5 Ways to Have Fun Freelancing in Africa

Passion waxes, and passion wanes. It’s almost like drawing a graph that goes up, gets to a peak, and then there’s a sharp drop. Life has been dissected and what was once fun, once a great way to both have fun and make a living has been broken down- until all that’s left are bones. The bones of WORK.

It’s hard to see freelancing as fun for a long time, especially if you are taking on all kinds of jobs (and you take all kinds of jobs if you are just starting out, or if you need so much more money than you would get by focusing on only a particular type of job).
Is it possible to still have fun while freelancing? Do we, as freelancers, have to actually pick between having fun in our freelance career and making a sizeable income from it? It might look like we do, but since nothing is impossible, really, there is a way out of this as well!
You can have fun while freelancing in Africa through the following means:
1. Edge out Jobs that Sap the life out of you
I would be the first to ask you to be wise while refusing jobs. We all know that sometimes, as freelancers, we are asked to do jobs which aren’t particularly interesting to us, or which seem to sap more creative energy than generate energy. And when we are done with them after days of constant battle? Well, we just have this sense of great freedom- until the next one of its kind rears its ugly head, and before even touching the job, you feel this sense of impending doom. Just wait there. There; at that feeling. If you’ve ever felt like this (all in favor say aye!), then you must take cognizance of those types of jobs, and try as much as possible to evade them. Not at once, but maybe one at a time. How about you refuse one of such this month, and maybe two of such next month? After a while, you would have created both some time to relax, and time to do other jobs which you’d actually love.
2. Travel
Well, when I say travel, I don’t mean hop on the next plane to Czechoslovakia (erhmmm…it wouldn’t hurt if you can do this though!). What I’m really trying to say, is that you can visit new places. The past two weeks have been full of traveling for me, and sometimes the quietness and stillness (or noisiness) of a new environment is all that’s needed for you to have some more life coursing through your veins. Sometimes, it will give you a new idea (most times it will!). For most people, along with a change in environment come a shift in perspective and the desire to do something new or some fresh inspiration.
3. CoWork
‘Making money from the comfort of your home’, (or wherever you choose to be while making your money) is usually the impressive phrase people tend to make when I talk about freelancing. It’s because they probably don’t know how many hours I have to invest into freelancing per day, per week or per month. The point I’m getting out is this, because we literally can work from anywhere (for most freelancers, not all), it’s very easy to become this loner, or this person who has no life outside of his or her computer. I very easily fit into that description, as I’m sure quite a number of us do. How can we deal with this loneliness that threatens the fun of freelancing? Well, I have an idea. How about getting a coworking space, where a couple of freelancers can work together?
4. Collaborate
If there are aspects of the work you’re doing that just sets a bell of irritation ringing throughout your cranium, one way to handle this is by working with other freelancers on that project. You’d be surprised to discover that the aspect of the job which you hate so much might be the part which is most loved by someone else. How’s that for taking off some pressure off you?
5. Freelancers’ Hangout
One cool way through which freelancers can have fun would definitely be by organizing a hangout, or by going to any freelance hangout which you hear about. Let me encourage you on why you ought to do this: the people you’ll be meeting with would be freelancers, which means that they are likely to understand you as a person understand your struggles and provide solutions- because some of them would have been where you currently are. When next you hear of a freelancers’ hangout, be sure to attend, and be sure to invite me, okay?
How have you been able to have fun in your freelance career? Drop a comment in the box below, we would love to hear from you!