How I, as a Freelancer, Referenced Other Industries to 'Work Alone' Instead of Building a Team

Since I started working as a freelancer, I have stopped following the posts of other writers in the same field.

Even if I do the same thing, I end up just chasing after them.
I think I wanted to find my own way of fighting instead.

If I'm going to look for inspiration, it's more interesting to look at people doing completely different jobs.
Bloggers, illustrators, web designers, comedians, and professionals in specialized fields.
Although the industries are different, each of them had their own way of thinking and systems for continuing to work alone.

As I actually listened to their stories and followed their activities, I increasingly realized that 'what is common sense in the writing industry is not common sense in other industries.'

In this article, I will write about what I, who wants to 'work alone,' learned from other industries and how I have incorporated that into my own way of working.

The reason I want to work alone without building a team

Since my child was born, I have come to rethink the very way I approach my work.

Picking up from daycare, sudden fevers, school event schedules.
There are things I know in advance, and things that are completely unpredictable.

Whenever child-related tasks or irregular situations piled up, I realized that if I wasn't in a position to move my own schedule, there was no way to manage.

If I built a team and worked with someone, the scale might grow.
But I thought it would be difficult for me to raise a child while also worrying about the members' situations, managing progress, and maintaining relationships.

It might be a matter of whether I am suited for managing others or not, but more than that, I wanted to keep myself in a state where I could act based solely on my own judgment.

'Working alone' was a rational choice for me.
Doing what I can within the scope I can control with my own discretion.
That has become the foundation of my current way of working.

The reason I decided to learn from jobs other than writing

The reason I thought about learning from people in other industries is because I don't want to do the same thing as others.

Even if I do the same thing in the same place, I end up just following in their footsteps.
Rather than that, I want to find my own way of fighting.
That is my basic stance.

Of course, there is much to learn from those in the same industry, and I do use them as references.
However, I have consciously broadened my perspective so as not to be biased only toward them.

The trigger was my habit of reading books and personal blogs.
As I read various things regardless of genre, I realized that within the stories of other industries, there are ways of thinking that I can apply to my own work.
Such as ways of thinking, how to structure work, and how to build strategies.

What is common sense in one industry is not common sense in another.
I believe that this 'gap' is a hint for differentiation.

Strategies for continuing to work alone that I adopted from other industries

Here, I have summarized the ways of thinking that I have adopted from other industries.
I have organized them by focusing on 'ways of thinking about work' rather than the industries themselves.

1. Create your own area of expertise

To keep working alone, saying 'I'm good at this' is stronger than saying 'I can do anything.'
I was influenced in this way of thinking by the posts of professionals, especially administrative scriveners.

Administrative scrivener is a qualification that covers a very wide range of work.
Among them, the stories of those who established their own specialized fields by utilizing their past backgrounds were very helpful.

Instead of being a jack-of-all-trades, they create a position where they are 'the go-to person forX'.
I felt that this idea could be applied directly to my own work.

The same goes for writers.
Rather than broadening the genres you can write in, it is more rational for continuing to work alone to build up trust in a specific field.

I also refer to the story of comedian Noda Crystal.
While keeping comedy as his core, he builds a unique position by combining his strengths and interests, such as game production and app development.

He doesn't just fit into the single label of 'comedian,' and his approach ofexpanding his value through the combination of expertisewas very helpful.

While having one core axis, create a position through your own unique combinations.
I believe that is the strategy for continuing to be chosen when working alone.

2. The importance of continuing to share information

The most powerful thing about sharing information is to keep doing it.
I have come to be convinced of this through listening to various people and reading books.

It's not about whether you are famous, butwhether you have a track record.
Even if each post is small, as they accumulate, the opportunities for someone to find you will definitely increase.
You don't have to go viral. I believe that people who have fans are strong.

I am actually experiencing this myself.
Since I started writing on note, I have been interviewed about my child with congenital heart disease for a web article, won a note contest, and it has led to unexpected connections.

By continuing to use blogs and social media, I have had people support me, which has led to work.
I believe that continuing to share information is a modest but certain strategy for working alone.

3. The attitude of pitching projects

I used to be in a freelance community with many illustrators.
What left an impression on me there was the story of them pitching projects to publishers.

Instead of waiting for requests, they take action themselves to create work.
They approach companies or get found by posting on social media.
Each of them was going after work in their own way.

As for me, I have tended to focus on awareness and attracting customers, and have worked by having people reach out to me.
That's why I was stimulated by the movement of 'going out to get it yourself.'

There is a limit to just waiting.
The work you really want to do rarely comes if you just wait for it.

Even if the industry is different, I felt thatthe attitude of taking action yourself is essentialto continue working alone.

4. Turning adversity into an engine

When you work alone, there are bound to be times when things don't go well.
Work doesn't come in, you aren't appreciated, and you can't see the path ahead.
I believe that how you overcome those moments is the key to continuing for a long time.

At such times, I often recall the book "Geniuses Have Given Up" by comedian Ryota Yamasato.

Don't just leave your frustration and anger as they are; turn them into the power to move forward.
Even when things don't go well, the attitude of using that as a springboard to keep moving left a strong impression on me.

Don't use adversity as an excuse; instead, use it as fuel.
Although the industry is different, I have incorporated this way of thinking into my own life just as it is.

Freelancers decide their strategy based on their own environment

The reason I chose to work alone instead of building a team is because I wanted to protect a lifestyle that prioritizes raising my children.

There are time constraints.
Unexpected things happen.
In such situations, I felt that I couldn't get work done unless I could act at my own discretion.

If I didn't have children to raise, or if I didn't have time constraints, I think I would have considered building a team to work.
It's not that one is the correct answer; you have no choice but to choose a strategy that fits the environment you are in.

I haven't adopted everything I've learned from other industries exactly as it is.
I choose what fits my situation and let go of what doesn't.
I have been repeating that process.

I don't believe there is a fixed correct answer for freelancers.

Your environment, your priorities, your strengths.
Based on those, you create your own strategy.

I feel that is what is necessary to continue working alone for a long time.

Thank you very much for reading until the end.

I will continue to update my note magazine "Work Records of a Freelancer Who Moved to the Countryside" with my daily life working as a freelancer in the countryside, how I get work, how I work, and how I build my career from here on out.

If you like, I would be happy if you could 'like' and follow me!

★ I also write articles like this

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