When Is It Okay to Write Badly?

“Darn it, it’s my writing day, and I didn’t sleep well last night. Now I’ll be tired, and my thinking won’t be sharp. Maybe I should just forget about writing today. I don’t want to take the chance the writing won’t be any...

More Money or the Pursuit of Happiness?

We self-employed professionals and creatives are constantly faced with difficult choices about how to best grow our businesses. Should you pursue this line of business or that one? Would it serve you better to choose Niche A or Niche B? Shall you spend your time...

Life-in-a-Notebook Planning System

Clients and students often ask me, “C.J., you always seem to have a million things going on. How do you keep track of it all?” Their questions imply that they believe I am more organized, focused, or productive than the average bear. Personally, I’m...

I Was Interrupted While Writing This

Modern always-connected life wasn’t designed for the professional or creative who needs to focus. It’s almost as if there is an internet-based conspiracy to interfere with your most important work. Kate I. Foley, an impossibly-young fiction author and...

Marketing the Real You

I often wonder how the practice began among self-employed professionals and creatives of pretending to be someone else in order to promote your business. You know what I’m talking about — it’s the marketing face, the selling voice, that you often put...

Prolific Writers and Creators Ask Questions

We self-employed professionals and creatives are always generating new stuff. We write blog posts, develop courses, and generate copy for our websites and emails. Some of us create unique work on behalf of our clients. To become prolific at this constant stream of...

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