[gurkendoktor]

> But my takeaway was that it's better to define your own passion projects and make it work than to be someone else's mercenary.

That's the beauty of being able to set your own price! You can increase your hourly rate/project estimates until some clients will decline, and then spend the free time to work on your own project. It took me some getting used to it, though, because losing out on a project feels like a defeat, even when it isn't.