Online Journalism News

Freelancer of the fortnight: Jill Cartwright, London

Click here to look at Jill Cartwright's full freelance profile on Journalism.co.uk.

Why did you choose to become a freelancer?
Freelancing offered the flexibility and the freedom I was looking for. It was a chance to take on interesting work that tested my skills and engaged my interest. I was looking for a valid way out of constrictive offices, corporate frustrations and the daily commute - freelancing seemed the way to go.

If you trained, where? If not, how did you become a freelancer?
I studied languages at university and have a life-long passion for writing of any kind - literature, journalism, poetry, short stories.

After graduation (and lots of travelling) I completed my journalism diploma at the London School of Journalism. This gave me some good practical skills in how to research, write news and features, how to sub-edit, as well as a grounding in media law and getting my shorthand up to 60 words-a-minute. However, it was my first job where I really learned the ins and outs of the trade.
 
After a series of events and encounters I never could have predicted, I moved to Tel Aviv in the spring of 2000. There, I begged, nagged and pleaded my way into a job on the IHT-Haaretz English newspaper, starting as proofreader on the news desk.

The intifada was in full rage at the time, so the desk was fraught with tension, changing lead stories by the minute as suicide bombers struck and offensives were launched. Deadlines were tight, accuracy essential. I loved it. I stayed with the paper for six years, learning everything I could from the brilliant and talented veteran writers and editors, eventually working my own way up to senior copy editor.

I moved back to London in 2006, deciding to leave the war zone to the fighters and pursue instead my other passions: yoga, its practice and philosophy, well-being and holistic lifestyle. Living under the stressful conditions as I had in the Middle East over those years marked the beginning of a new and exciting journey - to explore ways for finding more peace and harmony in ourselves and in our world.

The more I studied, read and practiced, the more it changed my own outlook and the more I wanted to incorporate the vision into my writing and my lifestyle. I took a post as deputy editor for a health magazine and a year or so later felt ready to go solo. So I took the plunge into freelancing.
 
Do you specialise in any particular field and what areas do you write about?
The thirst for holistic therapies, traditional remedies, practices and philosophies has rocketed over the last few years as people are looking for more authentic ways to balance their lifestyles and cope with ever-increasing amounts of daily stress.

As a qualified yoga teacher and Ayurveda massage therapist, I have a keen interest in exploring different paths (some worthy, some just silly) and bringing them to a broader audience. I also write about fitness and well-being in general, from gym routines to triathlon training.

Which publications have you been published in?
My work has appeared in The Independent, The International Herald Tribune-Haaretz, Essence Magazine, Women's Fitness, Home Counties and for websites whatsonwhen.com, wotaweek.com and onejerusalem.com.

Which articles, in which publication, are you the most proud of?
Probably the work I did for Haaretz when living in Israel. I had to brush up on a few decades of tawdry and tangled political history before even feeling slightly competent to write anything about it and edit other people's work.

One of my favourite projects was writing a personal and humorous series of articles on life as a non-Jew in Israel. I got some really good feedback for that, but also some hate-filled vitriolic reactions, so it was a very interesting experience.

What are the best and worst aspects of freelancing?
It's all good aspects at the moment - a flexible schedule, the pride and freedom of running my own business, the variety, the challenge of keeping motivated and the rewards of producing a good piece of work.

As someone who loves to be on the move, I enjoy getting out and about, meeting people, trying new things and the opportunities this line of work provides.

The worst I suppose is nagging people for pay cheques.

Do you have any interesting anecdotes in relation to your experience as a freelancer?
I was once commissioned to write a short travel guide to Israel right in the middle of the Second Lebanon War. As I was encouraging readers to 'relish the lush splendour of the Galilee', it was actually under heavy Katyusha fire - surreal.

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freelance | freelancer of the fortnight | jill cartwright |

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