View engaging conference lectures, interesting how to discussions, and high quality freelance advice via video here on FreelanceSwitch.

This week we look at A new way to think about creativity by Elizabeth Gilbert. In this video “Eat, Pray, Love” Author Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses — and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person “being” a genius, all of us “have” a genius. It’s a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.. Continue Reading

Traveling for work can be a blessing—or a curse—depending on how you handle it. I have to drive a fair amount for my job, but many freelancers spend hours in airports, train stations, and bus terminals.

I found some handy tips on staying productive while traveling on Inc.com. I thought I would share some of them with you while adding some hard-learned lessons from my own time spent on the road.

Wear Comfortable Clothing

I don’t mean an all out sweat suit—though, really, what is more comfortable than that? Comfort to you will mean something different than comfort to me.

When I was flying through Madrid, I noticed something very different between myself and the other women walking through the airport. I was wearing black yoga pants and sneakers while all the other women were wearing skin-tight jeans and stilettos. Apparently, these women’s feet didn’t swell at all due to the change in altitude. Lucky them!

When I’m on a long flight, I need to be comfortable. That means layering. I find planes, trains, and even buses, to be ridiculously cold, so if it’s summertime, you’d better bet I’m packing a pair of socks into my carry on as well as something cozy for my arms. Continue Reading

You just finished a six week long project. You thought it came out great, so you didn’t expect their email, telling you they just weren’t happy with it. Now what?

Park your emotions. It’s easy to get worked up from negative feedback, particularly for a freelancer who is naturally quite tied to their work. But separating business and emotion are key to success anywhere. It’s okay to get heated up, but just give yourself some time to simmer down before you react. Go for a run, sleep on it, or vent to a friend until you feel more level headed. Continue Reading

Right now I am procrastinating. I should be working on writing a story about American Legion Baseball, but I’m writing this blog post instead.

I am not a serial procrastinator—in fact, rarely do I procrastinate. But when there is a story that I know I have to write on a topic that I’m not all that interested in, I tend to put it off. I KNOW that I will get it done, eventually, because I have to, it’s just hard to get started.

I’m sure many of you know exactly what I’m talking about. Whether it’s writing a story, balancing your checkbook, or working on your website design—when it’s not something you’re totally excited about, it’s easy to push it to the side.

I wrote a blog post last month that talked about how procrastination can actually be essential to innovation. I have never been the type of person to thrive on procrastination to get stuff done. Heck—I have a full time job, a part time job, and I freelance! I don’t have TIME to procrastinate!

There was a great article posted on FastCompany.com about how to beat procrastination and get down to work. Their tips can help freelancers as well as anyone who has a tendency to put things off until later.

Knowing and acknowledging when you’re actually procrastinating, and knowing what’s likely to trigger it, is probably your best defense against the monster that makes you feel busy without feeling productive. —FastCompany.com

Catching yourself in the act of procrastination is the first step in getting past it. Here are some of their tips: Continue Reading

Ever worked a day job you couldn’t stand?

Me, too.

For years, I worked as a legal secretary for movie studios and talent agents. Before that, I scooped ice cream, worked at McDonald’s, and even sold aluminum patio awnings over the phone.

Every minute I worked these mind-deadening jobs, I thought it was a complete waste of time. I felt like I was using about three brain cells.

Most importantly, I was making no progress on my dream of writing for a living!

These jobs were just a necessary evil, a way to pay bills. Or so I thought.

Once I became a freelancer and started building my business, I realized I had learned a lot from those supposedly time-killing day jobs. I’d acquired useful abilities that helped me build a six-figure freelancing career.

Here are the skills I gained working day jobs that help me as a freelancer today: Continue Reading

Many freelancers have some dedicated space in their home in which to do their work. And setting up a great home office is key to your productivity, sanity, and professionalism.

Of course, some people don’t have an entire room in their home dedicated to a home office, but if you are serious about being a full-time freelancer, having this space makes business sense. Heck, I know people who have actually moved to a different home just so they could have a home office for their business. If this is something you are considering, read on… Continue Reading

When I first started freelance writing, I thought branding for businesses merely referred to having a consistent “look and voice”. With my partner, we put together a website, designed a logo, added social media accounts– and called it our branding strategy. But I learned that these are just functional elements to building a brand.

Brand building is a discipline that goes beyond what you say on your Twitter account and what colors you use on your website. It’s especially challenging for freelancers whose digital presence is often the first contact a client will have with them. For one thing, it can be extremely difficult for freelancers to set themselves apart from others offering similar services and products. Everyone is vying for the same market, armed with the same tools of the trade.

But branding can be a way for you to break through the slush pile of messages and logos, a way to differentiate yourself from other freelancers. Stop looking at branding as just catchy packaging– catchy logos and slogans–but as a strategic way to advertise and grow your freelance business.

Building a brand as a freelancer is both a creative art and a step-by-step science. Here are three questions to help you launch your own personal branding campaign for your freelance business. Continue Reading

I have written case studies for clients, but haven’t implemented this in my own business yet. It is definitely something I’m going to be working on in the coming months.

Why, you may ask? Because a case study, at its root, combines the all-powerful client testimonial with step-by-step details on how you attained a positive outcome. In short, once a prospect sees it, and relates to it, that could mean they contact you for business.

In writing up a case study and posting it on your website, you don’t have to do much to generate a solid lead–one that already knows a little bit about your process and is interested in what you have to offer! Continue Reading

I’m a believer that marketing materials will never go out of style. There’s something to be said when you have something really cool to give to someone else that characterizes you and your business.

I’m not talking about one of those squishy, stress reliever balls or a pen with your business name on it—I’m talking about clever marketing materials.

My coworker was at a recent business expo and came across a guy at a booth with cans and cans of corn. Corn? Yes, Del Monte corn. But these were no ordinary cans of corn—they were a business card.

Chris Quimby, owner of NachoTree, a print and digital design company, had created a very special label for these cans of corn.

“I bought a can of Del Monte corn, removed and scanned the label, then modified it in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator,” Quimby says. The label on his can of corn was sharing information about a small local humor paper his company creates. Quimby, who also spends his time working as “Maine’s Funniest Clean Christian Comedian” thought the “corny” business card would get some attention. It certainly caught mine.

My coworker brought a can back to the office, and couldn’t wait to show it to me. It certainly caught her attention! But is it edible?

“My wife took a few cans of it for a recipe a couple of weeks ago,” Quimby says. “I was not pleased, because they were supposed to be used as marketing materials. Now we will have to buy more corn. The story ended well, though, as my wife cooked a delicious meal. I just don’t remember what it was.” Continue Reading

Do you have this dream? You go down to your nearest big newsstand one day and check out all those big, glossy magazines. You flip one of your favorites open…and there’s your byline.

You’ve cracked the competitive world of writing for national magazines.

The good news is, this is not a pipe dream. You can do this.

There are no real qualifications for writing for magazines. I know people who have broken into major national magazines with no journalism-school degree, no newspaper reporting experience, and no previously published articles.

Despite what you’ve heard about the impending death of print media, national magazines continue to thrive, and many pay well — $1 a word and more.

And yet, the vast majority of writers who try to query or submit articles to magazines get nowhere.

How can you get your articles published in magazines? Here is my 15-step guide: Continue Reading

As a freelancer, you are on your own when it comes to keeping track of your finances. And let’s face it, the financial side of things are generally the last thing we want to mess with at the end of a day. As painful as it might be to some, we all have to take our financial future into our own hands.

This doesn’t have to be as time-consuming or frustrating as you may expect, however. A little planning can go a long way. Let’s take a deep breath and look at sure-fire ways to get the most out of your finances. Continue Reading

I am a lucky freelancer—I have my own home office and no kids (well, at least not yet) to worry about. And my job means I don’t have to sit in my office, day after day, until I can’t stand it anymore. I get to go out and meet interesting people to interview and take photos. However, not everyone can work this way.

Some of you don’t have a home office, or any office, to work in. You have to work wherever you can, be it the couch, the kitchen table, or in the basement. Finding a quiet space can be difficult if you have a family. And not having anyone to bounce ideas off of can be maddening, too.

That’s why I liked this article posted on Men With Pens about the best—and worst—places to write.

If you have to get out of the house due to cabin fever, loud teenagers, or you just need a new environment to spark creativity, there are places where you should and should not go. Continue Reading