Ms. Ryerson also pointed out that many people don’t retire by choice. Recent data collected by the Federal Reserve shows that about 25 percent of retirees were forced to stop working because of a lack of employment opportunities. In a new survey published Tuesday, conducted by the Harris Poll and commissioned by NerdWallet, 36 percent of retirees said it wasn’t their decision to retire as early as they did; 18 percent cited health reasons, while 9 percent said it was because they had lost their job and couldn’t find another.

“If you’re facing ageism in your industry, freelancing may be your best opportunity to explore new sources of income,” said Arielle O’Shea, NerdWallet’s retirement specialist. “Yes, it’s unfair to put the responsibility on the person who’s on the receiving end of discrimination, but if that person’s No. 1 goal is to continue making money, then self-employment can be helpful.”

And it’s not all doom and gloom. “We could view it from a negative standpoint of, ‘Oh gosh, I’ll be working forever,’” Ms. Ryerson said. “But I prefer to take a more optimistic stance: As we gain experience in life, and learn more about our skills and our preferences, we’ll have a lot more options to share those talents in new ways.”

Drumming up freelance work can be daunting, especially at first. Prof. Cal Halvorsen, who studies later-life self-employment and entrepreneurship at the Boston College School of Social Work, said he hoped to see more training and support programs for seniors who need them. “A lot of older workers are interested in becoming self-employed, but don’t feel prepared to do it,” he said. “Providing more infrastructure is one way to narrow that gap.”

There are resources for those who know where to look. In November 2016, the AARP Foundation started an initiative called Work for Yourself at 50+, which offers workshops and other services for budding senior freelancers. More than 15,000 seniors have participated in the program since it began.

For some, self-employment simply looks like a more autonomous version of their previous career. Steven Winn, 68, worked at The San Francisco Chronicle for 28 years before becoming a freelance writer in his late 50s, when he was offered a small buyout package to leave the newspaper. He has since made a living through a jigsaw puzzle of writing assignments, consulting and book authorship. “I certainly wasn’t ready to retire, financially, but I was ready for a change,” he said. “Now, I’m just going to keep doing this until somebody tells me to stop.”

Other later-life freelancers seize the opportunity for a whole new profession. For Peggy Hill, a New York City-based yoga instructor, the jump to entrepreneurship satisfied an itch that had been growing throughout her robust career in brand management for companies like Johnson & Johnson and General Electric. “After 30-something years in the corporate world, I finally reached the point when I was ready for that next chapter, to be my own boss,” she said. “I wanted more control over my life.”