Spotlight on: Wojtek Salski
Meet Wojtek Salski – a freelancer of many talents. The following exclusive interview will uncover his passions, drivers and career choices. Knowing the complexity of his character, you may be left with some additional questions for him. If so, please leave a comment below and do not forget to subscribe to his instagram!
Please tell us a bit about who you are and what do you do.
Hi, my name is Wojciech Salski, and I am a freelance writer, podcaster, and a creative worker. As a Film Studies graduate my passion lies in storytelling, which is the main way of expression for my creative abilities. Throughout my employment at the Aberystwyth University Student’s Union, I have also developed multiple projects, events, and advertising campaigns, which would not come to fruition if it wasn’t for my creativity and leadership. I have a deep appreciation for helping a fellow man, which drives my creative works to serve, inspire, and advise others.
How and when did you get started?
I have started my freelance business W.Salski Creative Works almost two years ago. It was neither planned, nor expected, rather it became a reality as a by-product of the time spent on my own discovering my inner voice. I was always interested in working in the media industry, but during the final year of my undergraduate I recognised the immense pleasure I experienced through writing. Following this need for self-expression I brought myself to create every day, making it a habit, which in the long run dominated my persona. Since then, I have created multiple series of (Un)usual Stories podcast episodes, (Un)usual Stories book, and many articles on my blog.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced so far?
So far, I have experienced three major setbacks, which could be considered the biggest challenges. First of all, due to the lack of professional (career-acclaimed) experience, I am often turned down from the job applications, due to the insufficient skillset, which tends to be a rather limbo-like state, since the only way to gain this experience would be through the employment in the first place. Secondly, there is no nicer way to put it than stating that often my nationality suggests lacking language proficiency, which cannot be proven until provided a chance to create and deliver the expected service or assignment. Finally, something that I personally find to be the most common issue within the writing branch of the industry is the fact that there is little demand for truly creative writing, which would consist of research and editing without a pre-set, pre-assigned expectations. I find that often times jobs advertised for a ‘creative writer’ are no more ‘creative’ than a ‘copy and paste’, manufacture-kind a placement. There seem to be a great demand for ‘content writers’ who can easily re-create the same type of content, giving it a different word mix, repeatedly.
What has been your most satisfying moment so far?
Since the starting of my freelance adventure, there have been many moments that definitely managed to ‘take my breath away’, one of which was the self-publishing of my book (Un)usual Stories through Amazon. I have not in my wildest dreams expected to have finished a piece of writing of such a size by the age of twenty-four when I initially challenged myself to create daily. Persistence works miracles, regardless of one’s profession. Over the course of about eighteen months, I went from not knowing how to start a book’s chapter to finishing a full, multiple stories, work of art.
Would you recommend freelancing to others?
I would recommend freelancing to anyone whose aspirations to create or provide service of any kind go beyond the satisfaction of doing what someone tells them to. The level of freedom in freelancing is substantially greater, which not necessarily means it is easier to be self-employed. Similarly, to the many so many other aspects of one’s life, choice of the freelance career carries with itself both advantages and difficulties and it is ultimately a very personal choice. It is important to note that I am still working my day job until the income from my freelance work does not become sufficient.
What was your motivation to become a freelancer?
I believe my greatest motivation to pursue the freelance career lies amid freedom, which comes as a by-product of such endeavour. As a creative, I have always valued the ability to choose, discard, and adapt the day’s goals and actions to my heart’s wishes. Working for the many companies of different branches I have experienced the restrictions, which confine one’s possibility to do ‘the right thing’ and often make the person wonder ‘why would we not do it the other way’… The rules are there, which is only fair, but for myself it was not enough, therefore I have challenged myself to step outside the comfort zone, gain additional skills and abilities, and through ‘trial and error’ become more self-sufficient and less dependent on my employer’s mood.
What drives you, what motivates you?
My greatest, most fiery motivation derives from the need to serve – to serve my family, my community, the world… It might sound a cliché, but I do really want to ‘make the world a better place, one word at a time…’, which is the motto of my creative efforts. I want to feel that the world became a little better because I was here, otherwise I believe that life would lose its colour. The way I see it, we all want to be valued, whether its by others or by ourselves; we all want to feel like we matter. And that is ultimately what drives my process of becoming, re-shaping, re-learning, and experiencing – I want to feel like I made a difference and helped someone along the way.
To find out more…
Find an article written by Wojtek for the Revolancer Magazine and discover the pros and cons of pursuing a freelancing career as a student in the UK.
And if you want to read more about other successful entrepreneurs and freelancers, head to the ‘Spotlight on’ section of Revolancer’s magazine!
Freelance marketplace: Revolancer