In days of yore, ‘freelancer’ was practically a dirty word.
Back when loyalty counted for something, the lord would have his trusted knights whom he, or his father before him, had given land in exchange for troops and service when the drums and horns sounded for war.
These men (and occasionally women) were knights, men-at-arms, practically family.
They and their fathers before them had sworn oaths to defend the lord and his fiefdom to the death.
Freelancers, on the other hand, were just that: a free lance. Traveling mercenaries loyal to no lord who were just as likely to sack Constantinople as free the Holy Land, depending on who was easier to loot.
Is it any wonder that they frequently got the worst jobs—the most mind-numbing, soul-killing, life-threatening missions? If freelancers are only around to fight your money, then it’s best for your money if after the fighting there are no freelancers around.
Employers today may no longer be trying to literally work their freelancers to death, they’re still throwing them stuff nobody else wants to do—working late to produce the ideas that are least likely to survive, let alone taste glory.
But what if you took a more chivalrous point of view? Out of the same age from which the freelancer rode, also came the knight-errant. A warrior who tested his skills by wandering the land, aiding men and women from all walks of life.
The knight-errant lived by a code. Where mercenaries fought for money, the knight-errant fought for love. They embarked on quests to solve problems nobody else would.
There’s a reason video games about driven characters with noble purposes sell better than ones about desk workers and indentured servants.
These men and women were shining examples of what we could all be.
Why does this matter now?
Between automation, downsizing, daily predictions of an imminent recession, and the rise of the gig economy, it would seem the old retainer model of full-time employment is on its last legs.
We are entering once more into a period of great upheaval. And it is in these times when the institutions that enforce social norms are collapsing and our truth sources can no longer be trusted (our celebrities are secretly monsters, followers are bought, news is easily faked, and government is a circus), that we must rely instead on judgment of character and word-of-mouth. On older, more deadly serious markers of quality like integrity, and honour.
Time also to reckon with an exciting truth: we have always been self-employed, because our job security is totally dependent on us. How we carry ourselves, how we sell our solutions, how we execute on our promise. When your reputation is all that matters, then it’s your job to make sure it precedes you. And just as in times of old, the most-often told legends are about mighty deeds done in the service of others. We live in a world where several platforms exist purely to spread the word. That should be as much permission as we need to do the things our companies deem too risky, too expensive, too outside their interests. So pick a problem, the world and your community is filled with them, and vanquish it. Most political ads suck and the one good councillor out there running for election could use your help. Despite children screaming at the UN, the world still doesn’t care enough to reduce its consumption. The opioid crisis is still out of control. And if all of these are too grand for your level, there’s always the organization you’re in right now. Freelancers have an objective opinion that the right ears want to listen to, and you have the freedom to voice it that lifers do not. Don’t try to fix these issues because it will garner attention, generate profits, or even because they can be fixed by you alone. Do it because you are uniquely situated and skilled to do it, because that’s what knight-errants do.
The freelancer model is best-equipped to adapt to the modern economic landscape. Steady jobs are vanishing, so whether your craft is the sword or the pen, you’ll have to hit the road.
But that doesn’t mean you have to be a mercenary.
Your lance is finally free. That means the decision of which giants it will take down, is yours.
Note: I hope you enjoyed this post. More than any other, this has been one I’ve mulled over for quite sometime. I really believe that freelancers, and freelance creatives in particular, have a freedom and duty to act better and do more. What’s more, while freelancers are often left off credit sheets and award entries, you nonetheless deserve to be celebrated just as much as any creative. If you agree, please sign up to my mailing list for updates and ideas on how we can make this happen. Thank you! -Richard
