December marks an important and happy anniversary for me—although at one time, I wasn’t so sure. One year ago, I was downsized out of a job. It’s a familiar story to many in these troubled economic times, and one that carries quite a punch.

What to do? With my single-income household that included three hungry felines, I couldn’t afford to sit around feeling sorry for myself.

Now, I had freelanced previously for more than 15 years. But I knew the market had changed. It now included social media like Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and blogs, virtual relationships and online outlets. There were no rules, and things changed at breakneck speed. It felt like the Wild West had been reborn, in all its lawlessness and opportunity. Would I be able to duke it out?

Fortunately, I had attended a PWAC Toronto seminar a month earlier about book publishing. I liked the vibe, and knew how important networking was to freelancing. At the seminar, I had picked up some PWAC information, and noted there was an impressive lineup of professional development events. This was something that I badly needed, having been out of the market for four years.

Before I knew it, I was signed up for courses through PWAC and other organizations. I revived my old GST number—I knew from experience that some companies can’t process an invoice without it. I fired up some Excel spreadsheets to track my expenses and revenue. My filing cabinet had a thorough cleaning, inside and out, to make room for all those new clients.

In my previous freelance life, I had been an automotive writer. And as I tracked down my clients, I started landing writing gigs. Sweet. Through my courses, I learned about search engine optimization—and named my website www.krystynalagowski.com so people could find me. The hardest part was choosing samples of my writing to post! But I’m proudest of my “People are talking” page, with lovely testimonials from colleagues and clients.

I’m working harder than ever—making sure I manage my time efficiently without sacrificing personal time. It’s a challenge, and just last week I didn’t leave my apartment for three days to meet a deadline. So I took Friday off! But that’s the joy of freelancing—never quite knowing where your week will take you. If you’re the kind of writer who needs freedom and flexibility to fire your creativity, then freelancing is for you. It takes discipline, self-confidence and a good network of staunch supporters to help get through the lean times.

Is it worth it? Ask me again a year from now. I’m confident my answer will be a resounding “Yes!”.

Krystyna Lagowski is a Toronto-based freelance writer specializing in automotive and transportation issues. Her work has appeared in the Toronto Star and National Post as well as other print and online media. Krystyna also has a blog.