Daniel had been working as a graphic designer at a large agency for five years. He was good at his job, but he felt increasingly trapped by the routine. Every morning he commuted for over an hour on a crowded train. He spent his days following other people's briefs and deadlines. One rainy Tuesday afternoon, his manager cancelled a project he had spent weeks on. That evening, Daniel sat at his kitchen table and thought seriously about his future. He had always dreamed of working for himself, choosing his own clients and projects. He opened his laptop and started researching what it meant to be a freelancer. He read about setting up a business, managing taxes, and finding clients online. The more he read, the more excited he became. He also felt afraid, because freelancing meant giving up a regular income and company benefits. He decided not to quit his job immediately but to start building a portfolio first. Over the next three months, he worked on freelance projects in the evenings and on weekends. He created logos, brochures, and website designs for small businesses in his city. His first client was a friend who needed a logo for her new bakery. She loved the design and paid him fairly, and she also recommended him to others. Word of mouth was powerful, and Daniel soon had more requests than he could handle alongside his day job. After six months, he had saved enough money to survive without a salary for at least one year. He handed in his resignation on a Friday morning, shaking slightly as he did so. His manager looked surprised but wished him well. The first day working from home felt strange and liberating at the same time. There was no alarm, no crowded commute, and nobody to report to. But by noon, he realized that freedom could also feel overwhelming. Without a clear schedule, he was not sure where to begin. He spent the first week experimenting with different routines. He tried starting at eight in the morning, then at ten, and even tried working late into the night. Eventually he found that he worked best from nine to six, with a proper lunch break. He also discovered the importance of getting dressed in the morning. Staying in pyjamas all day made him feel lazy and unfocused. He set up a dedicated workspace in the corner of his living room. His desk, monitor, and drawing tablet made it feel like a proper studio. One of the biggest challenges was finding new clients consistently. He created profiles on freelance platforms and updated his website regularly. He also reached out to local businesses directly by sending personalised emails. Some ignored him, but others replied with interest, and a few became regular clients. By the end of his third month as a freelancer, he was earning more than he had at the agency. However, the income was not consistent from month to month. Some months were excellent, and others were slow and worrying. He learned to save a percentage of every payment to cover quiet periods. He also set up a simple spreadsheet to track his income and expenses every week. Managing money carefully became as important as doing good design work. Another challenge was dealing with difficult clients. One client asked for fifteen revisions on a single logo and then refused to pay. This taught Daniel the importance of having a clear contract before starting any project. He started using a simple contract template that specified payment terms and revision limits. He also began asking for a fifty percent deposit before starting any new project. Loneliness was another unexpected difficulty he had not anticipated. Without colleagues, there was no one to chat with over coffee or share ideas with spontaneously. To solve this, he joined a local coworking space two days per week. There he met other freelancers, writers, programmers, and small business owners. These connections turned out to be incredibly valuable, both personally and professionally. A programmer he met at the coworking space referred a tech startup to him for rebranding. That project was the largest and most complex he had ever taken on. It included designing a new logo, brand guidelines, website, and marketing materials. Daniel worked for six weeks on the project and delivered everything on time and within budget. The startup was delighted and left him a glowing online review. That review led to three more clients contacting him within a month. As his reputation grew, Daniel could be more selective about the work he accepted. He started turning down work that did not excite him or that paid below his standard rates. This felt like real freedom, something he had never experienced in a traditional office. Looking back, Daniel recognised that the transition had not been easy. There had been moments of doubt, stress, and financial worry. But he had faced each problem, learned from it, and found a way through. He now earned a comfortable living doing work he genuinely cared about. He set his own hours, worked from places he chose, and answered to nobody but himself and his clients. On a quiet Friday afternoon, he closed his laptop and went for a long walk in the park. He had never been able to do that at his old job, where every Friday was rushed and exhausting. He watched children playing, dogs running, and people laughing. He smiled, thinking about the long journey that had brought him to this point. The freelance life was not perfect, but it was his, and that made all the difference.
English Story (B1)The Freelance Life
This B1 English story is designed for intermediates learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
Daniel, a graphic designer, leaves his stable agency job to pursue a freelance career. He faces challenges like inconsistent income, difficult clients, loneliness, and the lack of structure, but gradually learns to manage them. By building his reputation through quality work, smart networking, and discipline, he creates a fulfilling independent career on his own terms.
Translations in English
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What event made Daniel seriously think about his future?
2
Who was Daniel's first freelance client?
3
What important lesson did Daniel learn from a difficult client?
4
How did Daniel solve the problem of loneliness while working from home?
Vocabulary
41 words from this story
