Non-traditional employment?

I'm wondering if any software devs have experience with making a living through a less traditional manner, e.g. remote / telecommute / freelance / short-term consulting, etc.? If so, how do you find work?

I did the 9-5 "career" thing for 10+ years and learned it just wasn't for me. But finding remote work is hard. It seems like most companies are definitely aligned to the more traditional approach of an employer / employee relationship.

I search craigslist but since it's segmented by locality it can be a bit of a bear.

I gave up on the typical recruiter / resume-harvesting sites like monster, dice, etc.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
John