1. What do I need to start freelancing?

First and foremost, you need to set up an online portfolio. Staking your claim on the web will get your name out there and gives you a place to refer potential clients. Once the work starts rolling in, your reputation will attract the most attention but an online portfolio is essential from the start. Core components of your portfolio should include:

• Most importantly, a showcase of your best work. Keep it simple and to the point—always choose quality over quantity. The key is to focus on doing good work first and making money second. If you work hard and produce an excellent product, the money will follow on its own.
• A brief bio. No need to make this overly long but share enough details so that people can get a sense of who you are and what your ambitions are.
• Some form of contact. Make it easy for clients to get in touch if they’re interested in working with you.

That’s really all you need to get your portfolio of the ground. Later on, you can add a blog, full resume, and whatever else you’d like but start off small in the beginning and stick with the basics. Think of your portfolio as an online business card.

A few other portfolio tips I’ve learned over the years:

• Create a professional e-mail account as soon as possible. The last thing clients want to see in their inbox is some cheesy address. It’s also a good idea to stick with whatever e-mail you choose so you’re not constantly handing out your new address or reprinting business cards.
• When you create your first web hosting account to store your and/or client websites, it’s a good idea to purchase your domains through a reputable domain registrar rather than through your hosting company. Most web designers start with a small shared hosting plan and gradually upgrade to better plans from there, which often means switching hosts. When that day comes, the last thing you want is to also have to transfer a slew of domain names to the new account. Keep all your domains with one registrar and simply point the nameservers to whichever host you’re with. Then, in the future, you’ll be free to switch hosts all you want and the only thing your domains will need is updated namserver details.
• Take advantage of using social networks for marketing purposes. You would be amazed at how many work leads can be generated from promoting your services to friends and family.

2. How do I handle my first paid jobs?

Your first clients will likely have small projects and even smaller budgets. That’s fine early on; you need the experience and projects to display in your portfolio. However, don’t undervalue your worth as a designer/developer. Too many clients misunderstand web design as a service and see it as something anyone can do. Once you get a handle on gaining clients and keeping your projects on track, start thinking about what your hourly rate should be.

An entire article could be written on pricing alone but the basic idea is to find an hourly rate that covers your expenses but allows you to remain competitive. Don’t forget that if you’re working freelance full-time, your expenses include items such as sick days, vacation, health insurance, equipment costs—the list goes on. Take some time to research and see what web designers commonly charge. There are countless discussions and surveys regarding this subject.

Once you begin work for a client, it is essential to get into the habit of tracking your time. Keeping excellent record of your billable hours is an absolute must in order to stay on track and within budget. Also, having an accurate work history can be invaluable when it comes to estimating future work. After you’ve completed a handful of projects, you’ll be able to compare their size and total hours to get an idea of how to quote an upcoming job.

Time isn’t the only thing you should be recording. Make sure to store a complete history of discussions with the client. This can be a true lifesaver when (not if) you have a client that starts wanting more than was agreed to. Using a service like Projecturf or Basecamp will help you keep a detailed history of conversations with the client so they can never say, “Hey, you promised me the world and all I got was this website.”

Lastly, don’t underestimate the rewards of working hard. Anyone can pick up a web design book and start coding pages but clients want more than that. Doing the work is one thing but being dedicated to the job puts you ahead of the competition. That edge could come in a variety of ways, like working late to get a project done on time, or delivering more than was promised. Little things like taking the initiative to work on the next step for a project without needing to be asked can go a long way.

3. How should I communicate effectively with long-distance clients?

These days, you can work just about anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. More companies are turning to freelancers all the time because it’s often cheaper than hiring in-house workers and it also allows companies to broaden their search for talent. However, working remotely means that clients have to trust that you’re making progress on their website instead of your golf swing. Frequent communication solves this problem.

Contact the client regularly throughout the week, whether by phone, e-mail, Skype, or any number of other ways. Don’t like to talk on the phone? That’s fine, but make up for it with e-mails or online chats. The point is it doesn’t matter how you communicate with the client, just as long as you’re doing so clearly and often.

My preference is to send an e-mail on Monday that lays out my goals for the week with that client. A call would work too but most of my clients are in California with a three-hour time difference so e-mailing tends to be the best method for me in the morning. During the day, I keep a very detailed list of completed edits in my Billings timer slip and I then e-mail the client that list every evening.

Storing all of my work notes in Billings slips achieves two very important things: 1) The client gets daily updates on progress and 2) it allows me to create a thorough record of everything I completed on the project. When the job is done, my invoice includes all of those task notes in my Billings’ slip comments and the client can see exactly what they’re paying me for. For busy projects with lots of daily summaries, it’s not uncommon for me to generate an invoice upwards of 20 – 30 pages long.

4. How can I avoid being distracted while working from home?

One of the worst things you can do when trying to work is leave yourself vulnerable to time-consuming distractions like Twitter, Facebook, or even e-mail. Close them out of your browser, shut down any social apps, and focus on the task at hand. If you absolutely need to check something like Twitter for work reasons, set a limit on your time. If you say, “I’ll just check my feeds for one minute, then get back to work,” it will almost always end up being an hour or more before realizing you just watched a marathon of crazy cat videos.

What I like to do is organize my OS X Spaces by category. For example, I create 4 horizontal Spaces and use the first one for everything related to communicating and scheduling (Mail, Adium, iCal, Billings), the second for development (Coda), the third for design (Photoshop, Illustrator), and fourth for miscellaneous items (iTunes, VMware Fusion). Organizing my spaces like this helps ensure that when I’m focusing on a specific task, like coding, only the tools I need are visible while I’m working.

The trick is to focus 100% on one task before switching to something else. If you try to juggle too many projects at the same time, none of them will receive the attention each deserves.

5. What is the best way to keep projects on track?

The fact is you won’t be nearly as productive as you could be if you don’t set goals. Being self-employed means wearing many different hats because you not only have to do the work but you also have to manage all aspects of the business. If there is anything a freelancer always needs, it’s more time, so be very efficient with the time you do have.

I start by recording all of the tasks on current projects in one good to-do app. Things and The Hit List are two popular choices on the Mac but there are countless options available and you should try a bunch before deciding on one. This gives me an overall picture of what is to be done for each project. I also continually add to these lists as the project goes on since every job ends up needing some kind of additional edits or adjustments.

Each morning, I select a group of tasks I want to get done and this helps me chisel away at my larger to-do lists. For example, I often make a checklist in a simple text file and leave it open on my desktop while I work (sort of like a sticky note but without the paper). I’ve tried using a to-do app to handle this as well but haven’t found a solution simple enough for these basic lists, although I’m currently enjoying SimpleTask (I’ll have to wait and see if it stands the test of time). Even though a project may have hundreds of tasks to complete, breaking it all down into these daily chunks makes tackling edits much more manageable.

For other tasks or events that may or may not be work related, I create new events in iCal with reminders that pop up on the day they’re due. For me, this has been the ideal way to remember everyday things like appointments, when to pay taxes, sending invoices, backing up my computer, etc.

Finally, I have a list of long-term goals, things that remind me of what I’m working toward. For example, I’m getting married this year and would like to own a house the following year. I also have dreams of writing a book someday, and building an old muscle car. Goals like these keep me motivated to do well so that I can accomplish what I want in life.

6. Should I do all the work myself or hire other people?

For the longest time, I didn’t want to outsource anything. I’ve always taken great pride in my work, which is a good thing, but it has also made it hard to hand the project reigns over to someone else. I still prefer finishing a job on my own but I’m learning to delegate certain parts to others who can help.

Having someone else do my coding, for example, doesn’t work for me. When I receive the finished product, I spend so much time reviewing and changing the code that I might as well have done the work myself. Design, on the other hand, is much easier for me to let someone else work on. As long as the finished product meets the design requirements and isn’t a layer mess, I’m happy. You might be the opposite and would rather keep your hands on every pixel in the design but have no problem letting someone else code it. Regardless, recognize the type of work you’re comfortable sharing with others and don’t try to do everything on your own.

Seeking help doesn’t need to be limited to the work itself either. For example, I’ve been making financial decisions based solely on my own research for years now. This includes managing assets in my retirement portfolio, figuring out how to handle personal versus business income and expenses, and so on. In truth, I really enjoyed watching the market and keeping an eye on my assets, but it has also required more of my time.

A few weeks ago, I finally met with a financial advisor and wish I had to done so a long time ago. Fortunately, we concluded that I was already on the right track with most of my decisions but there were still a few incredibly helpful tips I learned from the meeting. It can be a tremendous relief to get solid answers on questions regarding retirement options, how to handle expenses, and all the other financial concerns regarding self-employment.

7. How should I organize my website files?

Every project is unique but there are usually some aspects that you can count on being the same. For example, whenever I start a new web development project, I create a folder structure that contains the following:

• Client Name
  • Project Name
    • Design
      • Any design files, like Photoshop or Illustrator documents, end up here. If the job consists of multiple design aspects, say a logo and a website, I’ll create separate folders for each within this design directory. As I finish with design files, I use the file color labels in OS X to signify what state a design is in. Red means finished, yellow is in progress, and green tells me to focus on that design next.
      • Crops
        • This is where I put sliced elements of a design, including things like logo, navigation, backgrounds, buttons, etc.
    • Development
      • Current
        • The main files and folders of a website project, including items such as HTML, CSS, JS, images, includes, etc. Of course, items like CSS or JS would have their own folder within this directory to keep everything organized.
      • Archives
        • At the beginning of every development day, I copy and paste the entire “Current” directory into a new folder here and label them in numerical order. This is a primitive form of versioning that allows me to revisit previous states of a web development project. There are many services you can use to do this same thing (in fact, I also use Dropbox in conjunction with this method), but I’ve found the trusty copy and paste to be most reliable.
    • Documents
      • Whenever new documents are received from the client, I create a new folder here with the day’s date. Adding the date to each new folder is a good way to keep record of when the client delivered files. It also makes it easier to match downloaded files with their corresponding e-mails in case there were any included notes in the message.
    • Assets
      • Again, new folder added with the latest files received from client and labeled with the date.

8. Do I really need to backup my computer?

From the moment you start using your computer for work, to store personal photos and documents, or anything at all important, you should be making backups. Between the cheap cost of hard drives and the nearly unlimited backup solutions available, there’s no excuse not to routinely backup your system.

Don’t think one external drive sitting next to your computer will be enough, either. Always have at least one copy of your important files off-site in case of things like burglary or natural disasters. There are many online services that can help too, although my personal feeling is that storing your private files on someone else’s servers is never a good idea.

One of the easiest ways to store off-site backups is to buy two hard drives, keep one with your computer, and leave the other at a safe location. Every couple weeks, rotate the drives and continue backing up. There are many places you could choose to leave your second drive, such as a safe deposit box with the bank. Find what fits your preference and stick with it.

9. Is it hard not getting paid on a regular basis?

I’ve found that there are many ways to stabilize the ebb and flow in money coming. For example, passive income is, in my opinion, one of the best way to stay self-employed. Think of any of the big-time designers, like Cameron Moll or Dan Cederholm; they all have books and side projects that create monthly income (i.e. Authentic Jobs and Dribbble) on top of their regular work. However, that doesn’t mean you need to be an author or develop an entire application on your own. There are countless ways to make passive income, such as stock photography, themes and templates, affiliate links on a popular blog, reselling hosting, etc.

Think of it this way: If you work 8 hours a day and your hourly rate is $80/hr, your daily income will forever be $640. The only way to make more money would be to increase your hourly rate (not very common) or work more hours (far too common). Now, lets say you recently created a set of icons that are averaging $100/week in sales. Your monthly income just went up $400 without having to raise your hourly rate or work longer days. Obviously, it will take some time upfront to create sources of passive income (like an icon set people want to buy), but it’s well worth it in the long run.

Another good idea is to not put all your eggs in one basket. I try not to rely on any one source of income so that if a project falls through, I’ll still be able to pay rent that month. I also bill on a monthly basis, which further helps make income more predictable.

10. How can I work long hours but avoid burnout?

The balance of work and life is one I’m forever trying to perfect. In my experience, being self-employed means working longer days than an average job because you’re in control of the entire business. On top of that, freelance work can often be unpredictable. Some weeks will be fairly slow while others are overflowing with deadlines to meet. It’s critical to be disciplined with your work time for both physical and mental reasons.

It can be very easy to think you’re getting ahead by working late every night but, more often than not, burnout will set in and negate all of your forward progress. I’ve spent days on difficult work problems before, only to solve them in mere hours after finally taking a break. Simply put: you will get a lot more done in a shorter amount of time when you’re well rested than you would being drained from exhaustion.

Take the time to unplug from the computer. This includes staying fit, and I don’t mean just exercising your fingers on the keyboard. The secret is to find a healthy activity that you enjoy or you won’t keep up with it. Personally, I like biking outside or hiking local mountains more than going to the gym. Your mileage may vary but the point is to find an exercise you like doing.

I also believe that money alone cannot make you happy—to enjoy life and feel truly accomplished, you need to make time for family and friends and go on adventures beyond your computer desk. I’ve been on intense projects before that demanded incredible amounts of time and it was sad to look back and say, “Wow, I worked on such-and-such a project for this many months now and haven’t done anything else.”

To help remind myself of what’s important every day, I came up with The Rule of One:

• Get at least one thing accomplished. Even if you only finish one task that day, doing something is better than doing nothing.
• Learn one new thing. I’ve never, ever been able to go through my news feeds and not find at least one useful article or tutorial to learn from. Don’t forget: the web changes incredibly fast and you need to keep up with it to do good work.
• Do one nice thing for someone else. I don’t care if it’s as simple as shoveling your neighbor’s steps or holding the door for someone at the store. Make it a point to help at least one person every day and your reward will be knowing that you improved someone else’s life.

1. Set a routine. Anxious to start bringing in paid work and getting personal projects off the ground, I quickly overbooked my first few weeks of being self-employed. The more, the better, I had thought. Mornings gradually started later while I continued to work long nights. The fix was to incorporate some kind of daily routine. Having a set schedule has helped productivity and ensures that I’m available for e-mails, conference calls, or other client needs throughout regular work hours.

2. Archive everything. Maintaining a well organized work history is essential. I store client discussions, contact lists, project notes, estimates, invoices, expenses, inspiration, and many other work related items so that I can easily reference them in the future. There are a number of applications and services I use to help me keep everything in order but the main ones are: Things for project to-do lists and notes, Coda for development and site organization, Billings for time tracking, estimates, and invoices, Netvibes for following web news, Apple Mail for checking multiple e-mail accounts, and Time Machine to back everything up.

Out of all the different bits of info I keep, project hours is one of the most important. My previous jobs led me to believe that time sheets served little more purpose than to prove I was working. However, since being self-employed, I’ve found it critical to log all of my hours in order to monitor current project budgets as well as create estimates for upcoming work. I use Billings to make new slips for each project task and jot down what was completed and how long it took. I also break the slips down by categories so I can see how much time was spent between research, account management, design, development, and so on.  At the end of a large project, it’s not uncommon to have a PDF upwards of 20 pages long with all of my task notes. Not only do clients appreciate seeing exactly where my time was spent but each completed project gives me a very clear and detailed outline for comparing future estimates with.

3. Find the work/life balance. This is probably the most important, and difficult, lesson to learn. I also don’t believe this is something you can ever perfect; it takes constant effort to stay balanced. There is a fine line between being dedicated and being obsessed. When working for an employer, it’s much easier to put in your hours and then not worry about the job after quitting time. When self-employed, you have a huge amount of responsibilities and it becomes very easy to justify spending any spare time on your work, whether that means getting ahead on a project or lining up future jobs. Personally, this is part of why I love being self-employed; I enjoy the satisfaction of knowing my success, or failure, is a result of my own doing. However, the danger is when working too much begins to interfere with seeing family, friends, or taking a little break. It all comes down to finding your own balance and keeping everything in moderation.

I’ve also learned that my mood is often tied directly to my work and that can be both a good and bad thing. On the one hand, the pressure to continually make progress has been a strong motivator and, as long as I have met my goals that day, I can go to bed with an accomplished feeling. On the other hand, inevitable slow patches or days that simply don’t go well can weigh heavily on me that evening or, worse yet, all weekend if it is Friday. Finding your “shut off” switch can really be valuable to both your personal and professional life. Go for a bike ride. Play a video game. Do anything that will shift your mind away from work at the end of the day.

4. Communicate as often as possible. Always keep clients informed about of your progress and how you plan to meet the next milestone. Frequent discussions will bring up any questions you or the client may have throughout the project and will help reduce client surprises and revisions. It is also a good idea get to any kind of feedback documented in writing. For example, say a client gives the ok on a design but later decides he or she doesn’t like the look once development begins. By having the previous design approval in writing, it’ll be much easier to steer the project back to the original agreement or justifying added costs if the client insists on new changes. Projecturf is a great tool for managing these types of discussions. I’ve tried Basecamp, activeCollab, and a many similar services but Projecturf is, by far, my favorite.

5. Pay is not everything. When considering a new project, also think about what you can learn from the job and what the client relationship is like. Will the work be an exciting challenge or boringly simple? Does the client seem easy or difficult to deal with? These questions are just as important as what the project will pay. Burnout is usually the cause of overly easy projects and/or doing work for nightmare clients. Taking on enjoyable, meaningful projects for people who appreciate your work will keep you and your clients happy.

6. Dedicate a few hours each week to self-promotion. Write a new blog entry, check in with past clients, join in online web discussions or local meetings, spread the word and let people know you’re available for hire. Doing the work is only half the battle; you need to line up your next projects and keep your calendar booked in advance. Clients want to see life in the people they hire and regularly updating your site with fresh content is an easy way to do that. Posting tutorials or code examples is also a great way to substantiate your work knowledge.

7. Find your zone. One of the many benefits I’ve found in being self-employed is that I feel like I am working toward my own goals rather than someone else’s now. To remind me of life dreams and things I want to achieve, I have family photos and motivational art decorating the walls. Having a creative, inspiring work environment can be a wonderful aid to productivity. I’ve also learned that music can play an important role. It is much easier for me to work (especially when coding) with some kind of background beat instead of listening to the clacking of keys and mouse clicks. Everyone has their own preference but I like songs with no lyrical content, or in a different language. Movie soundtracks, for example, can be very inspirational without the distraction of voices.

8. Separate business finances from personal. Setup a business-only bank account and credit card to help divide business income and expenses from personal. Take the time to record all business costs throughout the year to save yourself from digging through receipts come next April. Usually, a good first step is to meet with a local CPA to find out exactly what you can and can’t write off. It’s worth the effort to figure out how to properly deduct as many expenses as possible, otherwise taxes will quickly decimate your income. I’ve been used to having federal taxes taken out of my paychecks before receiving them so it was rather painful to send out both my 2008 taxes and this year’s quarterly estimated taxes this month. The good news is there are many expenses you can deduct when self-employed like health care, hardware and software, office rent and supplies, and other work related items. Of course, these deductions need to be directly tied to your job but you’d be surprised how quickly they can add up.

9. Passive income can help stabilize cash flow. Most of my work is charged based on the project, not hourly, with 50% up front and the remaining 50% upon completion. Obviously, there are often gaps with no pay at all and that can be worrisome with monthly bills such as housing, health insurance, etc. Passive income can be a great complement to your main sources of revenue because it often follows a consistent pay schedule (i.e. affiliate advertising) and continues to work around the clock.

10. Be professional. Don’t write e-mails like you’re texting from a phone. Don’t post wild weekend photos on your work blog. Don’t spend all day on Facebook (or don’t create an account and eliminate the urge altogether!). Use common sense and present yourself and your work in a professional manner. If you end up working with a client for a long time and become good friends, there’s usually room to be a little more informal, but first impressions are everything.

Classes are closed for the day so I’m working on homework inside rather than freezing my butt outside. I’ve been catching up on news feeds during food breaks and Cameron delivers yet another great article, concluding his full-time freelance lessons. Motivated by his findings, I decided to make a list of all the important lessons I’ve learned from the last couple years of freelancing.

Network. Tell people your ambitions, let them know you’re diving into freelance and would appreciate if they kept you in mind for future work. Tell your mom, your professors, friends, everyone. I’ve found the majority of my jobs comes from referrals. Past internships, clients, and web friends sometimes have too much work to handle or don’t possess the needed skills for a certain project and will offer you the opportunity. As many designers will attest, the work flow for web design is often up and down and rarely consistent. Be sure to return the favor to designers you have an established relationship with and forward any excess work when you get the chance.

Set up a blog. As I’ve stated in the past, one of the many benefits to a blog is the ability to display your knowledge in an informal, comfortable fashion. A resume, for example, is a generic, impersonal summary that contains limited information. A blog is often a regularly updated peek inside the methods of a business that may include the process for completed projects, current work focus, future goals, or other details that may describe their quality of work and subject command better than any resume or online portfolio.

A well put excerpt from one of Jonathon Snook’s freelance articles:

The blog has been my sales and marketing. I haven’t had to make sales calls or answer RFP’s or do pitches. People have either just come across the site or I’ve gotten work through referrals. If anybody asks if running a personal site like this can be worthwhile, let me be the first in line to say yes. I’m sure many of the freelancers out there would agree.

Learn the business! Understanding how to handle a client and their project is equally as important as finding the work. Learn how to effectively communicate with clients, deal with RFPs, assess the project scope, deliver an accurate estimate, find your appropriate work rate, contracts, invoicing, project management, etc.

Become a feed glutton. Working on your own is often most difficult simply because there is little, if any, human interaction throughout a work day. Without a company full of colleagues to bounce ideas and keep up-to-date on the latest news, it’s important stay in tune with the online web community. Find a good RSS aggregator and subscribe to all the top blogs and news sites related to your field.

Don’t just research. Contribute! On top of reading design blogs and books, contribute to the community by joining discussions, attending web conferences and gatherings, and sharing knowledge through your blog. This will also aid in networking and making connections that could expand your business. Active collaborating and sharing of ideas is largely reason why CSS has become what it is today.

Anticipate design slumps. When I used to play baseball, hitting or pitching slumps were common challenges during a season. The trick is finding a remedy that works for you. In my case, the problem was always over thinking and the cure was returning to the basics. The same applies to my design. When I’m stumped, I return to basic design principles such as the grid and typography. I ask myself simple questions like, “Who is this design targeting?” and, “What is the main goal of the site?” Other times I’m just burnt out from sitting inside for too long and need a good hike or drive. The best thing to do is think of something you enjoy that you absolutely cannot do wrong. As Travis put it:

…burnout is not a simple case of being exhausted. Rather, the ratio of gratification to perceived work input is what mostly accounts for the sensation of burnout.

Avoid the trap of CSS design galleries. How many are there now? That’s right: way too many! First off, if you’re a fan of CSS galleries, you can usually determine the good from the bad by the number of sites displayed. Some take pride in only displaying the crème de la crème while others push batches of daily additions whether they’re truly good designs or not. While the occasional gallery skim may help spark the imagination, be careful not to mimic trends or add meaningless elements to your designs because they looked cool on some other website.

Find what interests you. A good test is to ask yourself: if you were given enough money to live the rest of your life without financial concerns, what work would you still be doing? In 2005 I interned for Hatchling Studios, primarily a 3D animation studio with some very talented Flash and 3D creators. Learning the rates an ActionScript guru could command, I knew I had to be a Flash developer. After months of research and wearing the confused puppy dog face (head cocked sideways, ears half raised), I found myself lost in programming and missing front-end development. My RSS feeds were divided with exciting CSS bug fixes and daunting Flash tutorials. My web enthusiasm, production, and knowledge were stifled by a forced interest in Flash. Not long after starting my fall 2005 semester, I received my first real freelance project which involved some CSS work. An old flame was rekindled and I’ve been happily practicing design and web standards ever since.

Don’t promise the world. A common mistake of beginning freelancers is claiming to do it all. Chances are, you’re not an expert at everything, particularly at the start of your career. It is wise to offer only the services you are confident in, ensuring a) you’ll be able to handle the tasks, b) the client will be happy, and c) your reputation will benefit from a job well done. Seasoned designers with years of experience can probably get away with on-the-job learning, especially since the web changes so rapidly, but at the beginning stick with what you know already. If a project mainly requires your area of expertise but contains small technological elements you don’t know, consider outsourcing part of the work.

A friendly goodbye. Eventually, as your business grows, you’ll be moving on to bigger and better jobs. But what do you do with your smaller clients? Offer to find them a quality replacement designer to continue the work. This way you’re not abandoning clients and potentially harming your reputation, not to mention helping fellow web designers. In the end, the client doesn’t care who does the job, just as long as it gets done.

1. Change the background color of your Word document (Format>Background>More Colors) from white to something less harsh on the eyes. I find a dull green or beige works well and retains good readability (mine right now is set to #cccc99). For extended periods of time in Word, it’s much less straining if you ditch the white.
2. Unfortunately, my computer speakers died the first week I returned to school this year. On the plus side, headphones are what I would recommend for helping drown out distractions from other kids, cars, or whatever your situation may include. Also, I find that I can type faster if I can’t hear the sound of the keys clacking (weird, huh?). The type of music is crucial, which I explain in further detail in a previous post about writing. Basically, pick songs that utilize more acoustic instruments than vocals. You don’t want to be processing what the band is singing about, but instead use their tunes to block outside noises.
3. Take small breaks. It’s like giving yourself mini awards. 40 minutes writing, 10 minutes for [fill in the blank]. Play games, watch tv, grab some food, whatever gets your mind off work. Cameron shares some great advice in one of his older entries about unplugging yourself when you get stuck for ideas.
4. If you need to reach a minimum number of pages, set the text size to 10pt and page zoom at around 150% before you start typing. When you’re a couple pages shy at the end and can’t think of anything else to write, it’ll be a nice surprise to switch back to 12pt and find out you’re done.

My 10 minutes are up, back to the grind…

I’ve actively been thinking about working freelance full-time, whether immediately after graduation or following a few years in the corporate world. Not knowing the decision I’ll make seven months from now, I felt it good to document some thoughts prior to taking the plunge in either direction.

Backtracking to earlier this summer, I had the fortunate opportunity of interning for Michael Yacavone of XeniumGroup. The work level was advanced and built off the assumption that my two previous internships and innumerable Googling nights had taught me something. Over the course of three months, I learned from a business perspective the pros and cons of being self-employed. I worked mainly from my dorm room on campus with minimal commute to Mike’s office in Hanover, NH. With a XeniumGroup-loaned MacBook, recently updated Windows machine, and fast internet, it was pretty cool to wake up and have all my resources in the same room.

By the end of (an always-too-short) summer, I had led the completion of 6+ websites, including research, design, and implementation of: information architecture, XHTML/CSS, accessibility, usability, search engine optimization. Each site was tested on over 54 browser/platform configurations and hand-coded with clean, W3C compliant markup. The grand hurrah to my internship was a trip to Rails Conf 2006 in Chicago, IL, all expenses paid. Thereafter, I practiced and played on small RoR applications.

The power of “No.”

To mollify the bills an unpaid internship can’t satisfy, I continued freelance work after hours and rarely declined project offers (1st mistake!). Work melded day into night and slowly invaded weekends until it wasn’t uncommon to be on the computer for weeks at a time (2nd mistake!). Approaching 350+ internship hours on top of managing my own clients, burnout abruptly set in.

Project management is essential, as is balancing work with life. It seems like a no-brainer, but the pure beauty of a well organized schedule is not apparent until you have more work than could possibly get done. Equally crucial is a thorough evaluation of each project opportunity rather than blindly accepting every work offer.

Advice for the upcoming student

Back at college, the school required all students who completed summer internships to present a summary of their work and what they had learned. Between preparing my PowerPoint and talking to some Graphic Design friends, I’ve assembled some tips (in no particular order):

Competition: Never think your work is good enough, no matter how talented you are. A good goal is to always try and have the “best” project in the class. This might sound cocky, but as long as you’re not rubbing it anyone’s face, it’s a helpful source of motivation. I grew tired of seeing mediocre students get praise so it made me work even harder to be recognized. Also, remember that even if you climb to the top of your class, there are students studying in schools across the globe. Never be satisfied; there’s always room for improvement.

Ask Questions: Surround yourself with intelligent individuals and share knowledge. Never be afraid to ask questions. Take advantage of speaking with professors and students since, after all, you’re paying to be at school. Make the most of your time. The people you know and positive connections you make in your school years will be invaluable when entering the job market.

Don’t follow the crowd: Grades are number one, but don’t forget to investigate subjects of interest outside of class as well. Your classmates are all learning the same exact material as you, so break away from the herd and discover your own talents. I can’t stress how beneficial this is. Not only will you be enhanced with new learning, but self-teaching is an important skill to have. The number one problem college grads and interns have is keeping busy. When they’ve finished one project, they are unsure of what to do next and sit idle. Employers and supervisors don’t want to baby-sit so learning to be self-sufficient is vital and surprisingly hard for a lot of people. Probably because they’re used to having assignments handed to them rather than analyzing what needs to be done.

I earned my Hatchling internship partly because I had some 3-D renders on my portfolio site that I did with Cinema 4D, a program I was playing with for the sheer fun of it. When you discover your own areas of interest, two things will happen: one, you’ll learn a lot about the subject because it is one you enjoy, otherwise you wouldn’t have picked it, and two, chances are it’ll be something you’re already good at. Most people like doing the things that come natural to them, not what is difficult. Identify both your strong and weak points, improve the areas you struggle in, and use your natural talent as a springboard.

When I came to school freshman year, I looked at college like a job. Have fun, date, do whatever, but don’t forget that what you come out with after four (or more) years is what you’ll be offering your first employer. Today is all about specializing and having brains over brawn. The more you teach yourself, the more you cram in your head, the closer you’ll get to a $100k job instead of $30k. Life isn’t all about money, but unfortunately, it’s a major factor in how well we live. Family is everything for me and the ultimate achievement, in my view, will be one day having my own (touching, I know). But the truth is, my wife and kids aren’t going to live in a cardboard box, so money does play an important role.

Online portfolio: Your own little corner on the web, a place you can direct potential employers to look over work examples, resume, or other significant information. Without online presence, your work appears less credible, as if to say, “My portfolio wasn’t good enough to have its own website.” For those short on time (and/or patience) for web design, I would highly recommend taking a look at Carbonmade.

Back to my opening query, is it better to dive into creating your own business, or join the corporate scene and then branch off? If you’re in the same predicament, Andy Budd, Jonathon Snook, and Cameron Moll have some insightful reads. How this last year at school unfolds will most likely be the deciding factor for me.

The way I see it, humans are centered around communcation. A deer in the woods makes all of its decisions based on instinct, from the moment it is born. Farmers see this all the time. A baby calf doesn’t need the milk bottled, warmed, and stuck between it’s lips; nature takes care of that from day one. If you think about most animals, this is how they live their lives, from innate knowledge and instinct. People have the added ability to reason, to process information, imagine, dream, and conjure up a slew of powerful ideas called “emotions.” Are we smarter than a deer for that? I don’t think so, but it does make things more complicated. With the power of choice, a person can actually say yes or no to their inner feelings. My gut might tell me a beefy Hummer would be more safe while my head might say I can’t afford the gas and am going to buy a plastic hybrid that fits in my back pocket.

I think where design comes in is that humans aren’t centered around survival of the fittest; it’s more like survival of the smartest. Nature eliminates the weak deer when they can’t outrun a coyote or aren’t tough enough to last a harsh winter. When it’s mating season, bucks duel other bucks to win the females, ensuring strong bloodlines since only the larger, healthier deer can impregnate. It’s a different story when it comes to humans. The wealthiest person might be the most feeble and live the longest because he or she has the funds for the best food, housing, medical support, etc.

We strive to use media to better ourselves. Think about the average American’s dose of news. People watch current events to be well informed and better decide how they want to live their lives and prepare for the future. Rarely do people wake up and turn on the t.v. in search of tragedy just for the heck of it, but they do keep up-to-date and seek information that may help their daily routine. If you’re watching a tsunami engulf Florida, you’re probably not going to order plane tickets to Disney World the next day.

Tying these two together, designers can use media (simply communication) to better their own “survival of the smartest” status. Although I might not enjoy every college assignment, I’ll probably try my best so that I can earn the grade and better myself. This isn’t necessarily feeding false work to the professors, but I wouldn’t say it is me being entirely honest either. There are times when I could have cared less about one of my class projects, but I did it anyway because of my future goals. That grade will hopefully lead to my graduation, to a job that requires college diploma, to a salary that will support a family…

So is “selling design” wrong? As with most things in life, it depends on the situation. There was a man who got in trouble for hauling a trailer of generators down to Katrina victims and selling them at a premium. Was he wrong? I don’t think so. He did not force anyone to buy his product and without his efforts, their wouldn’t have been any generators at all for the people who did buy them. I think the key is to find your own set of values and stick by them. If you’re creating a website to promote cancer research and an appreciative onlooker donates $5k, then congratulations. If you’re advertising a false miracle cure and taking money for it, you’re probably a bad person and deserve to be treated as such.

Two tests, the first I came up with in recent weeks and the second we’ve all been asked before:

1. If you had to choose losing your sight or hearing, which would it be?
   If you opt to lose hearing, you’re most likely an independent thinker who is less concerned for interaction with the rest of the world than you are for maintaining your own view. If you give up sight, you can still maintain a social connection, despite your loss of vision. While it is true deaf people have effective means of communicating, the person who chose to give up hearing would need many months or even years of learning these methods (sign language) before they could fluently communicate again.
2. If you made a million dollars tomorrow, what you do with the money?
   The answer is directly related to the above design concerns regarding ethical practice. The majority of people who would buy expensive toys, more houses than needed, and material goods for the themselves, are often the same people who would cut throats in business. If you’re spending spree includes gifts for loved ones and friends, you probably have decent values and would not use design other than to communicate a benign message.

With the continuing momentum of Shifting Creations workflow and doing my best during this summer’s internship, I recently found myself working on the computer 7 days a week. The result was depressing; it seemed like the more work I took on, the less happy I became. BURNOUT! And not the good kind that comes from two squeeling tires. I’m not a 9-5 guy who shuts off after 8 hours of work so if I wasn’t pointing and clicking, I was thinking about design in my sleep (or lack thereof).

On the weekends that I did take a break, I found great bursts of energy and creativity the following Monday. It was obvious: I needed to find the right balance. For awhile, I thought a good solution might be working full days and limiting evening computer use to personal projects or perusing the internet. Not entirely satisfied with the results, I decided to also not go on the computer at all on weekends. During the week I work my butt off to erase any guilt for some well deserved rest. At the moment, this seems to be working well, but everyone has different tolerances and hobbies. For me a rejuvenating weekend means hiking, playing with The Bleep (part Blazer, part Jeep), or visiting family and friends.

Further solutions:

1. Make a list of life goals. Use the big fat Sharpie for this one, something permanent and bold that won’t allow you to forget what you’re striving for. This seems obvious at first but I’ll be honest, I’ve never actually written down all the things I would like to accomplish before. Having an objective and seeing purpose in what you do is one of the greatest motivators.
2. Create or use a calendar system (iCal on the MacBook works nicely) and allot an appropriate amount of time for each task that week (important things like writing a proposal, not “buy milk, open cereal, stuff face…”). This will help manage projects and ensure each job is getting the time it deserves. With no set timeframe, it’s easy to dilly-dally on one project and detract valuable time from another. Efficiency determines productivity.

“Get busy living, or get busy dying.” – Andy Dufresne

7/25/06 edit: Rereading this post, I hope it does not hang a dark shadow over “work” as that was not the intent. No one is making me do freelance work, nor try hard at my internship; these are personal choices. Despite being tough at times, there are few things I enjoy more than a well completed job. It’s satisfying getting work done and I love being busy. As I’m finding this summer, many problems are fueled by how we handle the situation and not the actual source, whether it be relationship woes, work deadlines, or any other stressors.

Friends at school can attest to watching me invent the original “palm pilot,” jotting essay length messages on the back of my hand each day. Eventually, stained skin and tempting an ink poisoned death got old. The trend for years now has been to pocket a blank sheet of paper and pen wherever I go. It’s not that I have a bad memory, but more like the cache has been disabled. I’m so focused on thinking and planning for tomorrow that yesterday never really gets cataloged.

Often, a good ride home or trip away from the ordinary is what generates some of the best thoughts for me. Catch is, the gears are turning 24 hours a day so for ideas to keep rolling, they have to be recorded to allow for less memorizing and more brainstorming. Much like an assembly line, if there is a back up at any stage of production, the whole process gets put on hold. A snippet of the Island Test essay by Paul Graham says it best:

The notebook and pen are professional equipment, as it were. Though actually there is something druglike about them, in the sense that their main purpose is to make me feel better. I hardly ever go back and read stuff I write down in notebooks. It’s just that if I can’t write things down, worrying about remembering one idea gets in the way of having the next. Pen and paper wick ideas.

A preference of mine for writing on the computer is to wear headphones and play music just loud enough to cover the sound of clacking keys. I’m particular about the lyrics, the best being in foreign languages or having no vocals at all (anything that doesn’t make me think). Also, something I’ve toyed with this past semester is putting one or two songs on continuous loop. Ultimately, I get accustomed to the repetitious sounds and use the music to create an external barrier. Seems odd, using sound to eliminate sound, but I favor the consistency that becomes a comfortable expectation with no surprises. It’s not that I’m very interested in the book that just fell off the shelf or that woman screaming on tv, but these are the audible items that are likely to grab my attention away from work. A good pair of headphones, even with no music at all, can aid in reducing an innate curiosity to investigate distractions.

I couldn’t work with the sound of a sitcom coming through the wall, or a car in the street playing thump-thump music. And of course there’s another kind of thinking, when you’re starting something new, that requires complete quiet. You never know when this will strike. It’s just as well to carry plugs.

If you know things will be good, if you know that everything will work out for the best, and you don’t doubt that you’ll succeed and meet the right person, then what’s there to worry about? No matter how bad things are now, how dark and dim the world seems to be turning that day; it won’t mean a thing in the future when you have achieved your goals, satisfied your needs, and met and surpassed every gloomy moment of your life… if the future holds accomplishment and victory then tears shed now are for nothing.