The notion of liberating yourself from a 9-5 job, stepping away from the corporate environment and controlling your own professional narrative as a freelancer seems like a dream-come-true from the outside.
Naturally, more and more people are drawn to the concept of freelancing. So much so that more than 57.3 million Americans were freelancers as of 2017. At the time of writing, there are over 249,000 #freelancers posts on Instagram.
Freelancing has some obvious benefits- you are able to work remotely in your jammies, you enjoy the flexibility to take on multiple clients at a time and you work on your own terms, mostly. While it sounds fun – and most of the times it is – freelancing comes with its own set of challenges. From hunting for new projects, to chasing clients for payment, to meeting unrealistic deadlines and demands to not knowing whether you will have work the next month- freelancers have to go through a whole lot, all the time.
Being a freelancer myself, I juggle between several roles. From being a content consultant at a PR agency to being a regular contributor to online publications and managing my own website to dealing with individual clients- I do it all. So trust me when I say that the struggle is real and more often than not I get exhausted. Being constantly active online looking for the next potential project and attending every event possible for the sake of networking are common struggles that I face.
I am constantly on the lookout for healthy ways to manage my time and lifestyle better. From digital detoxing to meditative apps and productivity tools to brain exercises- I have tried everything. Recently, during one of my pursuits of seeking sanity, I discovered a growing tribe of freelancing females online.
There are over 16.9K posts with #freelancingfemales on Instagram as of now and it is growing. I chanced upon some amazing IG handles dedicated to the tribe of freelancing females. These handles curate accurate content to convey the everyday struggles what we go through. Whenever I feel unmotivated, these feeds help me take a refreshing break.
Here is a list of some of my personal favourite IG handles that I recommend all freelancers, especially women, to follow:
@Freelancing Females
With 128K followers, Freelancing Females is probably among the fastest-growing online tribe of female freelancers. Their content is witty, smart and to-the-point. They capture the everyday nuances of being a female freelancer and present it in the funniest and most relatable posts.
From creativity blocks to time management and dealing with clients to managing work pressure- no matter what typical issue I am going through on a given day- Freelancing Females never fails to cheer me up.
@Mollyhostudio
This is a low-key Instagram handle with some 4500 followers. I love Mollyhostudio because their content inspires me to keep going. Their simple yet accurately curated quotes remind me of my potential and lift my mood when I am having bad days. So, if you are having writer’s block and need some motivation, Molllyhostudio is the right IG space for you today.
@TheFemaleHustlers
With some 1.2 million followers, this Instagram handle celebrates women who break the glass ceiling in their fields and build a life for themselves. Personally, I am an ardent believer of the Japanese concept of Wabi Sabi – finding happiness in the imperfect. Somehow, the content on this handle resonates that philosophy.
It reminds me that we do not have to be perfect or “whole” as per societal norms and expectations. It is okay to fail and what matters is what we learn from that failure and rise from it. The Female Hustlers is for all the women out there who hustle everyday, no matter what.
@GirlsBuildingEmpires And @BossBabe
Girls Building Empires and Boss Babe are both meant for the unapologetically ambitious woman. With 783K followers and counting, Girls Building Empires celebrates powerhouse freelancers.
Boss Babe keeps its 1.6 million followers motivated with relevant reposts from key personalities as well as curated content.
On days when I need someone to look into my eyes and tell me that I have what it takes, I take a five-minute break to scroll through these handles on IG.
If you have a meeting with an important client today and you need a confidence boost, check out these handles on IG.
If you are a freelancer like me, you probably spend your time in your shabbiest home wear, coffee mug in one hand typing away on your laptop. To be fair, most of the times this is a dream-job situation, but when it starts taking a toll- you know where to turn!
Average Rating