The Writing Life
I’m often asked how I publish as often as I do. It’s hard for me to understand the question. How can I not publish as often as I do? My rhythm would be out of sorts if I were to publish less often. I then wonder what the motive behind the question is. Is the person merely curious or does he or she want some sort of magic pill?
[Read more…] about How Do You Publish as Frequently as You Do?
“Dream big” and “work hard” are phrases often fed to kids. Kids are told if they work hard enough that their dreams will come true. They will find Mr. or Mrs. Right. They will get the dream job with the cushy salary. They’ll live the American dream.
I’ve written about the BIG, SCARY THINGS, but what about the little, scary things? Things like changing an e-letter format. Adding a Creative Commons license. Focusing on growing the subscription base to the monthly e-letter (Have you subscribed?). Giving credit to the artwork used with the posts. Little things. Things that aren’t all that scary but are in some way. They indicate change – a change in thought and in actions. They indicate movement toward something bigger.
In the past month or so, I’ve undertaken some BIG, SCARY THINGS. Things that will require sacrificing some of the free time I do have. Things that will require bravery and efforts of a different sort. Things that require a lot of behind-the-scenes work before they can be shared publicly. Things that will start to be shared in the upcoming months (All I can say is, pay attention to your inboxes and the blog.).
It’s hard to find a sense of balance¹ when teetering between a day job and a side business. When does the work end? Which thing – the job or the business – takes priority? Some people may like their day jobs; others may not. Maybe they like their jobs, but they’re more interested in making their side businesses their full-time ones. Then again, maybe they’re content with having a steady job and splashing in the entrepreneurial waters whenever it suits them.
My friend, Jack Steiner, asked a seemingly simple question the other day: “What makes you happy?” I like the question. It makes me think of my “little loves” post. I probably answered Jack’s question in that post, but the topic seems to be one that deserves more consideration.