The Freelance Rant

Top Ten Things I’m Highly Grateful For

Johnny — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:19:00 +0000

You know, I seem to find myself whining a lot... clients late on payment, damn coffee stain on my computer screen. Well, enough of that. Positivity is the key to enlightment, and to keep away that nasty email for today.

10. Twitter: live proof that you're not the only one goofing off at any point in time.

9. IE8 because, without it, I don't think I'd have much work to do.

8. Due to the evolution of being able to give a summary of Moby Dick in 140 characters or less, emails have followed suit.

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A New Approach to Setting Goals… Forget the Goals

Johnny — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:28:08 +0000

Another January rolls around and it's the same thing over again. Reflect on the previous year, figure out what you accomplished and what you didn't quite get to yet. Then set some goals and see where those lead to.

Pretty much the same for years on end.

Of course it's important to have a yearly audit of your own business and find ways to improve. That, however, usually happens without even realizing it. Call this trial and error with a bit of growing up.

Then there comes the list of goals... somewhat completed by the end of the year. Unless you can say you gave your absolute best effort into trying to achieve every last one of them, though, it would be hard to call it a success. More like somewhat of a success.

But, in my opinion, that translates into somewhat of a successful person, not exactly something to inspire to.

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No Go For The Status Quo

Johnny — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:36:23 +0000

I was a bit disturbed this week after viewing some news that really hit close to home. As you may have already heard, a shooting occurred in Tucson, Arizona where six people were killed, including a federal judge and a nine-year-old girl, and a U.S. congresswoman shot in the head.

Tucson is where I grew up and graduated college, not to mention, I regularly frequented the Safeway store where the shooting occurred.

What further disturbed me was that I found out in the headlines... all the way out in Spain.

Now, I have a general dislike of the media (though, yes, I do need my news sources once in a while) and couldn't help but attribute the shooting as a product of the media and some deranged young man whose switch suddenly flipped. I could go on and on about that but that's not what this post is about.

I've thought a lot about it in the last few days but my real beef with the media is its extreme power in shaping our actions without us knowing whether we are really hearing the truth or some crap to get our attention. This especially hold true when it comes to our employment. In case you haven't you heard...

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Top Ten Reasons For a Freelancer to Expect a Lump of Coal From Santa Claus

Johnny — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 15:58:59 +0000

Let’s see, were you a good little freelancer this year? Come on, fess up. Yep, that’s what I thought. So here’s why Santa is making a special trip to a nearby pit mine for you. 10. You really needed something to heat your apartment with. 9. No worries… makes the perfect regift to a deadbeat [...]

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Are You Still Doing One-Dimensional Freelancing?

Johnny — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 10:14:30 +0000

For many years, I've worked as a solo freelancer. It's perfect. I set my own rules and do the work the way I want it to be done. Plus I wouldn't have lasted this long if the work I have done wasn't top-notch (sure, I take pride).

But during those eight years, I've come to realize a major limitation of being the soloist freelancer.

You're really one-dimensional.

That's not saying your skills don't match up to your other counterparts in freelancing. You're unique, have your own style and likely do a hell good job. Focusing only on your own work, however, gives you tunnel vision for what is really available for yourself to learn and accomplish.

In other words, it's time to branch out and work with others.

Recently, I've had the fortune to team up with a good friend of mine, Juanjo (say hwan - ho), a graphic designer, and the result has been an absolutely fantastic working relationship. Ironically, we've worked together in the past and butted heads somewhat so my initial apprehension level was rather high.

Not to mention, taking on a partner-in-crime means losing some of the control you have on your own work and business. And we all know that control is the milk that is poured into our Wheaties every day.

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A Thanksgiving Poem (That I Came Up With in 5 Minutes)

Johnny — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 20:02:11 +0000

Answering mails, launch a website
Mr. Turner wants a call back
Just another day at the grind
Before I hit the sack

Except this one is different
Can't think of why
Maybe I'll remember
After a Red Bull high

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Top Ten Reasons Your PC Is on The Verge Of Calling It A Career

Johnny — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 20:46:32 +0000

I'm not ashamed to admit it, I've used a Windows PC all my life. Sure, we like to make fun of it but often it is taken for granted for the workhorse that it is. It's time we acknowledge its longtime use and give you some signs that it may be on its way to keeping that start button off for good.

10. Just can't keep up anymore with those annoying little iPods.

9. Way exhausted from loading up all them heavy Photoshop files.

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Five Glorious Things That Will Keep You Freelancing Tomorrow, Maybe The Next Day

Johnny — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 09:15:27 +0000

Every day is a good day, right? Anyone?

There are many little joys to freelancing. Actually too many to even revel in them.

That fat check you got from Mr. Jones, spent a week later.

That week you finally took off because you were overworked... passed as if it were only a few hours.A masterpiece of a project that gave you pride but not giving you the same feeling on a sort-of-blah-as-vanilla project being worked on now.

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Thank God It’s Friday, But We Shall Not Letteth Forget We Work

Johnny — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 14:48:30 +0000

• Usually, there are telltale signs that a client will end up screwing you on a payment and usually it's the hard way you end up learning these. Once in a while, however, there is always a new client that passes cleanly through the bastard filter and leaves you hanging. Solution: a threat to resell the work.

• Is there such a thing as an affordable lawyer for freelancers? Apparently there is. Maybe they were getting too cold in hell.

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No Wonder I’m Dumber By The Day

Johnny — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:23:26 +0000

The Joy of Being An Information Broker

There is not a day that goes by where I marvel at the whole Twitter hootenanny. Check the ticker, come across an article or some clever humor, read it, retweet it . Repeat.

Of course, I make my own contributions by choking down my own RSS feedbag and adding on to everyone else's endless ticker. It's somewhat comforting knowing that I'm doing my little part to provide something useful to others while simultaneously enhancing their eye strain.

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Top Ten Failed Freelance Ventures

Johnny — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 09:33:05 +0000

Nearly very freelancer has tried to expand their income through some idea that runs through his mind. Unfortunately, not every one of those is a success. Here's a list of those that didn't make the grade so you aren't doomed to repeat history:

10. "Teaching Photoshop to Grandpa" ebook.

9. Viagra email marketing.

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Death By Pixels, PHP and 13 point Georgia

Johnny — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:08:01 +0000

I had an interesting conversation with a colleague and good friend of mine after a while of not seeing each other due to our busy schedules. Typically, our conversations are about the usual... work. I vomit up leftovers of programming drivel and he burps up the latest of the 24 column 960 pixel standard layout standard.

Not that we mean to bore each other or that we are sick of each other. We work a lot. We work hard.

We just may be a little too drunk in our work for our own good though.

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Where In The World Is The Freelance Rant

Johnny — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:38:40 +0000

If you're a regular visitor to The Freelance Rant, you may have noticed I've been absent here for the past month of September.

No, I haven't thrown in the cards and given up on blogging. Nope, I'm not back working for the man either.

The truth is actually the whole freelancing thing is going REALLY good for me right now, proving that maybe taking my own advice would do some wonders for me. Also proving that reading my own typed words has a shorter reach to my conscious then, say, the knowledge center of my brain does.

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Dem Der Marketers And Why You Should Get To Know Them

Johnny — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:39:14 +0000

If you haven't figured out Twitter by now, then you wouldn't notice there is a tendency to follow anyone out there who sends a random tweet your way. Hell, I'm even guilty here.

Over time, though, when you really think about who you interact with, isn't it safe to say that you remain within your "clique" of users who do exactly what you do, say web design or writing?

Not that there is anything wrong with this. I mean, we've been in cliques since the days when we were three feet tall. Besides, we naturally converse better with those with similar interests, not to mention, share some ideas that help us in our work.

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Murphy’s Laws of Freelancing

Johnny — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:02:37 +0000

Murphy's Laws apply to all aspects of life and work. When you think about though, weren't they made especially for freelancing? For example...

If anything can go wrong in freelancing, it will. You'll survive though. Maybe.

Work always comes at you when you are busiest. When you are not busy at all, lots of luck to you.

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