What I learned when I let go of my freelance IDU.

A year ago, when I returned from my summer vacation, I left my CDI at Le Figaro to start freelance journalism. I loved my 4 years at Le Figaro, I learned everything there. But I was no longer in my place, I couldn't see how I could continue to grow and develop my career. I chose to leave before being bitter and all grey. For those who hesitate to take the plunge, here are two-three little tips I learned on the road.

There's going to be no good times

To be a freelancer is to have weeks where life is grand, where everyone wants to work with you, already with you, know your opinion on a project, pay you to know your opinion, limit yourself to pay you for breakfast with you.

My first advice will be to keep a cool head during these win times. Because there will be other weeks, and we'll have to learn how to handle this emotional elevator. You remember Saturday afternoon when you were a kid, and you had a big blues when all your friends left your birthday snack? Good. Good. You'll have to deal with this emotion again, when from one Tuesday to the next you'll be overcrowded or in your pyjamas at 3pm, refreshing your Gmail in the wind. And the more you take the melon, the harder the descent will be.

One of the reasons I wanted to go freelance was to have time, and to manage it as I wanted. Let me tell you, for example, that I take at least one hard nap a week. When you come home from breakfast and fall asleep in front of your computer, there's a good chance I'm really sleeping. But taking a nap is obviously not my only ambition, so of course I also wanted to do "other things".

And when you finally have that time, sometimes you feel crushed, idle or even pathetic if you have a slight tendency to flog/exageration.

Then there's only one solution: kick your fucking ass.

Feed off the creativity of others and compulsively read billions of things. My trick is to tell myself that I'm going into buldozer mode, I close Facebook for an hour and a half (it's so little... and it's already asking me so much!) and I'm having a reading bulimia crisis. In the morning it works well for me, but after each one its internal clock. I read everything I find and imagine myself as a colonel in a situation room reading a progress report from her troops before making a major decision.

Yeah, I can really imagine that. It also works with podcasts, but I prefer to read. Don't ask yourself any questions and read ALL. Till the end. Then let's macerate all this material in your little cerebellum, don't think about it. You will see, two or three days later, in your shower, on the street or in the subway, you will have a great idea. Take care of her!