now
- adapt activities from my workshops into digital workbooks that I can sell
- refresh my freelancer away days so they can be done at any time
- focus on finding short-term facilitation gigs with small businesses and teams
- The Red Parts by Maggie Nelson
- The Gallows Pole by Benjamin Myers
- War of the Wind by Victoria Williamson
- The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
- Tokyo Express by Seichō Matsumoto
- I’m refreshing my coaching offer
- I’ve got a new supervisor and am excited for the work we’ll do together
- I’m continuing to run free monthly planning sessions
- I’ve got two freelance manifesto workshops scheduled
- reading
- watching sport
- doing puzzles
- listening to podcasts
- taking afternoon baths
Now (July 2024)
The latest look at where my energy and attention is focused now…
Freelance work
The quiet of July and August is giving me an opportunity to rethink my entire freelance business.
My plan for the rest of the year (and beyond) is to:
Part-time employment
I’ve now been in my part-time content design role for just over a year. It’s taken a while to get the service off the ground, as you might expect, but right now my time is booked up at least a month in advance.
I’m still enjoying the variety in the work, getting more involved with the strategy behind projects and leading on discovery workshops focused on user needs. This week I’ve contributed to setting up a user research project too.
There’s a seed in the back of my mind about where the opportunities are for development. I’m a team of one at the moment, and if that grows I’d love to add some research expertise into the mix. I also wonder whether I’ll need to make a decision about increasing my hours. Nothing concrete at the moment, but I want to be prepared should the conversation arise.
Activities
I’ve been really enjoying playing tag rugby over the summer. After attending a taster session in May, I signed up to join the league and was assigned a team. Over the past few months, we’ve really bonded, finishing third in the first mini-season and qualifying for the Cup competition.
At work, there’s a small group of us ‘doing PE’. We started off playing Spikeball and have expanded to throwing a ball between ourselves as we walk/jog along the Quayside.
Through the print studio I’m a member of, I signed up to take part in the 20:20 print exchange. After a lot of thinking, I tested a concept and printing of the edition is under way. I’m still finding the process a little scary, not really knowing how the final piece will come out after three blocks, each adding a different colour/layer.
Relaxing
I am reading a lot at the moment, fuelled by regular trips lunchtime to the city library. On my summer reading pile are:
Summer also means that I’m watching a lot of sport. We’re really spoiled for choice at the moment with a variety of forms of cricket and the Olympics. And as we hurtle towards the start of a new football season, my photo library is currently filling up with drafts for my Fantasy Premier League team.
This is a ‘now’ page, inspired by Derek Sivers. Intrigued by this? Read about the origins of the /now page movement then make your own.
Now (January 2024)
The latest look at where my energy and attention is focused now…
Freelance work
With my full focus in the run up to the end of last year on my freelancer away days, I am a little slow off the mark with plans for this year.
Here are some things I know right now:
Beyond that, we’ll see.
Part-time employment
I’ve now been in my part-time content design role for eight months. It’s taken a while to get the service off the ground, as you might expect, but right now my time is booked up at least a month in advance.
I’m enjoying the variety in the work from scoping projects through discovery workshops and developing content strategies to reviewing planned and existing content to make improvements based on user needs and journeys.
The best bit though, is my colleagues. I feel really settled and am definitely benefitting from the daily chat and support that you just can’t get when working solo, no matter how good your networks are.
Making connections
Every Wednesday morning when I’m free I’ve been attending Freelancer Mag’s virtual co-working. I’m enjoying both the routine of this and also the familiarity that’s growing within the group of regular attendees.
On Monday mornings (and sometimes Wednesdays too) you’ll find me journaling alongside other members of the Sonder community.
Activities
Throughout January I’ve been taking part in a distance challenge through work. This has got me out walking at every spare opportunity. With a week to go I’ve reached 118km. Can I get to 150 for the month? While I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up the same commitment in future months, I will still make time for at least one longer walk every month.
I’ve become a member at a local print studio and have my induction scheduled for early February. I’ve dabbled with linocut for the past few years and attended a couple of courses. This year I want to develop my skills and I think to do that access to a proper studio with a variety of presses will help improve the quality of the finished work.
We’re over half way through the hockey season now and it’s an understatement to say it’s a tough one. The league we’ve been promoted into is obviously a step up than previous seasons, but I don’t think we anticipated just how hard it would be. All our energy is going in to winning just enough points to stay up.
Relaxing
For the new year I’ve instituted Monday movie night. While my wife is out at college I plan to work my way through my watchlist.
Other than that, my main methods for relaxing are:
This is a ‘now’ page, inspired by Derek Sivers. Intrigued by this? Read about the origins of the /now page movement then make your own.