’s the uncertainty everyone seems stuck in.
Then came surgery in March, which knocked me out longer than expected. Before that, I’d been dealing with pain since last September. Some days it was hard to think straight, let alone work. Bills piled up. Motivation dropped. Every day started to feel like a grind.
So now, I’m doing something I haven’t done in years—job hunting. It often feels like a game of whack-a-mole on some of these hiring platforms. I’m convinced half of them are fake job posts or phishing scams. But I digress…
Freelancing has served me well, and I’ll keep supporting the handful of clients I’ve worked with for years. I’ve enjoyed the flexibility it has given me, but I feel I need something more stable in this stage of my life. I’m tired of chasing the next lead and juggling too many things just to stay afloat.
During the slowdown, I rebuilt my website. It launched this week (still in beta). It’s clean, focused, and reflects where I’m at. Whether it helps or not, we’ll see.
What’s also clear: the freelance market has shifted. A wave of laid-off tech workers have moved into freelancing, and it shows. More competition. Smaller budgets. Companies are still hiring, but they’re leaning toward specialists—especially in AI and cybersecurity.
I’ve been thinking seriously about pivoting in that direction. AI’s not just hype anymore. It’s changing how people work. If I don’t adapt, I’ll fall behind. I don’t know what that shift looks like yet, but I know I can’t ignore it.
Some good news: I had a third interview last week with a company that seems solid. I’m hoping they come through. I’m not banking on it, but it would be a welcome change.
So for now, I’m moving forward—one step at a time.
If you’re freelancing right now, I’m curious. What’s it been like for you lately? Are things steady? Slower than usual? Have you noticed the same shift in the kinds of projects or clients out there? Drop a comment or shoot me a message. I’d honestly like to know what others are seeing.
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