I remember the first time that I got a job from a client where the instructions were a little unclear. It should have been a simple fix, right? All I had to do was reach out and ask the client for clarification.

A half hour later, I was still staring at my computer screen. Why? Because I was busy obsessively pouring over every word, making sure that I wasn’t coming off as ignorant or just plain dumb.

The truth is, I often find myself struggling to ask for help when I need it.

I think part of it is the misconceptions people often have about my generation. As much as I scoff at it, I’ve internalized some of the complaints about how we all expect to have our hands held, how employers don’t want people who ask stupid questions.

Some of it might also have something to do with the fact that I am a freelancer. And freelancers are, by nature, supposed to be independent. When I started out, a part of me was afraid that asking questions would make me seem less qualified than I actually am.

But the fact is, I’m not a mind reader. And I know that my clients know that, too.

I’ve gotten a lot better about this over the years. I’ve even grown to love constructive feedback, as it helps me to better achieve what my clients want from me.

And that’s the thing — my clients want me to do well. Me doing well means good things for both of us. And if I need to ask for clarification, I know that they won’t judge me. All they care about is that the finished product is good — and at the end of the day, that’s all I care about, too.