And we're back for another When I Grow Up Wednesday! This week I'm featuring Robyn Petrick, a freelance copywriter. We "met" via Twitter (she's @robynpetrik), and I was so glad to have her on the blog today! The work she does is similar to what I do in my side hustle as a freelance writer/editor, and I always love to hear from other writers :)

As a child, I wanted to be a ______ when I grew up. Oh, that’s a long list! I went through stages of wanting to be a veterinarian, a lawyer, a marine biologist, a baker, a teacher, and a poet/author.

How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? Out of all of those careers, being a poet or an author isn’t too far from copywriting at least! Which is pretty much why I choose to start a career in copywriting, so I can still work with words.

What is your official job title? Freelance Copywriter

Ok, now what does that really mean? I write content for other entrepreneurs, freelancers, and creatives whenever they need it. I specialize in website copy and social media updates, but I also write blog posts, and, well, anything written really. I’ve even written articles to go along with guitar lesson videos!

What is a typical day like? I just transitioned from my traditional corporate job to fully self-employed a few months ago, so being able to determine my typical day is my favorite part of writing for a living right now! I usually get up at 8 or 9am, workout or go for a run, and then start working around 10am.

First I check email and social media for anything that needs a quick response, then I’ll spend a couple of hours on my own projects which usually means writing my blog posts, working my social media, and networking online. Since my boyfriend Chris is transitioning to self-employed as well (yay!), we’ll make lunch together around 1pm and watch a bit of Ellen.

I save my afternoons for client work, so depending on the day I could be writing a new About page for a graphic designer or writing a set of tweets for a coffee shop owner. The projects I’m working on can be totally different, and that keeps writing fun for me!

I try to save the evenings for relaxing with Chris or going out with friends, but since my business is pretty new, I admittedly end up working through many evenings as well. It’s all about the hustle these days!

How did you end up in this career? I always dreamed of writing books of poetry or young adult novels for a living, but honestly, I had a really hard time getting past the idea that ‘no one can make enough money doing that’. Finally about a year and ago, it finally clicked that I could earn a living by writing as a freelancer instead. I started freelancing in my spare time, often staying up late and getting up early before work to finish writing projects for clients. I still remember the exact moment where I thought, “Hey, I can actually do this! This will work!” It’s quite an exhilarating feeling.

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? Having always loved writing, I have filled tons of notebooks over the years with poetry and short stories. Once I decided I wanted to move into freelancing copywriting, I began taking copywriting courses online and reading oodles of books and blogs about copywriting. Like many creative careers though, the best training comes from actually getting out there and writing.

What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? Read, read, read, write, write, write! If you’d like to step into a writing career of any kind, the most important thing is to read and write as much as you can.

Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? When I grow up, I would still love to be a published poet. I share some of my poetry on Instagram and perhaps one day I’ll self publish a book of poetry.

Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? Be you, be happy, and live what you love. Life is too short to not chase after your dreams.

Thanks again for being part of When I Grow Up, Robyn! If you'd like to work with Robyn, you can find her at www.robynpetrik.com.