Currently a Freelance UI/UX designer, In a tough spot with my payments and work in general.

I started freelancing for this company about a year ago. At the time, I was relatively new to the field, with only 8 months of work experience. They offered me what seemed like decent pay, and I was excited to start. Initially, they paid me regularly, and things seemed fine. Later on, I set some boundaries, requesting a certain percentage upfront before beginning any new projects due to inconsistent pay. They agreed, gave me multiple projects, and provided a small amount initially.

Now, after putting in significant work, I feel like I’m stuck. If I quit, it feels like all my hard work will go to waste. But every time I approach them for payment, they act polite but avoid the topic, and I constantly have to ask for updates about my pay. I want to leave, but I currently have around 1.5 Lakhs unpaid because of this "half-payment to start the project" arrangement. I've realized they’ve made me do a lot of visual design work – which I didn't mind at first because I was learning – but it now feels exploitative.

I wasn’t very confident discussing payment when I started, but now I am. Recently, I found out they didn’t pay another designer, citing issues with investor funding, and now I’m wondering if I should even expect to get paid. To make things worse, they badmouth anyone who leaves.

On top of that, campus placements are underway, and the offers coming in feel underwhelming since I get the freedom and similar pay here maybe more in terms of pay .

I love making music, and I feel like I should just quit everything and follow my dreams at this point. Corporate life and typical workplaces feel soul-crushing, but then again... money is what holds me back. The pay has been like a drug and I'm pretty decent at work in terms of design—it’s given me a level of freedom that’s hard to give up. But to chase my dreams, I'd be giving up that freedom all over again, considering a difficult family situation.

I'm just really unsure at this point, and I feel completely stuck.