It’s officially fall, but for much of my country, it’s still hot! If your freelance business is based in a home office you may be trying to work in unseasonable heat or humidity. Without air conditioning, slaving away over a hot laptop can be rough. Here are a few home office alternatives to beat the heat:

Libraries

College or university libraries may not be ice-cold but often they have air conditioning. Check first to make sure non-students are allowed in. Local municipal libraries are also a great option, especially if they have free wifi. Continue Reading

The sun comes up and for most of us, it’s time for work. Or is it? How you start your work day can have a huge impact on the rest of it. Your morning routine is the lynchpin for either reducing or increasing creativity and productivity.

For example, on days I meet with clients, of course I get showered, dressed, and ready to head out as soon as possible. But on days when I need to get creative work done, I start right away.  And I mean, as soon as I get up.

If the very first thing I do in my day is sit at my computer with a coffee, work seems easier. I can get many writing ideas and a short article together in an hour or so. Yes, in my pajamas. Only later do I move on to getting dressed and so on.

On the flip side, If I get up, shower, get dressed, and answer all my email before sitting down to write, work doesn’t come so easily. My capacity for creative work seems to decrease as the sun rises higher in the sky. Continue Reading

How do you build new creative muscles? I’m not talking about flexing the ones you already have, be they writing, graphic design, web development, or illustration. I’m talking instead of completely new creative activities. Why? They’ll help you be a stronger creative person. And that’s good for you and your day job. Continue Reading

Finding good online markets to write for is like panning for gold. When you dip your pan in the waters of the Web, instead of gold, you often get lots of rocks. Not a great way to find leads.

So when The Urban Muse Guide to Online Writing Markets was published, I was intrigued, but skeptical. Not because of the author (seasoned freelance writer Susan Johnston) but because so many online markets pay so little.

I’m also fairly new to freelance writing. So besides leads, I needed advice. That’s why I bought the guide which promised both. It is $15.99 (USD) and easy to buy online. Here’s what I found. Continue Reading

Pull up a bean-bag chair and let me tell you a story. Everyone runs out of inspiration some days. When it starts to happen, I step away from the screen and head to my bookshelf or local library for a kid’s book. There’s nothing like feeding your inner child to get the creative juices flowing.

Children’s picture books take you back to that time in childhood when you were not afraid to try new things. They also inspire with beautiful artwork, design, and storytelling. They’re filled with uncluttered inspirations and creative thoughts.

It could be a book from when you were a wee thing or books you’ve discovered recently. Find your inner child again. I’m positive it will help your work. It’s definitely helped mine.

Here are 6 picture-book classics that I love. Are any of these books familar? Continue Reading