I disagree with this conclusion. I, for one, never decided to work more, I simply don't have a real choice. No one will hire a 15hr/wk person except in positions that don't pay enough per hour to make a living wage anyway. If I could cut my current salary to 37.5% to only work 15hr/wk I'd do it in a heartbeat.
In a nutshell, Keynes made assumptions about economic growth (correct). He then riffed on assumptions for income effects (if I pay you more, will you work more?) and substitution effects (if you have more money, will you work less?). Those are not very hard to populate. Ask poor people, observe higher income people's behaviours.
The standard retort my professor gave (people decided to keep working lots and buy more stuff instead of chillin)is, IMO, the favoured explanation because it's parsimonious with theory. It fails when it meets reality, in the form of people. Ask a median person why they don't chill more and work less and you'll get strange looks.
If interested, I think concepts in the "cost of thriving index^" are probably key to understanding why economists are (I agree) mostly wrong on this.
In any case, I think the keynes prediction, is an invaluable starting point... being from the past. A modern economist might defend the theory, with the "chill more" defense. I doubt they would bring it up though. No one is going to make a false prediction about the past to test a theory they support.
^ https://media4.manhattan-institute.org/sites/default/files/t...
this raises another problem that keynes may not have forseen (not sure when he made this prediction). people don't necessarily realize how much it costs to employ them beyond just their salary. stuff like health insurance, software licenses, and physical equipment/space doesn't scale with the hours worked by an employee (at least, not linearly). 37.5% of pay for 37.5% of the normal work week might sound good to you, but sounds pretty bad to your employer. they get 37.5% of the working hours for you, but pay well over 37.5% of the original cost. even if given the choice, I highly doubt most people would accept a superlinear pay cut in exchange for decreased hours.
You will see those one time/fee costs do not scale, but to the benefit of the employer.
Microsoft may be making this more available... https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/9/21508964/microsoft-remote...
> Flexible working hours will also be available without manager approval, and employees can also request part-time work hours through their managers.
just get your sales in order and fill a niche
It sounds like you're in a great position.
"Getting one's sales in order" is by far the hardest part, though. I have no idea how to do that.
after a year or so, new jobs will begin to just flow in as you will have built creds. then you essentially can pick and choose.
also learn to think like your buyers. help them to win. dont sell, cooperate. be a partner.
It’s up to the individual if doing animation work in 6 month bursts for individual movies is enough or if they want near full time employment. 6 month rotations are common in many tiny industries like super yacht crews. Major industries like education, farming, construction, and tourism are quite seasonal and it’s up to individuals if they take that time off or work an off season job.