This is a wonderful post - more inspiring and thought provoking than the stuff one finds in Writer's Digest or The Writer. And it's great to hear that you've made a success of the freelance gig.
At corporate jobs, I would find myself getting in trouble a lot for being honest. Companies aren't usually dedicated to honest people.
I hear that. Getting through the day with my mouth stapled shut finally got to be too much for me about 9 months ago. It was a shame because I loved the people I worked with, but the people I worked for seem determined to drive the company into the dustbin of history, and they made it clear there was no room for dialog or creative thinking.