"I take a stand, even if it means losing an assignment"
Inke Gieghase about freelancing in a way that matches your ideals
The Friendly Freelancer has many readers who – just like you! – are freelancing in a way that works for them. From now on, we’ll occasionally send you interviews with people in our freelance community who we find inspiring.
Young, aspiring freelancers tend to receive a lot of well-intentioned advice. Advice that they should work in a salaried job for a bit, or that they should grab any opportunity that comes their way and not make too many demands. Inke Gieghase, 23, freelance journalist, spoken word artist and public speaker, are marching to the beat of their own drum. With the exception of a side gig as a grocery store clerk, they never held a salaried job. And their ideals always come first. We asked Inke how they make this work.
Hi Inke, what are your ideals?
“That’s a big question; I have many! Above anything else, I strive toward equity for marginalised groups. This means that I try to amplify the voices of those people whom we less often hear from in mainstream media in my own work. I don’t avoid sensitive topics in doing so; I’d love to see the day where taboos cease to exist. I am myself part of and often write about the LGBTQ+ community, which allows me to draw on my own experiences. More recently, I’ve also tried to pay more attention to diversity within the LGBTQ+ community. There can be no full equity until we see that diversity.”
Photo: Kris Van de Sande
How important is it to you that your clients also strive toward this equity?
“Before I accept a new assignment, I complete a sort of background check. How does the organisation treat its personnel; how do they deal with their environmental footprint and human rights? Thankfully, I haven’t had to say no to an assignment. It helps that I publicly take stances; organisations who can’t get behind what I believe in don’t reach out to me. Sometimes, I do get asked to sit on all-white panels. When I just started out as a freelancer, I was afraid to speak my mind on this. I’m not any more. I take a stand, even if it means losing an assignment. I’ve learned a lot about white privilege over the last few years and it’s caused me to be more firm about what I want. I’m also quite simply tired of the slow pace of change.”
How do you deal with organisations who want to work with you and vice versa but don’t have the budget to pay you?
“I started out when I was 21 and in those early days, I would show up in return for a drink ticket. It’s been a really difficult learning process to learn to say no because I love what I do and there are a lot of organisations I would like to help. At the same time, I’m becoming more and more conscious of how often marginalised groups, including the LGBTQ+ community, are expected to educate others for free about their own suppression. When you decline, the response is sometimes: “We want to do something about the problem, but you don’t want to help us.” But being non-binary doesn’t mean it’s on me to explain what that means for free. I also have rent to pay. So I say no, but I continue to worry that organisations will stop reaching out to minorities if we take a collective stand. Money is unfortunately a factor in change processes, and it’s really tricky to find the ideal middle ground.”
What if you discover that you’re not on the same page as a client mid-assignment?
“I once collaborated with an organisation who it turned out didn’t live up to its own ideals internally. I felt torn. On the one hand, I hoped to be able to contribute to the change process through the organisation; on the other, I couldn’t stand behind the organisation in good faith. Together with a couple of like-minded people, I explored whether it’d be possible to change the organisation’s structure. The whole thing weighed on my mental health heavily, but it helped a little that I was a freelancer – I don’t necessarily need to stick to an organisation’s play book. Financially and mentally, I thankfully find myself on firmer ground than when I started out as a freelancer. If I don’t get the sense that we’re making a positive contribution to society together, I’m happy to pass.”
Photo: Blaise Turikumwe
You have a Patreon page where people can directly support your work. What’s your experience with Patreon been like?
“I have full creative freedom on my Patreon page. I’d love to be able to develop this model further because it would allow me to create more art and to do more spoken word. For Patreon to work for artists, a mentality shift needs to happen. As a supporter, you receive access to exclusive content from the artist you’re supporting – for instance, videos or text – but you’re not getting something tangible like a book or CD. It’s why people sometimes think that the artists aren’t giving anything back. But you give back so much when you make art! I hope that the lockdown will have created more awareness that art is indispensable to society. TV shows, music and books got so many people sheltering at home through that period. Yet when money is needed, the response is often silence.”
Do you have any advice for freelancers who want to prioritise their ideals?
“It was pretty scary to build a freelance existence, especially in a world that isn’t always welcoming to non-binary people. I had countless side hustles and when a month went by where I didn’t make any money, it seemed like the worst decision I’d ever made. And yet, I’m happy with my choice: I have the freedom to decide what I like to do, how I do it and with whom. I’ve been able to do so many wonderful things and to meet great people. So, I would say: f*** everything and do you! But that might not be the most realistic advice to someone starting out or someone who is part of a marginalised group. So before doing anything else, make sure you know what your boundaries are and how you’ll protect your mental health. Once you learn to recognise your own red flags and you’re no longer afraid to take a step back if needed, you can take the next step. Do you have the financial luxury to say no to assignments? Well, then you can take a stand, but I don’t judge people who aren’t able to do so. But more than anything else, seek out support. When I see other people standing up for their principles, it helps me to do the same.”
Follow Inke at inkegieghase.com and on Patreon.
Do you know someone who would be perfect for this interview series? Shoot us an email at freelancerthefriendly@gmail.com and explain in 1-2 sentences why they could inspire other freelancers. In keeping with our community-building philosophy and our mission to support each other, we’ve decided you can’t nominate yourself. 🤓