When finishing The Artist’s Way, our group was advised not to immediately redo the course, nor to do another of Julia Cameron’s books, but rather to focus on our creative projects.
My first thought was:
What’s my creative project? Do I have one?!
But now I know.
My freelance life. That’s my creative project. That’s where my creative energies are flowing. And I love it.
I’m enjoying going with the flow, following joy and embracing intuition. That’s how I chose the name for my freelance ventures. That name came to me from my creative flow, from nature, from my relationship to and experiences with creativity & nature.
I’m taking you behind the scenes to show you some of the process involved with figuring out my freelance life.
Behind the scenes: My freelance life 💕
As I announced on Friday, I’ve quit my job and I’m going freelance.
Setting up a new website for my work
This week I created a new website and set-up a new email. Which felt a bit daunting at first. I had to remind myself that I used to be a web developer and did site administration All The Time. It was quick to set-up after that.
I’m glad I asked some friends for recommendations on web platforms and hosts first. I chose WordPress.com because I don’t want to waste time tinkering with designs and customisations. I love playing with those for this site, but BrightlyK is a hobby, not my business.
What if email didn’t suck…?
My new email uses the Hey platform. I’m pretty excited about Hey because I can’t stand email, but they seem to have fixed many of its problems. It’s a step change, like the difference between Outlook and Gmail. Bizarre to be excited about emails, but here we are.
Google Tasks for productivity & organisation tools
A week ago, my brother and I ended up talking about Google Tasks, thanks to him bringing it up. So I decided to try it out again, and I’ve been exploring it since. It’s been so helpful! I’m pretty shocked, haha.
Keeping track of things so much better now, because:
- Easy to see what I’ve done each day, which is great because I always forget what I’ve done
- Quick & easy to add stuff from any of my devices, either directly in Google Tasks or in Google Calendar.
- I used to make lists in Google Docs, but it took longer and I often forgot stuff before I could add it
- If I don’t get a task done on the date I specified, it stays in the past rather than chasing me into the present. No more the tyranny of an ever-expanding list. Instead I get a fresh start every day.
- If I want tasks to persist, and not expire, I can add them to the list without a set date, or I can set them up as a recurring event, or I can intentionally modify expired tasks
- The Google Tasks app keeps prompting me to open it throughout the day
How I’m using Google Tasks
- Keeping a list of tasks with no date assigned and trying to build a habit of doing at least one each day, rather than schedule stuff and move it. And only scheduling stuff that HAS to be done today.
- One Main List with ‘everything’ and then some side lists that are thematic. So that when I have stuff to do I don’t have to think about where to put it.
- Creating task lists for stuff I want to remember to do in general, like ideas for ways to rest and what to do when I’m feeling unfocused. So helpful to know where those things are. Before now that stuff would have been buried in Google Docs somewhere.
At some point I might want to split between work and personal. At the moment everything goes into my personal list, so I don’t have to think about it. But with freelancing, I think to be boundaried and maintain life balanced I may have to figure that out.
What’s lacking for me: Improvements I’d like to see
- A way to see unscheduled tasks in the calendar without opening Google Tasks
- Tags or filters
- I’d love some integration between Google Tasks and Google Docs, so that I can easily get to Docs from Tasks
Embracing studying
Having 13 effective ways for better studying and reading more yesterday, I’ve done so much studying. 3 hours 40 minutes, so far. I feel affirmed in my decision to do 3 courses at once, because when I’ve started feeling saturated by wisdom from one teacher, I’ve switched over to a different set. And it really feels like I’m powering through and levelling up. It’s exciting.
Gamification with Octalysis Prime
Looking at Octalysis Prime specifically, I’m enjoying learning about the 8 Core Drives. I started to feel impatient and annoyed that I don’t know what the drives are, and then I was like, well go to the part of the course that’s going through each in turn. First I got a bit sidetracked tho.
Something I’m enjoying about Octalysis Prime is being exposed to teachings outside of the Octalysis framework, such as today I learned about Fearvana. And I found it so encouraging. As someone who’s often consumed by fear, and who’s trying to be more courageous, it was really affirming to have someone talk about embracing fear and not seeing it as an enemy, about changing my relationship to fear.
Having learned about Fearvana, I went to Core Drive 8: Loss & Avoidance. After that I went to the beginning to explore Core Drive 1: Epic Meaning, Core Drive: 2: Accomplishment & Progress, and Core Drive 3: Empowering Creativity & Feedback. Now that I write all this out from memory I realise just how much I learned today. Yay!
Entrepreneurship & sustainable ways of working (life balance) with Michael Hyatt
I was introduced to Michael Hyatt‘s work by a colleague sharing extensive and exceptional notes on his book No-Fail Communication. Really powerful stuff. I enjoyed exploring Michael’s videos on YouTube yesterday, and I’m so looking forward to Win at Work and Succeed at Life: 5 Principles to Free Yourself from the Cult of Overwork by Michael Hyatt and Megan Hyatt Miller coming out shortly. So much so that I pre-ordered it.
Speaking of life balance, this weekend I’ve been on retreat with Lama Rod Owens from Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening. Love that I’ve been sleeping, meditating, connecting with retreatants, studying, blogging, enjoying comedy & reading this weekend. Great blend.
I’m intending to put some of my tips for effective studying and reading more into practice by continuing to explore different formats of Michael’s work. Maybe these:
Entrepreneurs solve problems at risk to themselves in the pursuit of a reward.
Michael Hyatt, Why Entrepreneurship is in Decline
Daily blogging this week
- Transition, limbo, slack: The space between – a poem, maybe
- What to write when you’re stuck & the last minute approaches
- Practising asking for help by searching online for ideas of what to write, and how to write better headlines.
- Where I’m going, and how: Midway blogging challenge recap
- Where I’m going, to: Autonomy, Focus, Joy. How I’m getting there, with: Compassion. Courage. Curiosity. How I’m resting: Play, Rest, Outside
- How to learn about trees: Lessons from an enthusiast
- Yes, of course, getting into nature helps, but there’s a lot you can do from home too, with podcasts and books.
- What time is it? Adventure Time: I’m going freelance!
- It’s quitting time! I’ll be freelancing on a few creative projects, with writing, workshops, studying, training, consulting. Exciting!
- Learn asynchronously: 13 effective ways for better studying and reading more
- You are here