Hanna Brooks Olsen is a writer and editor for CreativeLive, longtime reporter, and the co-founder of Seattlish. Follow her on Twitter at @mshannabrooks or go to her website for more stuff.
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There is a lot of talk about how to be more creative. Really, a lot.
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Self-employed people and freelancers know: The holiday season is both a blessing and a curse. With no real PTO, the dreaded approach of tax season, and, often, clients who don't really care if you have to work through the weekend or holiday if it means the work gets done, this time of cheer and joy can actually turn into an exercise in white-knuckled will-power.
If personal marketing and self-promotion makes you a little nervous, don’t worry — that’s perfectly normal. In fact, it’s instinctual, and it’s been documented.
"You don't need thousands of dollars to make your dreams come true or impact lives. You need a purpose, a Twitter and Facebook account, and just a whole lot of guts to live below your means and help as many people as you can with every opportunity that you can get.
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If the Freelancers Union's World's Longest Invoice is any indicator (and it is), late payment is an epidemic among freelance writers, designers, photographers, and other self-employed individuals. Whether it's just a few articles or the kind of project that makes the difference between paying rent and not, getting your clients to pony up can be difficult, especially during Q4 when budgets are tight.