New Horizons?

I made a big decision earlier this month but haven't talked about it here yet.

About six years ago, I launched my own business - a freelance marketing communications business. You know, 'come to me, folks, for your brochures, business cards, Web site content, etc.' It was a good idea, but it was not the kind of thing I could really launch successfully without investing more time and money than I could. I'm not prepared or willing to give up a full-time gig (and its benefits) to go freelance 24/7. If I'm forced to due to unemployment, that's a whole other story. But for right now, nope. Not going to do it.

The problem with marketing communications jobs is that they involve a lot of back and forth communications with customers and far too many steps to complete a project. A person working a full-time job in addition to this work either has no personal life whatsoever or can't really do as good a job as necessary for either.

So, I made an effort - did a few jobs - had a few steady clients but then, effective last year, I closed up shop.

I'm exploring a different avenue now.

My work at the Tribune has shifted into producing more editorial content than I ever have done. It's been wonderful, and really allowed me to get my feet wet in new waters. It's also helped me to build up that portfolio. So now I have a mission.

I'm launching a part-time freelance writing gig. Nothing formal, no clever names. I am busy at work setting up some good pages to demonstrate my writing skills and variety of work I've done. I'm going to bid primarily on jobs involving interviews, research and general copy writing, more so than marketing communications.

I've found a few sources for these job listings online and I think once I can establish some good connections and show what I can do, I'll probably get some repeat customers.

It's exciting and a little scary, putting myself out there like that. I don't really know how the freelance writing biz works and definitely have my homework ahead of me. But I've discovered what I enjoy doing more than anything else, and that is interviewing people, hearing their story and telling it. If I can find a way to do that for a living (or even part-time basis), I may have found my calling. At least I hope so.

Only took 37 years.

Not bad.