For most people who want to pursue the free work route, I recommend working during the day at a temporary job that pays the bills. Either that, or find a way to make a lot of money in sporadic bursts.

At the end of the day, you need to find some way to make enough cash to cover your expenses. Doing free work is great, but as the name implies, you won't be making money from it for a while. You'll need to find one or more sources of income. This is where the skills you have will come in handy.

Even if you have a boring day job, you can make extra income on the side by using the skills you've learned. For me, I do online marketing consulting, occasional website design work, and freelance video/audio editing.

Doing free work will be tough on your bank account for a brief period, but you'll make huge gains in the future and will simultaneously advance your career path in the direction you want it to go. Ultimately, it's your decision.