Quiet Revolution: Connect with freelancers

Freelancers are finding new and innovative ways of connecting with each other.

They’re not just attending awkward networking events. They’re choosing to work in independently owned coworking spaces, forming cooperative art spaces, joining cooperative makerspaces, and finding one another at collective coffee roasting organizations. They’re even jamming together at cooperative music studios!

Regardless of what type of business you have, where you live, or where your interests lie, you can find a place in your area that’s frequented by freelancers. Where is your favorite place to connect with freelancers in your area? Are you a member of a collective, cooperative, or coworking space? If so, be sure to put it on our Quiet Revolution map!

Here are just a few ways that freelancing are connecting:

Getting out of those PJ’s

Have you ever sat alone in your apartment for more than 8 hours at a time? It’s ok. We’ve all done it.

With the recent boom in the freelance workforce, coworking spaces have been popping up everywhere. Independently owned coworking spaces are great place to find potential clients, effortlessly network, and learn from other freelancers within and outside of your industry. You also don’t have to guiltily buy a cup of coffee every few hours because you’re getting stared down by the barista.

One great example is The Locals. The Locals are a group of independent workers from Conway, Arkansas who have come together to build a nonprofit coworking space with a particular emphasis on food security, cultural production, and economic opportunity for local producers. So not only is it a place to connect with other freelancers, but a perfect place to make a difference in your community!

Hanging out with other hobbyists

Maybe you’re primarily a graphic designer, but also a coffee enthusiast. Have you ever thought about joining a coffee roasting collective? Did you even know that such a thing existed? Well, it does. And a lot of freelancers are choosing to spend their free time doing things just like that.

In fact, freelancers are also using their musicianship to come together. Run on a collective basis, Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen in Brooklyn, NY functions as a music studio, record label, and promoter. They also put on shows for collective members and the community! So don’t let your guitar continue collecting dust! Use it as an excuse to discover your local freelance community.

What traditional or nontraditional locations do you frequent in your area to connect with fellow freelancers? Is it on our Quiet Revolution Map? If not, be sure to map it so that other freelancers in your area know where you are!