This week's good stuff

I love the internet and the internet loves me. I read all sorts of things and these are my favorite finds from this week.

Recently I've been thinking a lot about how to better promote myself as a freelance designer. Besides talking to friends and getting input, I've been searching the internet for tips and tricks to keep me motivated and my business goals moving forward.

I ask myself on a daily basis if freelancing is right for me. This motivational article says yes it is because I have an "independent streak." And this one says that it's better job security than a corporate gig.

Here's 10 tips on becoming a freelance powerhouse. Which I want to be, of course.

To help keep a steady base income, this article recommends a "heating company" tactic wherein you bill a steady monthly rate and update your client's website on a regular basis. Some months the client could have a just a few changes and other months they could need a lot of things updated. The end result being that you are averaging out their payments giving them peace of mind and giving you a check in the mail every month. Great idea!

And lastly, I came across this article filled with podcasts for freelancers and marketing professionals. There's a ton of different productions for every kind of freelancer -- photographers, designers, writers -- and I can't wait to subscribe to a fresh stack of podcasts.

What helps you stay motivated as a freelancer? I'd love some more ideas!

Where there's smoke...

there's interesting photos?

The news tells us there's a wildfire burning on nearby Camp Pendelton and the firefighters aren't working on it because of fears of hidden landmines and explosives. Fun!

This week's good stuff

I love the internet and the internet loves me. I read all sorts of things and these are my favorite finds from this week.

Branding 101:

via Consumerist.

This is a "news" video about a black bear roaming behind a neighborhood in Ohio. I used the term "news" very, very lightly when it comes to this video because how many reporters have you seen wearing a rabbit head costume ON THE NEWS? Yeah, that's what I thought. Watch the video. From my friend Susie.

Here's a very cool art installation by the MIT Media Lab. It creates a "data portrait" of your name's online identity. If you are a social butterfly then your name will probably work, if not it's still fun to watch. Here's me:

Wow, this makes my brain hurt. New poll finds that 39 percent of Americans want government to ‘stay out of Medicare.’ via Think Progress.

And, finally it's time for happy hour. A study finds that regular beer drinking helps women have a better bone density than those who don't drink it. Cheers!

This week's good stuff

I love the internet and the internet loves me. I read all sorts of things and these are my favorite finds from this week.

The accurate pie chart by Laszlo Thoth is absolutely brilliant.

This blog The Impossible Cool. Simple, understated and awesome.

This article about a man who was injured at an anti-health care rally -- he has recently been laid off and has no health insurance -- but now he is taking donations to pay for the medical coverage he received after he was hurt at the rally.

5 things you don't know about IKEA.

Wine bottle tiki torch tutorial. I'm trying to figure out where I can hang these!

Surface of the moon

I've always been a space enthusiast. I love the sky, the stars and learning about the planets. So I'm really loving all the images coming back from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter that is currently circling our moon. I love to stare at them and dream about the silence of space and what it would be like to approach the moon's surface in a lander. I doubt I'll ever have the opportunity to see the moon with anything more than a telescope so I'll just continue to dream about the surface when I pick my lemons.