~ Field Notes ~

Learning to fly: What it’s like to enter ‘the gig economy’.
Going freelance, no performance bonus, no medical care, no holiday entitlement, no more paid sick days, no more guaranteed monthly income, Oxford Circus, Philosopher, Martial Artist, Actor, Bruce Lee, skydiving, wingsuit, London, organisational politics, freelancer, full-time job, handcuffs, golden handcuffs, freelance community, Learning to fly, freelance, the gig economy, Gig economy, digital nomad, professional resilience Chris Shirley MA FRGS Going freelance, no performance bonus, no medical care, no holiday entitlement, no more paid sick days, no more guaranteed monthly income, Oxford Circus, Philosopher, Martial Artist, Actor, Bruce Lee, skydiving, wingsuit, London, organisational politics, freelancer, full-time job, handcuffs, golden handcuffs, freelance community, Learning to fly, freelance, the gig economy, Gig economy, digital nomad, professional resilience Chris Shirley MA FRGS

Learning to fly: What it’s like to enter ‘the gig economy’.

Around 4 months ago, I decided to join the freelance community. I wanted control of everything in my life.

Earlier this year, I had decided to leave a career in the military and start a new path in a London-based global media organisation. Life was simple – you just turn up, do your job, don’t rock the boat too much, go home, get paid, buy nice things. It’s that straightforward. But simple isn’t always the best and by now, I’d had enough of my life being defined by a safe career path that led to an unknown horizon.

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