Copyright 2011 Shannon L. Buck: How to Live the Freelance Life

                                                     Inspire Me

What, or whom, inspires you?

I have many people and things that inspire me: My family, my friends, my cats. My home and the world around me.

I find it inspiring to walk along a river bank. To walk the bike path, snapping photographs of nature. I am always inspired to write when I come from spending time on the mountain, as well.

Books and movies always inspire new ideas. While reading or watching, an idea will often pop into my head that I have to rush to record on a sheet of paper, lest I forget it completely.

To find what inspiresyou, try:

• Sitting in a crowded restaurant, watching and listening to the people around  you. What do you see? What do you hear?     
• Sit back and watch your friends and family interact with each other. What do you feel?
• Take a long drive, or a walk in nature. What do you notice?

Quick Writing Tip

Writing about what inspires you can be a healthy exercise.

5 Writing Prompts

1. Article Idea: Your favorite family activity.
2. Screenplay Idea: A quirky friendship.
3. Poem Topic: Nature.
4. Novella: Overcoming the fear of crowds.
5. Novel: You watch a movie, and then start living it.

Quote

Inspiration and genius - one and the same.

~Victor Hugo~

Challenge

Find something that represents whatever it is that inspires you. Place it in a prominent place, either on your desk, or elsewhere in your office area.  

Special Report

Formula for a Successful Blog

In this special report, I show you how easy it is to set up a successful blog for your business. Whether you own a store online or off, you work in one of the many freelance fields or you work in another area all together, you will find this Special Report useful.

Special Report

A Freelancer’s Helper

In this special report, A Freelancer’s Helper, I will show you the value of having people to help you with every day tasks while you work. Each person will have different needs, and this report will help you to decide what help would be best for your circumstances.

           Copyright 2010 Shannon L. Buck: How to Live the Freelance Life

                                                     Balancing Act

How many jobs do you have?

I have many: Mother, housekeeper, freelance writer, chef, blogger and more. I wear many hats, as I am sure that you do.

How do I balance it all? It is not easy. My daughters are 21 and 18, so I do not have to care for them every day. I am still very busy, however. I have household and family obligations. I have six cats to care for. If anything is let go so that I can work or have fun, it is the housekeeping.

I try to cook and clean during frequent breaks from my work. This is not usually difficult, as I work from home. Unless, of course, I have deadlines or an emergency pops up. During those times, the housekeeping suffers. I cannot always keep up with everything. I am not perfect.

To stay ahead of the game somewhat, I have a few things that I try to incorporate:

• Make extra servings of meals to freeze. I store these in serving size containers, and take one out the morning before the day it will be needed.
• Have foods on hand, even if kept in the freezer, to make slow cooker meals. I throw everything into the slow cooker in the morning, add liquid if necessary and turn it on high for lunch or low for dinner.
• Keep a shopping list going at all times, placed in my purse so that I do not forget it when I go shopping.
• Have a 10 minute cleanup routine morning and night on very busy days. These are just quick jobs, not deep cleaning efforts. For example: Wipe down bathroom and kitchen surfaces, switch up laundry, put clean clothes away, scoop litter boxes, sweep, vacuum, trash and general pick up. This ensures that certain things are done even when I don’t have time to clean the place well.
• Do one chore or make one meal during each break I do take each day.
• I do not buy clothing and linens that need special care. I simply throw all dirty items in the washing machine. When it is full, I wash a load. I do not separate clothing to wash.
• I try to stock up on things that I use a lot of, to lessen the amount of time I spend shopping.
• I keep a tote packed with work that may be done away from home handy. I grab this tote when I leave the house and keep it with me. I pull out something to do whenever I have a little extra time.

Quick Writing Tip

Write from your experiences in daily life.

5 Writing Prompts

1. Article Idea: Write about your day job.
2. Short Story Idea: Write a funny piece about an unbalanced life.
3. Poem Topic: Motherhood or fatherhood.
4. Novelette: Write about the life of a male housekeeper, with a twist.
5. Novel: The main character has your career.

Quote

What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter - a soothing, calming influence on the mind, rather like a good armchair which provides relaxation from physical fatigue. ~Henry Matisse~

Challenge

Create a schedule that will afford you time to concentrate on building your freelance career.

Special Report

Your Teen Can Help Your Freelance Career

In my Special Report, Your Teen Can Help Your Freelance Career, you will see how it is possible  for your teenager to help you out while you are building your freelance career and how much, if anything, you should pay him or her for that help.

Teens can be a big help with:

* Their younger siblings.

* Keeping up the house.

* Your business tasks.

Special Report

A Freelancer’s Helper

In this special report, A Freelancer’s Helper, I will show you the value of having people to help you with every day tasks while you work. Each person will have different needs, and this report will help you to decide what help would be best for your circumstances.