Yes, GD's do have a steady 9-5 workday with a stable, fixed salary. And some do freelance. But Freelancing has its Pros and Cons.
Freelancing depends on the person . I know a few who does. But it could quite difficult to keep from their bosses. The bosses will not like the idea. Currently, Im a freelancer. But before I made that move, I had to do it on off-hours or off-days just to get the feel of looking for clients, doing the work order, sending the FA to the service bureaus , collecting , delivery ..... all that. But I didn't leave my job back then, till I was comfortable I can manage on my own...... You see, to do freelance, you have to act like a one man company....... Benefits and Pitfalls are part and partial of being a freelancer.