"Everybody has to be able to participate in a future that they want to live for."
--Dean Kamen












Image by HikingArtist.com.

Observing vs. Participating

Most of us know the edict of straight news reporting: You don't get involved in the story. If you feel you must get involved, consider your act of witnessing and reporting the facts an act of activism.

But that's not what I mean when I wrote that title: I'm not thinking about observing vs. participating in the news. I'm talking about observing vs. participating in your career trajectory.

Think about it:

• Which magazines do you read but not pitch?
• Which do you read and start to seethe because someone wrote a great story--and you didn't think of it?
• Are there reporters or writers you covet, whose work you follow and whom you place on an altar above your own work?

Sure there are. We all have them. It could be Christiane Amanpour, John McPhee or Barbara Ehrenreich. Heck, it might be the person working full-time at her local newspaper. I remember in college, it was the editor of the college paper, who I thought insightful and amazing. I didn't think I'd ever get to feel that way about my own work or do the same thing.

That is, until a year or two later, when I was editor of that same department.

And that's the point. Those things we think are impossible for us aren't. I think so many of us right now are on the precipice of accomplishing something truly remarkable: We're about to write our first book. We're about to sell our first national magazine article. We're about to sell our first paid article. Whatever it is, if you're working on your career, you're about to do something.

If that's the case, you're about to pass from the observer of great news into its creator. That's where we all want to be.

Now, that's not to say it's going to be easy. Anything worth having creatively takes some dedication, some doggedness, some patience. I'm finding in my career it may be time to get a writing coach--someone to take my narrative to the next level.

The point is this: Anyone who's work or beat or writing you covet can be an inspiration. She doesn't have to be the wielder of a velvet rope, admonishing you for even considering stepping inside. That's what I find myself doing so often, and what I see clients doing: We all have a tendency to idealize our goals and then give space for the inner critic to tell you why you can't do it.

I'm here to tell you you can. But you've gotta work at it. Take some time this week to think about what you want to accomplish in your career:

• Whose career do you most admire?
• Which journalist does the work you only fantasize about doing?

And then trace her steps. Put your reporting skills to good use: Find out what steps they took to get there. You can even ask them for an informational interview. I know that's terrifying: But as UpMo advises, your network should always include one or two people who intimidate the heck out of you. It will push you.

Then come up with at least one step you can take this year to get closer to your dream. Maybe it's a class. Maybe it's a book you need to read or a few minutes of writing practice set aside every day. But something to give your brain the signal that your goals are possible--and you're working toward them.

Photo by MiiiSH.

Next 30-Day Challenge: Building your brand?

Hi gang,

A moment of housekeeping: I've been thinking for a while about how to build your brand when your brand is, well... You. (The image to the left notwithstanding.)

So what do you think of a brand-building challenge? Comment below and let me know if you'd be interested in that. If you are interested, leave a question or two you have about branding--ranging from "what the heck is it?" to something more complicated.

Image by Intersection Consulting.

"The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success." Paramahansa Yogananda





















Photo by karamellsauce.

Save the Date: Creative Freelancers Conference

I've been reading the Creative Freelancer Conference blog for a while. It offers short posts and interesting info on the business side of freelancing--my favorite topic as a coach. So when I got an email from the organizers, I was thrilled. They wanted me to let you know about this freelancers' conference, and I'm always big on expanding your network and having new experiences as a freelancer. The following is just information. I'm not endorsing it and I have no ties to it. And they aren't paying for the announcement. I just thought it might be something you'd be interested it.

The 2009 Creative Freelancer Conference, presented by HOW magazine and Marketing Mentor, is coming to San Diego, August 26-28. Freelance designers, copywriters, illustrators, photographers and other solopreneurs will get the tools they need to drive their businesses forward from an expert panel of speakers led by Marketing Mentor's Ilise Benun and Peleg Top. Topics include:

. How to create compelling presentations
. The ins and outs of social media
. How to plan for estimated tax expenses
. And more

Plus, the opportunity to network and connect with other creative solopreneurs before, during and after the Conference will prove invaluable to the growth of any freelance business.

For complete program details and to register visit www.CreativeFreelancerConference.com. Freelancers who register by the July 15 Early-Bird deadline will save $50!

Serenity Tip: The joy of the bookend

You've got a client to call back, some contract changes to request, maybe even a story you're stuck on.

Call in reinforcements.

That is, make some book-ending calls.

Here's how it works:

1. Gee I'm stressed. I need to finish this story but it's just not coming. It's due tomorrow. What do I do? I need help.

2. "Hey Alicia. I'm just calling to tell you that I'm stressing out about this story. I've got most of the information I need, but I seem to be afraid to start writing because I'm afraid to discover that I don't have enough. I'm afraid this story is going to suck. But I've got to get it done. So I'm going to commit to working on it for the next hour and then I'll call back."

3. Work, work, work--sometimes easily sometime haltingly.

4. "Hey Alicia. I'm just calling back to say I did it! I worked on it for an hour and I have the skeleton down. Now I just need to insert quotes and get one more piece of information. Thanks so much for your support!"

That's it. Just call before and after doing something that's scary for you. It can be calling a potential client. It can be writing. It can be sending the query you've been working on for a while.

If you're on the receiving end of one of these book-ending calls, here are some ways to help:

Ask what she wants.
Does she want you to just listen and be supportive? Maybe she wants you to role-play the conversation with her, with you standing in for the editor/source/client. Whatever it is, ask at the beginning so the call can be of maximum benefit to both of you.

Offer to say what she wants to hear.
When she calls back, praise her for being courageous or diligent or a bad ass freelancer--whatever you want. You can even pretend again to be the editor/source/client and tell her exactly what she wanted to hear. It can be gratifying, even if we know it's all make-believe.

Return the favor.
People like to be helpful. Now you know her process. So hopefully when you're feeling stressed and like you can't possibly make the call or send the email or write another sentence, you know there's someone out there willing to listen to you with gentleness, support and just the right attitude.

Give it a try today.

Photo by Atilla1000.

Serenity Tip: Michael Jackson, dancing and righting work stress

Last week, I was stressed and anxious. Work wasn't coming the way I wanted it to and I was cranky and discontented. Then it all changed.

So this is my tip for you for the week: Find some way to blow off steam and have fun.

The following is a video of the Michael Jackson Flashmob that descended on San Francisco the day the singer died. I'm in there a couple times. I'm the one with the light red, short curly hair waving my hands in the air like I just don't care. Because for a few hours, I didn't.



This moment reminds me of an idiom: Happiness isn't the absence of misery but the presence of joy. Getting out and doing something that's just fun injected my week with that joy. For those of us who are task masters with ourselves, getting out and having fun can be just as much of a challenge as marketing is for those who aren't in the habit of it.

The next morning I woke up feeling giddy and happy. And it's all thanks to some friends, a little exercise, some fun and ceasing to think about work for a few hours. It makes me happy just to watch this. Maybe that's part of why I'm posting it.

So I'll ask you: What can you do to inject fun in your day today? What's your hobby? And if your hobby is work, what did you used to do for fun? Can you do it today?