The New Way To Work: Global Marketplace Networking Without Boundaries

2009-10-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, I fell into a job that I love: ghostwriting. Never did I imagine that this career would be so transformative for me. With a law degree, I was poised and ready to enter the marketplace of ideas the hard way, preparing to don business suits and purchase briefcases – all of the conventional accoutrement of a working professional – and I dreaded it! I wanted time for family and friends, the luxury of waking up in the morning and prioritizing my family - the nucleus of my world. I wanted to work as much or as little as I wished, in order to be able to consume life in all of its aspects – whenever I wanted to. The cliché is true: we only live once, and a golden opportunity sacrificed (such as the enjoyment of an uncommonly beautiful summer’s day, free of office place stresses) comes only fleetingly.

One afternoon, a friend requested my assistance in writing her manuscript. Though I had not written a book before, the idea appealed to me. I had, in fact, been ensconced in literature since undergraduate school, and thought to try my hand at the task. As the proverbial saying goes, the rest is history, and I never looked back. I became so enraptured in the moment – every moment - of manifesting my friend’s thoughts in words, that I dispensed with surface preparedness for the workplace. At the outset, I could not have envisioned the enormous reach of this new mode of professional self-actualization. Soon, however, I discovered that through the Internet, I could service people from all over the globe – in my bedroom slippers! Miraculously, I had found the new way to work – via Cyberspace - on my time and terms. Quickly, my career trajectory spread out before me in a glorious tapestry of clients, seeking to narrate their truths.

Everyone has a story which, when told with feeling, empathy, and authenticity, knows no facades or topical requisites. When dealing with authors, boundaries fall away, courtesy of invisible cyber wires which ingeniously link hearts and minds. Out of such connectivity emerge products embodying the very lives of individuals from all walks of life. An awe-inspiring revelation ensues – for all of us, I think: the world is really not all that large; and needs, wants, sentiments, and aspirations are not that disparate. Suddenly, the world has new common ground, right at its collective fingertip, by means of a mouse click. That one small act puts forth a host of innovations and thoughts which render dreams realities. What were once germinating ideas soon develop into a novel, an essay, or a personal commentary yearning to breathe life.

Without borders, the creative process becomes more possible, as the mystique of appearances, cultures, and ideologies find meaning in the context of verbal expression, without preconceived notions and judgmentalism. In other words, the Internet workplace does not emphasize how one looks or, even, believes. It simply provides a venue in which individuals are free to be themselves, without preconditions. Communication is, thereby, facilitated, ideas flow fluidly, and work is generated. Elance provides multiple opportunities for such self-expression and exchange. It is, undoubtedly, an entrepreneur's haven.To be a catalyst of thoughts and feelings in this way produces an indescribable sense of fulfillment in me, as I, from the comfort of my office, participate in a global human experience.

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Gabriella Gafni, J.D. is a lawyer by training, a ghostwriter by profession. She has written countless novels, articles, essays, and commentaries on behalf of authors seeking to tell their stories and express their ideas. Her goal is to produce writings which precisely reflect the authors' intentions and styles.Gabriella also holds a B.A. in foreign languages and cultures, is fluent in Spanish, German, and English, and has a working knowledge of Hungarian.E-mail: gabriellawrites@gmail.com