The Only Way Out Is Through

My Psychology teacher, Tess Tuason, once mentioned the quote:

"The only way out is through."

I find this applicable for freelancers because I strongly believe that to develop a solid self-employment system requires being employed first :)

Life would be so sweet if we need not trudge through traffic in corporate attire and just have Wii-breaks instead of coffee breaks.

I spent a good year in a multi-national bank that reported to two different regions of varying time zones. Because of this, I learned the value of precision and accuracy at work where there is absolutely no room for error. My boss, MVF, sent me to two of Asia's prestigious business schools to learn stuff from what a bear market is, computing for equities, and how to compute T-bills and other terms that elude me now.

One day, MVF gave me what was to be some good news and...signed me up for a one-year scholarship in Trust law and accounting in line with a promotion to portfolio management. Although I tremendously enjoyed the friendships I formed in the company as well as my trips to the Snoopy-filled HR office where a painting of mine now sits, I knew in my heart being a banker was not for me. It was only fair that I tell my boss that I was pretty sure there was somebody out there who could do the job so much better.

Today, I still carry the value of discipline and reliability when meeting deadlines which I picked up from my friends at the bank and MVF himself. It is the core on which my life as an artist and writer is built and something I believe should be the very foundation of creative freelancers who wish to have an edge.