Articles by: Hanna Brooks Olsen

[caption id="attachment_8544" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo by Andy Smith via Flickr[/caption] With the exception of those who work with hard media like wood, clay, or paint, a strange thing has happened to artists and makers in the digital era: We've stopped getting our hands dirty as much. Designers work largely on tablets, not drafting tables.

Though the monthly Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report woefully neglects the new class of freelancers, part-timers, and gig workers, plenty of other organizations have a vested interest in knowing exactly how many Americans are making a living, or even just contributing to their income, by freelancing, working for themselves, or taking on work in addition to their full-time employment. A new report from the Freelancers Union and Elance-oDesk, though, shows that the U.

Among the things that most of us are afraid of, spiders, clowns, and snakes rank fairly high on the list. But there's another fear that's pretty common -- and it's a lot more present in our everyday lives.

[caption id="attachment_8496" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo by Sylwia Bartyzel[/caption] We've all heard it: This is the era of the freelance economy, where the autodidact rules and the jack-of-at-least-many-trades is more marketable than the guy with one degree in one focus from one decent school. The rules are changing — in part because we want them to, and in part because we can't stop them from doing so.

[caption id="attachment_8462" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Andrew Beeston via Flickr[/caption] Picture this: You're new on the job. Everyone else seems to already know what they're doing, but you -- you aren't sure where anything is.

[caption id="attachment_8453" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Oatsy40 via Flickr[/caption] The 40-hour workweek? In the United States, it's a myth.

[caption id="attachment_8445" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Sjors van Berkel[/caption] When Pixar's Story Artist Emma Coats tweeted a list of the studio's rules for storytelling back in 2011, creative professionals from all disciplines latched on to them, because they apply to so many of things we try to do. Which could be chalked up to the fact that most creative pursuits share similar themes — or because, for many of us, because storytelling is a crucial part of our work, regardless of what kind of work we do.