Among game audio professionals, independent contracting seems like the innest religion this season. At least four of my friends in the business have moved, for various reasons, from in-house to contracting.
I've thought about posting some articles here related to surviving independently. For now, I will start with the single most important bit of wisdom I've found online or in books. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love, talks about overcoming the anxiety of producing consistently brilliant work:
I can't put it as well as she does, so view it next time you have 20 minutes to spare. I wish I could have watched this years ago. I hope it's useful to you as well.