Some of her gigs as a freelancer have included Light to Night Festival at the National Gallery in January this year, ASEAN Festival of Arts 2024 in Malacca, F8 Festival Makassar 2024 and the Best of ASEAN Performing Arts 2023 in Jakarta.
But passion does not pay the bills. As a freelancer, some months are packed with weekly gigs, others are unsettlingly quiet.
“The worst months are those without any gigs so there’s no income at all, and I still have rehearsals or classes,” she said, adding that those days can start at 9am and not end until midnight.
“It seems very futile – as if I’m doing everything but not doing anything at the same time,” she said.
Even when work is steady, as a freelancer, she struggles when payment is sometimes delayed.
“The lack of financial stability and unpredictability can be scary, especially if there’s something that I really need to pay off, such as student loans and bills, or there’s some immediate need that I need to get settled, such as groceries and transport costs,” said Shruthi, who is single and trying her best to support her parents.
