There is nothing good about losing a job, no doubt. What I find interesting is how this becomes another example of software engineers facing the same struggles

There is nothing good about losing a job, no doubt. What I find interesting is how this becomes another example of software engineers facing the same struggles that artists have always faced. It happened first with open source software. People want to build cool stuff and make it freely available, asking for support in return. Reality check, nobody is paying your rent for your OSS. This is life-as-an-artist 101. Wanting more control over your schedule and the work you take is super liberating! It comes at a lot of costs. There is the time cost of finding clients and negotiating contracts. There is the billing cost, of invoicing your customer and finding a secure way to receive payments. Many platforms take a cut. There are the additional taxes of being self-employed: "In addition to regular income tax, freelancers are responsible for paying the self-employment tax of 15.3% in 2022" (https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/self-employment-tax https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/self-employment-tax) There is the stress of not knowing how long your current clients need you, and when you will have to start hustling again. Historically, full-time work fixes this issue. It is currently in question with the state of the news. It is generally easier to find freelance work for knowledge workers compared to creative workers. With the state of the news, the competition has become extremely fierce. The freelancer life is a very different reality that you really have to check before committing. Myself, I have absolutely enjoyed my experiences with freelance, and I believe it helped me develop an independent way of moving through the world. Now I'm happy to have gone from being a freelance musician of 9 years to full time tech worker. Food is great.