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Nothing prepared me for freelancing better than GTA III.
(with Skyrim a close second)
Anyone who's quit a 9-5 to go down the solo route knows this choice is an absolute brain-melter. There's no instruction manual or customer service; just uncertainty, bills, and whole lotta self-doubt.
It's coming up to 5 years since I left my 9-5, and one thing has been on my mind at every stage of my growth:
Freelancing is just like being a character in a role-playing-game.
If you played any of the GTA games you'll know what I mean.
You start off in a new city as a nobody, doing small jobs for the strangest characters. The tasks are fairly simple as you learn the ropes and discover new areas.
(continued below 👇)
You start with basic gear and end up unlocking premium clients 😌
What game best represents your freelance / entrepreneurial journey, Anush?
Probably Minecraft 😄 Started with basic tools, slowly built systems, now just trying not to fall into random lava (aka bad clients)
Nice one, I like it.
Over time you develop your skills, acquire new equipment, and unlock bigger jobs. This is the exact same route you take as a successful freelancer.
Now I don't know about you, but it certainly didn't feel like life was a game when I got stuck in traffic going back and forth to an...
Playing Skyrim prepared me in a similar way.
In this fantasy world, there's a lot more focus on skill development, where you purposely opt for stamina, health, or magic. As a self-employed entrepreneur, this makes me think of good financial planning.
Running a freelance business...
These fleeting thoughts came to me while drafting a section on mindset in my upcoming ebook. There's a massive change in identity that needs to happen as you switch from employee to self-employed. It's especially difficult if you're not surrounded by people in the same...
Thanks!
Do you see any similarities to your own path in this story?
The network for creativity
Join 1.25M professional creatives like you
Connect with clients, get discovered, and run your business 100% commission-free
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I built an interactive book about my design career inside Figma Make. It's called Design Chronicles.
Try it here!
https://design-chronicles.figma.site/
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Excited to share my Figma Make Makeathon submission — "Los Santos Stories" 🎮
It's a fully 3D, top-down open-world action game that runs entirely in the browser. Built with web tech inside Figma Make.
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13 missions. 7 districts. Police chases. Radio stations. Phone controller. Safehouse. Garages. All built in Figma Make.
The entire game — engine, renderer, AI, sound system, mission logic — was built inside Figma Make.
Try it: https://matte-sign-95806801.figma.site
Social link:
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