Hey there guys. Happy weekend! Here’s the best of what I’ve read lately, in case you’re not already out and about on this gorgeous day:
Archives for June 2009
Breakneck Book Report: Upgrade Your Life
June 25, 2009 by Leave a Comment
I spend the bulk of my hours on my computer, and the bulk of those hours on my Google Reader, scanning through the 146 blogs I’m subscribed to. Among those: Lifehacker. The blog’s posts are rich with tips and web apps guaranteed to make my life easier.
Though I can easily search through my Google Reader for the answer to any problem — assuming it’s already been answered in a previous post — there’s just something about holding a tangible reference manual in your hands…
Which is why I was curious to read Lifehacker founding editor Gina Trapani’s Upgrade Your Life: The Lifehacker Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, Better.
Passive/Aggressive: Finding Work as a Freelancer
June 17, 2009 by 5 Comments
Despite all my preparations, when I finally went full-time freelance, I was clueless when it came to finding new projects. As I had always done before, I scoured the job ads, dutifully sent out cover letters and resumes, found a part-time freelance gig that gave me the feeling of stability and, otherwise, waited for the work to come to me.
And for at least a year, it worked. I eventually ended up with two regular, moneymaking gigs, and additional projects continued to come my way via friends and former colleagues. Within only six months, I had matched my previous corporate salary.
Then the publication I was copy editing for folded and, about six months later, the web magazine I was writing for decided to switch things up, leaving me with a lot less income. And it occurred to me: I had been coasting!
I know I’m not the only one. Other office workers looking to go freelance are often surprised to find out that job-finding tactics are wildly different when you’re in business for yourself.
After the jump, some passive and aggressive ways to find work, and why it’s essential that you cultivate a mixture of both:
Product Placement: All Your Bright Ideas
June 16, 2009 by 1 Comment
[$18 for set of 3, Etsy]
I carry a polka-dotted notebook in my purse at all times. There is a collection of moleskines on my desk. And I have the NiteNote tucked away in a drawer underneath my bed.
But that’s not all. In my hall closet, there is a large plastic container filled entirely with blank notebooks, some purchased in various B&Ns and stationery shops…most gifted to me by those who are aware of my enduring notebook love.
You’d think that would be enough to last me a lifetime, but I’m always on the lookout for something new, cute, and small enough to fit in my purse.
Which is why I’m digging these Bright Ideas pocket notebooks on Etsy. Because lord knows I could use a few more bright ideas.
[Via Design Dish]
Related: Product Placement: NiteNote, Product Placement: Freelancedom Survival Kit
In Favor of Freelancedom: You Can Do It Anywhere
June 15, 2009 by 2 Comments
Back when I was working in book publishing full-time, trying desperately to establish myself within the NYC media world, I felt stuck: tied to the area in which I was living, unable to move even the slightest bit west, due to the extent to which my daily commute already exhausted me.
Now, with my office a mere few feet from my bed, a world of possibilities has opened up to me, and I daydream about walking amongst the streets of Boston as a native…driving to the supermarket in Bucks County, PA…pushing a Bugaboo through the family-heavy streets of western NJ.
Last weekend, my husband and I even took a drive to Warren County, NJ to check out some open houses, and I fell in love with a four-bedroom house with muted purple shutters and a sunny front office: the type of house you could grow with.
What do I, as a freelancer, look for in a future home? (aside from expansive kitchen counter space, walk-in closets, and a decent school district…) [Read more…]
Link Love: June 5
June 5, 2009 by 2 Comments
It’s been quite the week. Tools of Attraction — my new Nerve blog — launched. My Lemondrop post on the Blowguard was met with great enthusiasm, leading me to believe that I had reached my writing pinnacle…with sex toy reviews. And I began hearing back from editors: a sign that freelance budgets are headed back up? Here’s hoping that the momentum keeps building.
And now, this week’s link love:
Breakneck Book Report: Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird
June 4, 2009 by 4 Comments
Back in April, I posted a monster roundup of the 20 books I built my freelance life upon. Readers (and writers, obvs) were quick to point out that I had made an egregious omission by not including Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird.
The truth is, I had plumb forgot about it because, long ago, I lent my copy to someone else, and it was never returned.
Recently, I bought myself a new copy, and immediately fell in love all over again.
PSA: Nerve’s New Look
June 3, 2009 by Leave a Comment
I’ve been a bit distracted for the past month, so I thought I’d share why.
The other month, Nerve.com (the site I do most of my work for) got itself a new CEO, and he immediately set about brainstorming how to whip things into shape.
Changes were discussed, and I lived in a state of high anxiety for weeks, unsure whether or not my main source of income would eventually be kaput. Finally, I was tasked with telling my bloggers that soon, the Modern Materialist (Nerve’s products blog) would be no more.
When the World Is at Your Fingertips, Sometimes All You Want To Do Is Stay Home
June 2, 2009 by 1 Comment
I was totally planning on attending a networking event tonight. I had already RSVPd. I’d put it into my Google Calendar. I’d e-mailed the info to a few friends. Then I began losing momentum…
I was afraid to go alone. I didn’t feel like taking a bus into the city, especially during rush hour. My energy levels were low, anyway, and there was work I could get done if only I stayed at home.
I put on a dress in order to motivate myself. After all, who wants to waste a pretty dress by not leaving the house?
I took the dress off.
Then I noticed that I was having a good hair day. Could I possibly waste a good hair day by not leaving the house?
Yes. Yes I could.
If only I could find a networking group closer to home.
