Written research

Over the summer, I was approached by a man I know to write a book for him. He was going to pay me, and it was going to be a real job. However, there was a short prerequisite: I needed to start a single-member LLC to go through instead of doing contract work under my own name. He said it would be something I could use to protect myself from being sued potentially. So, at the ripe old age of 17, I started my own company, Ezerlynn Wordworks, LLC. I was being paid through my company to write a book, and I wondered what else I could get paid to do. Especially as technology advances and telecommunication becomes even more prevalent, for the first time, I saw legitimate possibility to marry my passion of traveling and communicating. There is real possibility for me to live wherever I want, and as long as I have Internet access, to have a job. A new vision for my future. Later in the school year, I was approached by a woman I know to help run a social media account for a girls’ ministry. Through this, I learned that there are different things I can be paid to do. With the ability to do all kinds of projects, I would have the option of many other jobs, and thus more money. This is what led me to my essential question: How does being self-employed through freelance communications facilitate a wider skill-set and provide me with the opportunity to integrate forms of media in my projects?
 

I think I know a few things about my topic. I know many people are happier when they are able to be their own boss, and that they are able to direct their career in the direction they desire. And that is what I desire. Self-determinism. I have a lot of hustle, and I go hard after something I decide I want. This is why I think I would be a good fit for a freelance journalist/ghostwriter/editor. I also love learning, and I do not enjoy working on the same thing for a long period of time (thus, why the Capstone is difficult for me). Being a freelance wordsmith, I would be able to be choosy about who I work for, and what kind of work I would do. I could choose to do work that stretched my skills, such as running social media accounts, writing press releases, and freelance editing for any kind of project.

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My search for information was driven not only by this project but by personal interest. Yes, I have an essential question but this has become a journey for me to research options for my future. My first annotated bibliography came from a freelance writer who practices yoga, and used the lessons from yoga to talk to aspiring freelance writers. This was good for me because when I first started working, I was in my bonus room, and had a hard time staying focused. It was also easy to want to give up, since the writing I was doing at the beginning of the year was unlike anything I’ve ever done before, and I felt overwhelmed and underprepared. “The more you practice, the further you'll go. Yoga is about stretching your own limitations, and regular practice makes you stronger, more flexible and calmer.” (James-Enger) She then connected it to writing “Freelance lesson: There's no substitute for writing. The more time you put in, the better a writer you'll become, and the easier it will be to grow your business.” (James-Enger) I learned to embrace the struggle, a lesson that will serve me long after this project is over and completed. Being someone who loves to grow, it is part of the self employed freelance life that I will participate in different kinds of projects that will stretch me both personally and professionally, staying dedicated to learning new skills. My next source dealt with more practical matters. As I have said before, this topic is my life right now. Through my business and Honors Mentorship, I have had to learn a lot about operating a small business, and my next article from LegalZoom helped me see the pros and cons listed out. Entitled “Top 5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Being a Freelancer” the author summed up well the high and low points of being a freelancer. The double edged sword of taxes being my personal favorite. “As a freelancer, you’ll be able to deduct a lot more expenses, deductions that aren’t available to employees,” (Wong). I will also be able to live and work anywhere in the world, so long as I have Internet connection. A downside is that my livelihood is connected to the survival of a laptop, and my own ability to go out and drum up business. It will be a struggle That is where my next article came into play, as I wondered how I, an introvert, would be able to do something so bold as freelance. ”10 Self-Employed Career Ideas, Based on Your Personality Type" is an article that appeared on a popular personality type blog/forum called Introvert, Dear. For my personality type, INFJ, there is a recommendation. “For those more on the artistic side, copywriting involves a lot of research and care when expressing an idea.” (Mike Jones). This applied more to my internship the second portion of the year, when I began interning at College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME). A lot more of my job has included research, not only for my specific projects but in general, since I am not well versed in the different topics of healthcare minutiae. The greatest source of information for me this year has been my boss at CHIME, Matthew Weinstock. In our interview, he talked about all the changes he has seen in his 20+ year career, and how his writing and communicating has evolved in different ways for various forms of communication. He has been there, done that, and ran with the best. He now holds his dream job. I want to be like him in my adulthood and career.

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Through my research and experiences this year, I have discovered that being a freelance communicator is something I definitely want to pursue in my life. Evolving communications technology will not only allow me to always have a job, as telecommuting becomes more prevalent, I will be able to travel and live wherever I wish. To pay the bills, I will be able to take on all kinds of projects that I might not otherwise have available to me at a typical, static desk job. As more newspapers go online and companies increase their information output directly available to the consumer, there will be increasing demand for written communications, whether social media, press releases, or copy editing pre-existing written materials. After this project, I feel more confident about my future and being equipped with marketable skills for a freelancer by getting a Mass Communication degree and English degree. I am excited to take the information and inspiration I have learned from this project into my college career and on into my professional life.