I was an employee, then did my own thing for 6 years, then recently went and got a job again.

I felt no push-back at all for doing my own thing; in fact, I think it was a positive for most people.

If it was only 6 months instead of 6 years then maybe that would have made a difference (?), but generally I've found that people saw it as a positive sign that I was able to be self directed, work in ambiguous circumstances, etc.

Also as pointed out elsewhere here, the ease of getting a job is often a lot more about your network and who you know rather than your exact experience.

Good luck!