The case for boring work

Not every assignment will fill your soul, that's okay

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Diana Kelly Levey
February 09, 2025

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New freelancers might not want to hear this but...

Many of my freelance assignments would be considered boring work by most.

I've done a lot of tedious writing.

Banged my head on a keyboard trying to figure out how to shoehorn an SEO keyword phrase into an article.

Wrote topics that involved some gross search results photos. 😳 (I’m a health writer, it’s going to happen!)

And I've done quite a bit of website and newsletter copywriting that doesn't make my heart sing.

I'm okay with that. 🧘

If you want to be a freelancer or solopreneur for the long haul, you'll need to do some of that work, too.

Most of that so-called boring work?

Usually paid well. 💰 (Here’s how to get high-paying freelance clients.)

They were often consistent assignments. ∞

I always learned something.

Many made for great samples to show future clients. 📝

They usually had great managers and editors behind them who I enjoyed working with.👯‍♂️

If I can share advice for new freelancers, it's this:

📌 It's okay to do boring, steady work that pays the bills.

📌 Leave some room in your schedule for the fun work that fills your soul.

📌 Be careful what type of online research you have to do in a public area like a coffee shop. 🙈

Need some fresh ways to find freelance clients? 👇

Thanks for being a reader.

Diana

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P.P.S. Enjoying what you read?

You can show your support by buying me a coffee over at Buy Me a Coffee. ☕️ (Think of it as a monetary tip.💰) It helps cover newsletter costs, website maintenance, the time it takes me to write these each week, and paying awesome freelancers who write for the blog. Every little bit means the world—thank you! 💖

Make 2025 Your Best Freelancing Year Yet!

Got questions about how to stand out in a competitive freelance space?

How you can find freelance jobs and turn assignments into repeat work?

These are some of the popular questions students get the answers to in my Freelance Writing Online Course, “Get Paid to Write,” on Teachable.


➡️ How can I become a freelancer when I have never been published?

➡️ Where can I find freelance writing jobs?

➡️ How can I get an editor or manager to open my email and read my freelance article pitch?

➡️ Is it possible to earn a good salary freelancing and make a full-time freelance salary as a freelance writer?

➡️ Can I make money as a side hustle while working full-time?

➡️ How can I write a freelance pitch?

➡️ Is it possible to make good money freelancing while staying home with kids?

➡️ Who should I send a freelance pitch to?

➡️ How much should I charge?

I address these questions and more in video and text lessons in this self-directed online course.

"I enjoyed taking your course! I just got two new clients since I enrolled in your course a few weeks ago and sent pitches." - Matt Olszewski

My freelance writing online course students have been published in Real Simple, Oxygen, MSN, Columbia Journalism Review, Livestrong, Robert Irvine magazine, Food Network, Centennial Publishing, and more.