On social media, we can choose to consume or contribute. We can coast or capitalize.

When I have to fly for projects, they’re usually big projects. If projects are big, then my stress can get high, so I usually will write out a mindset plan for when I arrive.

The times I’ve been most engaged, most inventive, most helpful has been when I have been paid the most. The stakes were so high, I didn’t have time to make excuses or wonder if I should save some generosity. I pulled out all the stops, and the clients were stoked.

Sometimes creative juices need a little magic to get flowing again. A glass of whiskey, an old record, cologne from days past. Find something magical that brings the mystery back to the act of creating.

“Education” is a big, hairy word that brings up memories of unfair grade school teachers, denied college applications, and an undertone of classism. But it shouldn’t be that way.

A comforting thought for me has been “did I really think that the storyline of my life wouldn’t have some ups and downs?”

It can be tempting to jump in and give feedback, especially if you have experience in something. But the world is largely subjective, and when we don’t understand the goal, we don’t make good decisions. 

Let’s all try to be a little more like Jeremiah in this way. To understand what holds us back, and to redefine these obstacles into the pathway that leads us to the best version of ourselves.

It can often feel frivolous or foolish to follow your whim to learn photoshop, video editing, copywriting, or something like that. If you've already invested so much time into one skill, shouldn't you just double down, and stop being distracted by shiny new opportunities?

It can be stressful at times, but I find that if I let people know what’s going on, even if it’s bad, we solve the problem and keep moving.

In every creative endeavor, you must chop through the thicket. 

I find myself feeling disappointed if I have a slow day. If I’m not 100% maxed out, I feel like I missed opportunities, like I dropped the ball.

In October of 2017, my favorite client let me go. A bad thing, generally speaking, but he did it in a good way.

In the freelance world, how a client experiences reality is everything. You may have created the greatest work of your life. You may have created the best ad in history. But if the client didn’t have a good experience working with you, it doesn’t matter. 

It gives you an opportunity to vet the client. If their idea of a successful relationship is calling you at 3am, then maybe you don’t want that successful relationship.

I was so concerned with saving $70 here, and $40 there, that maybe I pocketed a few hundred extra dollars per month. But I wasn’t doing the things that had potential to make me a few thousand extra dollars per month.

I’m sure you’re already cool and available. But do other people know that? How can you let them know?

I’m 24 days into this 60 day writing challenge I made for myself. Today’s the first day I wanted to skip it. 

A $2000 project is only 4% of Company 2’s annual budget. But a $500 pitch is 10% of Company 1’s annual budget. So ironically, you may have an easier time landing the $2000 project with company 2 than the $500 project with company 1.

The difference between a decision-making hierarchy and a communication structure is massively important. People with decision-making power sometimes use that power to close off communication, making them feel more important.