People ask me this all the time: “Are you a freelancer?”
Freelancers are self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. In some fields, they may be called independent contractors, but in the creative class, self-employed or independent workers are generally called freelancers.
As an independent contractor, the implication of the term “freelancer” is “short term hired help” and frankly, that’s not how I work, that’s not how I think, and that’s not how I’ll be treated.
People want to hire me as a freelancer actually want a “temporary employee” to get them through a project. That’s not me; I am a consultant, and I will partner with your organization to help meet your goals, but I’m not a temp.