Desperate situation

[Ginnyaletranger78]

I'm on my own with a small child. Abroad.
Several years ago, I had a great career as a freelance writer, translator, editor and language teacher. I left the big city to bring my child up in the countryside. Everything was fine for several years.

Now, I'm really, really struggling. I'm in panic mode. I'm excellent at what I do, but AI is taking all the work or I'm competing with people on Upwork for 10% of what I used to earn. I worry constantly. I'm anxious. I'm living hand to mouth. I spend all day sending off applications and doing tests for free. At best, this gets me added to a database, sometimes the odd job.

I've written and translated best-selling and prize-winning novels. And now I'm rationing food. I don't want to ask for government help. I'm here on a residency permit because of Brexit. I'm so scared they won't renew it. I have a mortgage. My child was born here. I've been here half my life. It's all gone tits-up. Any other freelance creative types out there with some advice?

I feel like such a failure and I can't seem to pick myself up.

From what you've written, I would be worried too, but I'd also see there a good reason to motivate yourself to diversify. You have to pick yourself up. If you were able to acquire all these skills before, you are able to learn more. I can indeed see that there is not much future in some of the areas you specialised in, so you have to branch out in new areas. The advantage of your current specialisations is that you can continue these part time, whenever there is demand. But try to think of a further part time/(future full time?) job that interest you. As you already have experience with teaching, this seems perhaps an obvious area. But do you have any other interests? In the area where you are now: what seems to be in demand? And there is no shame in taking a completely different job to get you over this period of thinking/retraining.

I agree with the above poster. AI is particularly threatening to writers and translators. I earn a small side income from this and can see it being lost in the near future. Diversifying is the way forwards. Think of areas which can’t be ai replaced any time soon. Teaching springs to mind. Online tefl or esol? Ai training eg data annotation?

I'm sorry you are struggling.

As PP looks at the tiles that require a person - teaching or maybe the translator. Do businesses employee translators.

Worse case you need a job, any job. Good luck.

Is there anything you can pick up in the meantime to support your income? A part time job with a bit of stability you can do alongside freelance? TEFL? Teach at a local college or school? Teaching Assistant? Bilingual childminder? Tutor?

I'm sorry this is happening to you. I've gone from being a very in demand writer to barely employed overnight too. I'm retraining now with a view to going back into the corporate world.

This does sound really worrying, my DD is potentially looking to move to France to be with her partner and she's a freelance photographer so this resonates.

My only suggestion is to look at writing up medical reports, I have no personal connections but did read it's apparently very well paid and in demand.

I'm in a similar situation, I'm a translator and my work has all but dried up. I'm now applying for positions as an Executive Assistant (which was my career prior to translation). No advice I'm afraid, just empathy.

This may be a long shot but could you do online language tuition? There are quite a few teachers on YouTube who put out fun little shorts on pronunciation (or whatever) to drive traffic to their websites. Working over zoom would extend your reach massively, and people are much less resistant now to paying for online consultations or support - loads of therapists now work online, whereas that was a wholly face-to-face industry not that long ago.

I really feel for you, OP. It’s terrifying the speed at which AI is swallowing up creative work and opportunities. As a copywriter on LinkedIn said, “I want AI to do the cleaning and ironing so I have time to do the painting and writing, not the other way around …”.

DH (also a creative) thinks the only way forward is to embrace and use it. In his downtime he’s teaching himself how to operate the various packages so he can add those skills to his CV. There’ll be more and more work associated with the manipulation of AI in creative settings and, depressing as that is, there’s no avoiding it. Hope you can work something out 💐

Solidarity.

I also based my recent career on editing, writing, and consulting within my specialised area.

It was lucrative and easy, and now it's bleak. My upwork income has decreased 95%. My other jobs are drying up to.

Fucking AI.

I think I'll have to apply for a permanent in office job but I don't want to, as it means putting my littlest in nursery and spending less time with my eldest.

I don’t have a similar experience but I wondered if you’d be able to exploit your experience and reputation to generate an income online via YouTube or a similar platform? I hate the term ‘personal brand’ but perhaps you can use this in a way AI cannot. Maybe you could offer tutorials to help aspiring writers, run workshops or seminars, or document your life as a writer. It might not appeal to you in the slightest, so feel free to ignore.

Courts still need certified translators, both in person and translation of documents like witness statements. AI translation is not allowed.

AI is threatening until they use it for a bit and realise the downfalls. I would maybe think about how you market yourself and rebrand a bit - think copywriter with technical knowledge, focus on quality of language and output and the human aspect

I can honestly tell you to me if its AI produced you can tell, my first thought is usually oh English not the first language etc which is not the impression a novel needs to give off especially if its a top ranking author.

I would maybe look for something to help fill out your breadth of work as well - is there something else you are able to do to add to your service range so you are not reliant on just one area?

I feel for you, it is a difficult situation. My sister has a similar role to you but based in the UK. She use to be a higher rate tax payer but now is hardly making enough to pay her bills. She has diversified to a more personal assistant/ admin type role and books she has coming in are a welcome bonus. You have great skills. The only thing I can suggest is to be really open to what else you could do.

How's your creative writing? Would writing a book be an option? I'm sorry for your situation and understand your panic. Good luck 🍀

I can't help with the creative aspect but I do think with languages you will always get a job - look at tech roles, if you are a people person you could reposition into a customer support, customer Success or sales person assuming you have some technical capability

Also get advice on whether or not you can claim support. In the UK if an EU citizen has settled status as they'd been here 5 years at the point the UK left the EU - they can claim everything like any other UK citizen and settled status can't be reversed.

Could you try doing a day or weekend workshop teaching languages or creative writing? I've recently semi retired and have attended a few workshop/day courses learning new skills - there's certainly a demand for it amongst women for sure. My local Italian restaurant does conversational Italian classes (with wine!) once a week. You don't need to hire a hall - so it's cheap to set up. I'm not sure whether there would be a demand for it where you are?

Try teaching English as a foreign language online or in person. Could you do B&B if you live in a suitable area and have a spare bedroom? Is there anything you could do in the local tourist industry where you live?

You’ll need to forget the creative job for a while and apply for other sectors.

If you speak the language well (and you obviously do) then you will have to look for another job. I think the chances of them not renewing are very slim, given that you've been there half your life and have a child who was born there. Does your child have dual nationality or a passport from that country alone?

Surely if you were there before Brexit you have the right to stay irrespective of your job status now?

It's an awful shame that you find yourself struggling for well paid work because of AI but presumably you'd be in exactly the same predicament if you were residing in the UK.

Thank you, everyone. Great suggestions. The only other string to my bow is that I set up a charity here. It's quite successful. There's not enough money for me to receive a full-time salary, but maybe part-time, minimum wage. There's also a café within it. Perhaps there's something to be done there. I could create a role. It's all run by volunteers. But I created it and I manage it. This is totally outing, but nevermind. Or, there might be other, similar charity shops looking for someone. I'd like to write my own books, but I need money to come in before I can even think about that.

Food always sells!

sadly not enough work to sustain a decent income.

Teach English 1 to 1?

Get temporary office work

Is it a tourist place? Surely there's jobs in hotels etc

What kind of jobs are available in your area? Could you get one of them? It might not be exactly what you want but it would enable you to live where you want to live, and for a few years at least that might be enough while you look around for something more satisfying long term.