Even as an independent, self-employed writer – striking the work/life balance is a necessity. While there are obligations I need to meet to contribute to my household, for the most part, I’m accountable to only myself. Embracing my brand and its affiliated parts – writing (fiction and nonfiction), editing, podcasting, public speaking – requires certain…
Some days, you need to push – do no harm but take no shit in the process. Some people are bad at standing up for themselves. They will back down either because they dislike confrontation, they don’t believe that their cause is worthy of fighting, they think they are unworthy, they just don’t know what…
Creating a routine for myself has not always been my strong suit. Over the years, I have worked in fits and starts to create a routine. While I have achieved success, I have also managed to lose my routine along the way. This, however, is due to occurrences of change. It’s important to remember and…
What a bizarre year 2020 has been. However, it’s not been without success. When you look at the big picture of the outside world, you can’t miss how messed-up 2020 has been. Between the most contentious, ludicrous, mind-numbingly awful election in memory; an out-of-control global pandemic; a narcissistic man-child who cares only for himself and…
Doing what you love is not selfish or in any way inappropriate. Work should not eat your life away and make you miserable. And yet, many, many people buy this as the truth. Loving what you do, being happy with the job you have isn’t important. Making money is what matters. How come we believe…
As a creative, the non-creative aspects of the business of writing can be overwhelming. I am passionate about my art. More than that, though, I have taken my art and turned it into my business. My brand is the writing I do on all the various levels where I get to do it. Though my…
Spending money in the interest of making money is never comfortable. I recently wrote about art and money, and my realization that I need to hire someone to do marketing because I am not very good at selling myself and my work. This, of course, causes a walk outside of my comfort zone. To increase…
Learning not to be afraid of money and its relationship to your art. When you do a hobby, it is entirely for your own edification. You do the thing you do for fun, because it makes you feel good, and because it stirs creative juices and produces life-affirming endorphins and so on. There are almost…
I can’t do it all. But that just means I need to delegate. When it comes to my brand as an artist, I am a creator. I’m a writer, editor, photographer, intermediate website builder, and ideas person. When it comes to creating new ideas and building worlds, I am damned good at what I do….
I had no idea working from a plan could so drastically increase my productivity. For most of my life as a writer, I have been a pantser. My friend and fellow author Val Griswold-Ford introduced me to the notion of planners vs panters. Though I have defined this before, let me clarify – a pantser…
