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The end of September is the birthday of Saint Jerome, the patron saint
of translators, and is marked by several conferences. I had the pleasure of participating
actively and passively in two of them, the virtual ITD conference hosted by
proz.com and the hybrid KTLC conference in Warsaw. Each featured several full
days of lectures on various topics related to translation, far too much to
summarize in an article. However, with the growing awareness of mental health
and the emotional challenges faced by many freelancers, I wish to share some
highly relevant points raised by some of the lecturers in regards to the
keeping an even keel.
During the proz.com conference, Adrian Probst addressed an issue faced by all freelancers,
the fear of not having work. He emphasized that all businesses, including
freelancers, experience slow periods to one degree or another. In other words,
they are not a sign of failure but an unavoidable aspect of owning a business
and thus to be expected and planned for, similar to theft in retail stores if
you will. He suggested focusing thoughts not on general feelings of incompetence
and failure but specific steps to take to reduce their frequency and scope,
including marketing and education.
Likewise, Bettina Rohricht in the same conference discussed work flow
ebbs and flow. She also presented ideas to deal with low work flow but added
that overdemand and overwork are as stressful as underemployment. She
emphasized the importance of establishing limits on workloads and times and
explained that it is preferable to refuse a project due to lack of time over
poorly executing it. Furthermore, the chance of losing a customer under that
circumstance is very low in practice. I fully concur with her advice.
My lecture at the ITD conference focused on the issue of self-perception
of success. My main point was societal comparative measures of success,
including income and title, are not relevant to most translators, not to
mention most freelancers, as the circumstances of their lives may not allow
total commitment to a single job. Instead, freelancers should focus on their
current achievements relative to their current reality and take steps to build
a better future. The recognition of actual achievement and practical steps for
future achievement create a positive vector both physically and emotionally.
Dominika Olszewska at the KTLC Conference discussed the power of
monotasking. She emphasized that focusing on more than one matter at once,
however minimally, only reduces concentration and productivity. (I have to
confess that I was multitasking at the time and missed some of what she said, proof
by example.) Among her practical suggestions were limiting the number of open
tabs on the task bar in order to avoid checking social media and other
distractions. She also suggested non-digital breaks, i.e., the best way to take
a break from the computer is to get away from it.
Finally, Stefan Paloka gave a short testimonial to the power of will in
creating a career. He is a blind translator that ignored all stereotypes and
prejudices and has built a successful career. By applying technology and committing
to a goal, it is possible for anybody with a disability to overcome
challenges.
In a certain sense, the message of all these presentations was that
freelancer achievement, however defined, involves not only technical skill but
also the emotional intelligence and skills to deal with difficult situations,
temporary and permanent. This process is as dynamic and active as coping with
technological changes and maybe more important. It is possible, at least in the short term, to function as a technological dinosaur but impossible when emotionally
broken.
I apologize for not mentioning all the fascinating lectures I attended
or failed to attend. I suggest perusing the programs, contacting the relevant
organizers and watching the tape of any relevant lecture. After all, learning
is a yearlong (and lifelong) experience. I would strongly suggest reserving the
last two days of September next year to fully benefit from the fruit of St.
Jerome.
* Picture captions allow the blind to full access the Internet.
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