#Stressing because my 1 on 1 meeting with my boss is Tuesday afternoon

[amtrak12]

.

[beauty-grace-outer-space]

Ok, so...

(rant below the cut)

I saw my therapist the week before last. During that appointment, she took a phone call like... while I was actively crying and talking about something. And ok, things happen, right? She apologized profusely but said she had to take the call and I was like of course, cuz I don't know her life. It could have been her husband or her kids or whatever. That's totally fine.

But then last week she cancelled on me day off like two hours before my appointment because she wasn't feeling well and told me to touch base next week to schedule. Totally get that. When you're sick, you're sick.

So I waited until Monday and then I emailed her, "Just checking in, hope you're feeling better." She responded that she was and asked if I wanted to meet at 2PM the next day (Tuesday, yesterday) and I said "Sure!" She said "See you tomorrow", I figure we're all set. I let my boss know, she knows I've been really stressed and I told her I needed to make that appointment work because it had already been two weeks and I needed to talk to my therapist, right?

So I take half a day off work yesterday, go home and log on five minutes before 2. It says she's not online yet, which happens. Sometimes she's taking a lunch, sometimes she's away from her computer, no big deal. So I wait.

At 2:15, I sent her an email saying, "Just checking in. Hope everything is ok."

At 2:30, I called her office. They didn't answer.

At 2:45, I called her office again and the receptionist said, "You're not on her schedule, I don't know what to tell you. She's probably in session."

At 3, I just kind of slowly closed everything down and gave up.

She emailed me back last night at 5:18 apologizing. I guess it didn't get put on her electronic calendar and she got sidetracked by a project and... like again, things happen. I get it.

But then she offers me Thursday at 3. I tell her I'm really not comfortable taking more time off work this week. So she offers me Tuesday at 3. My boss is going to be out of the office and I need to be here. So she offers me the 30th at 3. I already have an appointment that morning and I'm missing half a day to deal with that. So she offers me the 4th at 1. I tell her midday is really difficult for me, which is why we typically schedule late afternoon.

And she just responded, "I completely understand" and nothing else.

Am... like.. is she giving up? Is she done offering times now? I don't know what to do from here.

[dameronology]

london calling {poe x reader} - 1

a modern coffee shop au 

in this chapter: you could have sworn that london was trying to eat you alive. you didn’t ask the universe for a reason to stay in the city but it gave you one anyway - in the form of poe dameron, your new manager. 

warnings: swearing 

this was based off of a dream i had & then @cherieboba​ mentioned an AU...and now we have this. enjoy!

- val xx 

‘Will you watch where you’re fucking going?!’ 

You hated Tuesdays. Tuesdays were truly and completely awful in every sense of the word. They were slightly better than Mondays but still...undeniably dreadful. This one had been no exception. You’d woken up late (and hungover, but that wasn’t relevant) and you were convinced that the Department of Transport had personally paid every single commuter to make your life a living hell that morning. Whatever patience you’d had upon waking up - and trust me, it wasn’t much - had worn completely thin by the time you’d been released from the hellish grips of the London Underground. 

Your main concern was getting to work on time. The start of your shift coincided perfectly with the morning rush - also known as two straight hours of grumpy, uncaffeinated commuters. It was your job as a barista to provide them with coffee and to do-so in a timely manner. Anything less than thirty seconds would often result in a middle-aged, greying businessman coming for your ass. This morning, you were prepared to bite back. 

‘How nice of you to show up.’ 

‘I know, I know!’ You pushed past your co-worker, tugging your apron around your waist as you did. ‘I overslept,’

Finn rolled his eyes at you, shaking his head. ‘Then you owe me five pounds.’

‘Why?’ You grumbled, pulling an order receipt from his hand.

‘The bet, remember?’ He replied. ‘You have officially been late twenty times so far this year.’

You let out a groan, mind going back to New Year’s Eve. The pair of you had made a deal that whoever was the first to be late twenty times owed the other a fiver - and it looked like you would be paying for his lunch today. It was unusual for you to be late so many times in a row but in the absence of a manager or acting boss, you’d let yourself slip a tiny bit. You knew that had to end today, however, because your new manager was due to start. 

‘I’ll give it to you when I get paid.’ You said. ‘My rent is already late and that five pounds could be detrimental-’

‘- I’m just taking the piss.’ Finn chuckled. ‘Get these orders done and we’re even.’ 

He slid you the pile of receipts and you immediately slipped into autopilot. You’d been a barista for the better part of five years by that point; your hands could be at work whilst your mind was elsewhere. That was certainly the case today - your mind was raking through your financial woes and the fact that your rent was due four days ago - as you worked. After fifteen minutes of here’s a small skinny latte for Brian! and a large Americano to go for Roger!, you’d completely ridded the shop of the queue. 

‘Busy morning, huh?’

You peered up from the coffee machine, eyes falling on the man in front of you. He was holding a half-empty cup of coffee, a smile on his face and warm brown eyes examining the mess of coffee and milk around your work station. He had a tangle of messy curls and...well, hot fucking damn. What else were you supposed to say?

‘Uh, yeah.’ You smiled. ‘Highlight of my day, I suppose.’

He grinned at you. ‘Do you enjoy working here?’

‘Yeah.’ You nodded. ‘I mean - it gets stressful but a job’s a job, right?’

‘Right.’ He replied, eyes falling to where your name tag rested on your apron. ‘I’ll see you around.’

Trying to hide the blush on your face, you picked up the empty milk cartons and carried them through to the kitchen at the back of the shop. Finn was already in there on his phone, swiping through Tinder. Your best friend’s love life was often a subject that came up on shift - as far you were concerned, he deserved the world. It was finding the world that was the hard part. 

‘Hot customer alert.’ You greeted him. ‘And I mean hot.’

‘What kind of cute are we talking?’ Finn looked up from his phone. ‘Like...Leo Dicaprio in Titanic cute kind of hot or Leo Dicaprio in the Revenant, large and hairy kind of hot?’

‘Kind of in the middle.’ You replied, dumping the cartons in the bin. ‘He said he would see me around, so I guess he’s a new regular?’

‘Actually,’ somebody else’s voice came from the doorway. ‘I meant see you around as in I’m the new manager.’

You had never wanted the ground to swallow you more. Seriously - if the jaws of death could have opened right there and then, you’d be willing to jump into them with the tip of your hat and a so long, folks! This was definitely the worst Tuesday of your life. That was truly saying something, because you’d spent all of last Tuesday scraping dried milk off of a table. And, the Tuesday before that, you’d got stuck in the doors of the tube on the Jubilee Line and then -

-Not relevant. The presence of other shitty days didn’t erase the fact that you had just called your manager hot and compared him to Leonardo Dicaprio. Right to his face. 

‘Hey, Finn?’ You glanced up at your co-worker. ‘I think it’s time I quit-’

‘- no, I take it as a compliment!’ He chortled. ‘I’m Poe, Poe Dameron. You’re the assistant manager, right?’

‘Yeah.’ You nodded, trying to hide the blush creeping up your cheeks. ‘Unless you fire me.’

‘No, I like a colleague who bigs me up.’ Poe grinned at you. It only made the blush worse. ‘It’s a nice store. I’m excited to work here.’

‘And I assume you know how to make coffee?’ You quirked an eyebrow at him. 

‘I could do it in my sleep.’

You handed him an apron. ‘Brilliant.’

It seemed as though whoever was above had answered your prayers, because another queue quickly began to form and you had to get back to work. Poe and Finn chatted amongst themselves, bonding over the fact that they were both Americans working in London. You, meanwhile, focused on pumping out oddly specific coffee orders. 

‘A hot-but-not-too-hot black Americano for Holdo!’ You called. 

Mrs Holdo - or, Holdo as she insisted on being called - was one of your regulars. She was a high powered business woman who stopped by the coffee every morning. It was usually one of the highlights of working the morning shift. You were convinced she was on steroids of some point because she was the literal definition of a power bitch. The fact she dyed her hair lavender made her even more iconic. 

‘Morning!’ You beamed at her, sliding her drink across the counter. ‘How are things at the law firm?’

‘Stressful, as always.’ She grabbed the cup. ‘New manager, I see?’

‘Oh, yeah.’ You glanced over your shoulder at him. ‘That’s Poe.’ 

‘You talkin’ shit?’ He grinned at you, giving you a wink. 

Once the queue had died down again, you made yourself a coffee. A few people were fluttering about the shop; it was the usual, really. There was a businessman on his laptop at one table and an artist at the next. One of the perks of working in such a central area was all the people you got to meet. It certainly made the job more interesting - and you had a feeling that your new manager was only going to add to that. 

‘So - tell me about yourself.’ Poe leant against the counter next to you, nudging you with his elbow. ‘Other than the fact you think I’m hot and that you probably love Leonardo Dicaprio.’

You let out a groan. ‘You’re killing me, man.’

‘If that’s the case, I hope you get someone to cover your shifts before you die.’

‘Isn’t that your job?’ You shot back. ‘Being the manager and all.’

‘You are my assistant manager-’

‘- no I am the assistant manager.’ You cut him off. ‘And I’ve been here five years so I know all that you could possibly need about running this place.’

‘Mm?’ Poe raised his eyebrows. ‘Care to share?’

‘Finn can’t be on shift with Hux - he’s an irritating part timer, really up himself - because they will kill each other.’ You paused to take a sip of your coffee. ‘And Kaydel is super sweet but she’s always late, so it’s best to put her on afternoon shifts.’

‘Like you were late this morning?’

You groaned again. ‘It was just one of those mornings - it was one thing after the other. I swear it won’t happen again. 

Poe gave you a soft smile, the sarcasm fading from his face. ‘I’m just kidding. Don’t be so hard on yourself.’

With that, he took the coffee from your hand and took a sip. ‘Jesus Christ, what is in this?’

‘Four shots of vanilla syrup.’ You snatched your drink back from him. ‘Let me guess - you’re the kind of guy that exclusively drinks espressos and judges people for adding sugar?’

He simply raised his eyebrows, holding his hands up in defense. 

--

Nine hours later, your shift was finally over; you were closing with Poe, who was currently sweeping the floor and singing I Want To Break Free. Your feet were aching but thanks to the free coffee, you were slightly buzzed. You’d decided that you liked your new manager - there were some pitfalls, however. Watching him flirt with every woman that came in was bordering on painful by the time lunchtime came around. 

‘Rey’s here!’ Finn popped up from behind the coffee machine. He was supposed to be cleaning it, but it looked as though he was counting coffee beans instead. ‘Do I look okay?’

‘No different than usual, Finny.’ You replied. 

Rey was your room-mate and best friend (Finn would argue differently). She worked in a primary school a few streets away from the coffee shop. She usually came in after you’d shut to get a free drink - she also drove to work, which meant you didn’t have to take public transport home. After a nine hour shift and with an impending caffeine crash, being shoved into a small tube carriage was your idea of hell. With that said, Rey’s driving wasn’t much better. 

Fiddling with your keys, you unlocked the door to let Rey in. She looked tired - presumably from chasing after little children all day. You could see a bottle of wine sticking out from the top of her bag. That was this evening’s plans solved. 

‘Hey!’ She greeted you brightly. ‘Hey, Finn!’

‘Rey, hey!’ Your co-worker waved at her. ‘I mean hey, rey!’

‘I’m just gonna clock out.’ You said, glancing over your shoulder at Poe. ‘If that’s cool with you?’

‘God knows, god knows I want to break - oh yeah, that’s fine!’ He suddenly pulled his headphones out. 

‘This is Rey, by the way. She’s an honorary team member here.’ You explained. ‘And this is Poe, our new manager.’

‘She thinks I’m cute.’ Poe grinned. 

You turned to face Rey. ‘I’ll explain later.’

‘Right. Of course.’ She gave you a wink. ‘I went home at lunch to feed Chewy. He’s eaten another pair of your shoes.’

Chewie was your six-month-old border terrier puppy. He reeked havoc pretty much everywhere he went - usually leaving a trail of fur behind him - but you loved him dearly. He’d earned his name after eating through eleven pairs of shoes in his first week at your apartment. 

‘Of course he has.’ You grumbled. ‘See you tomorrow!’

‘See you!’ Finn waved at you, before giving Rey a sweet smile. 

‘See you in the morning!’ Poe called. ‘And be on time!’

tags: @thespareoom @softly-sad @interwebseriesfan24 @yougottakeeponkeepinon​ @princessxkenobi​ @blue-space-porgs​ @cherieboba�� @highlycommendable​

[ezzydean]

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favorite authors!  

(click here to read them all on my tumblr and not the dash)

1. It takes approximately forty-two minutes before Stiles can convince himself to get up off the loveseat where he’s happily squished between Danny and Isaac.  (love aka part 3 of the Stiles/Peter slow burn I wrote because of Catt)

2. “So.  What the djinn did to Dean in, what was it, season one?  Two?  Whatever.  Yeah totally legit.  Negative fifty out of ten.  Would not recommend.” (promise aka part 2 of the Stiles/Peter slow burn)

3. Hajime freezes when he hears the distinct sound of someone pointedly clearing their throat behind him.  (the 5+1 mistletoe kisses prompt)

4. Stiles’s phone lights up and he gives it a wary look when he sees the text notification on his screen.  He’s already been warned, by a few different people, that he would probably be getting a summons soon. (trust aka part 1 of the Stiles/Peter slow burn)

5. “There comes a day in every man’s li—”

The officiant is cut off by a loud cough and he takes a bracing breath, eyes fluttering.  (the magic in you aka KageUshiIwa magical fluff)

6. The sky is turning gray, clouds rolling in to cover up the sunset, when Kuroo finally turns to Shouyou and sighs.

“Call him.”

Shouyou snickers at the defeated tone of Kuroo’s voice but he pulls out his phone. (we’re in a parking lot somewhere aka KuroHinaDai something or other I’m writing)

7. It still hurts sometimes.  Not his wound.  It’s scarred up rather nicely.  As nice as a giant scar across half your face can be anyway. (a yet to be titled/plotted ATLA Zuko & Toph thing)

8. It starts early one morning —  mere minutes after the door has unlocked and the sign has scrawled itself into a brilliantly colorful OPEN complete with sparkles and tiny fireworks — not long after everything has started to quiet down.  (Well it had technically started years and years ago when they were all childish and stupid right little shits to each other but that’s a different story for a different day.) (only time will tell aka my Draco/George & Theo/Fred fic)

9.  Neville snaps his head up, instantly wary of Hermione and that tone of voice, and then flushes when he realizes what he’s done.  It’s Hermione after all.  She’s entirely too clever for her own good but she’s not some sneaky devious creature he has to watch his back around.  Though sometimes when she smiles the way she’s smiling now he remembers that, actually, yes she is a sneaky devious creature.  She just likes him enough that, for the most part, he doesn’t have to worry about watching his back around her.  (an untitled HP everyone comes back as professors fic)

10. Some things in life are certain.  They’re just going to happen no matter what, no matter how much you might try to prevent them.  So the smart thing to do would be to just go with the flow, right?  Just let the things happen and try not to stress over it.  Morisuke likes to think of himself as a fairly smart person.  So he’ll just take a few deep breaths and let it go, right?

Wrong.  (untitled TsukkiYaku fake dating fic)

11. Issei stumbles out of his bedroom and shuffles down the hall doing a really great impression of a zombie if you ask him.  He’s got the groans and the unsteady steps and the unfocused eyes and the inability to use higher brain functions like speech and decision making.  (my last first everything aka HanaMatsu slow burn mutual pining childhood friends to lovers)

12. The cauldron in the fireplace rattles and Daichi gives it an unimpressed stare. (cauldron bubble aka BokuDai magic accidental baby acquisition)

13. Tobio’s eyes cross as he tries to focus on the object dangling in front of his face.  He leans away from it and presses the back of his head against a warm stomach.

“Hello Iwaizumi,” he says.  (a place in the sun aka IwaKage fluff)

14. The cupboard under the stairs isn’t exactly the most comfortable place to be.  But if you are five and want to hear what the adults are talking about so seriously in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place then, sadly, the cupboard it is. (matchsticks and dragon scales, year 1 aka my Harry Potter rewrite)

15. Hajime takes a sip of his coffee and sighs, ignoring the world around him for just a few minutes while he sits and at his table at Generic Coffee Shop and gets his morning dose of caffeine.  (roots and sky aka the IwaOi part of my childhood friends to lovers series, the dichotomy of you and me)

16. It’s two in the afternoon on a Tuesday and all Tadashi wants to do is go home and sleep.  Maybe for a week.  Maybe for a month.  He’s not too entirely picky to be honest. (stars and sea aka the YamaTsukki part of the dichotomy of you and me)

17. So.  Library.

Not exactly where he’d thought he’d be working when he was back in high school.  But it’s, objectively speaking, not the worst place he could be working.  Like sure it’s not quite as interesting as working at the aquarium like Watari.  But it’s also not as taboo sounding as working at a funeral place like Matsukawa.

So.  You know.  It’s not that bad. (past and future aka the KinKuni part of the dichotomy of you and me)

18. Tetsurou glances at the screen one last time before posting and immediately closing out of his browser and signing out of his email.  He shuts down his computer a moment later and stands with a quiet groan.  It’s been a shit day.  It’s not the worst Thursday of his life or anything like that.  Just.  A shit day.  All he wants to do is clock out and go the fucky doodle home.  Which is why he hurries past his boss’s office with his head down — he has the worst problem saying no when his boss asks him for things which is how he found himself with Social Media Coordinator tacked onto his business card a few months ago — and when he hear his boss’s door start to open he hurries a little faster and opts for taking the stairs down instead of waiting for the elevator. (body and soul aka the KuroKen part of the dichotomy of you and me)

19. Kei stretches idly as he waits for practice to start.  They’re already a few weeks into this year’s season but today they’re apparently waiting for their new team trainer.  Or assistant coach.  Or something.  He wasn’t entirely listening to the announcement from the captain yesterday.   (we’ll meet at the horizon aka my epic HinaTsukki slow burn)

20. He knows the moment the words leave his lips that he’s gone too far, that he’s made one too many jokes, said a few too many things he shouldn’t have.  He always screws up, is always too much for people to handle. ((don’t) write me an elegy of your past, love aka that AkaKuro & BokuDai fantasy au)

I have no idea if I have any patterns other than I go for humor, a lot.  And I can’t pick a favorite cause I love them all for different reasons.

[andytfish]

FREELANCE GUiDANCE: A 10 Part Series - #3 Setting Up Work Parameters

One of the benefits of Freelancing is the FREEDOM but sometimes too much freedom leads to disorganization and chaos.  Possibly the biggest challenger a Freelancer faces is the ability to be his own boss-- with no one constantly over your shoulder, no fear of a walk thru by the uppity mucks there's plenty of opportunity to slack off, and that will kill your career.

1. ESTABLISH YOUR WORK HOURS - This should be a "general" guide because as I've already covered sometimes creativity cannot be caged. Sometimes that great idea or inspiration comes at 2 in the morning rather than at 9. Everyone is different and this is a find your way kind of rule. During a week of working freelance take occasion to jot down notes of the time and productivity-- you'll likely see a pattern emerge. In my own case I like to get an early start but seldom do. But after years of study I've discovered my peak productivity blocks in the day- 5am-8am and 2pm to 10pm. We'll get into this a bit further below.

2. ESTABLISH A WORK AREA - This is the BIGGEST key for me. I don't allow my work to spread out all over the house. I work ONLY in my studio space. The entire third floor of my house is my office area. It houses my computers, drawing tables, easels, supplies and reference material. I DON'T spend ANY time in there NOT working. You wouldn't drive to your corporate office job so you can search eBay would you? I treat my work area with the same respect.

3. KNOW WHEN A JOB IS NOT THE RIGHT FIT - It’s hard when you're just starting out to turn down a job, but sometimes (especially early on) things come along that are not right for you. I can't draw cute. I can't. Bunnies might start KIND OF cute but eventually they're going to look depraved. It's not in my makeup. Early in my career I would have taken that gig and kept at it killing myself and doing four times the work to make it right for the client. Now I know better. You turn down the WRONG job so you're available when the RIGHT job comes along.

4. DEADLINES TRUMP EVERYTHING - My kids from an early age knew the phrase "Dad's on a deadline" -- which meant I'm a phantom that might pop up out of my studio 2-3 times a week. The Deadline is the thing. I don't miss deadlines. This should not be your every week routine— you need to have a life, but those deadline crunch times are special circumstances.

5. SET UP PRODUCTIVITY - Da Vinci used a similar schedule and I've found this works; 45-90 minute working sessions with breaks in between makes me MUCH more productive.

LET'S GET A LITTLE FURTHER IN-DEPTH to my talking points

1- Establishing Your Work Hours-- I would suggest you even buy yourself an OPEN/CLOSED sign that you can put outside your workroom door.  It doesn't have to be a fancy neon one, it can be a simple cardboard one.  In my studio I use to blowmold ghosts that sit at the edge of my desk-- when they're on I'm working.  It not only lets other people know you're "at work" it gets yourself into the right frame of mind.

Share your working hours with significant others.  Let them know you're going to be struggling to "work from home" and you'll need their help.  They wouldn't walk into your office on Park Avenue with your co-workers all around and your boss down the hall clutching the light bill and saying we need to talk about that neon beer sign you must have on 24 hours a day-- they would wait until you're home from work, and just because work is now home there should be no difference.

They need to understand that work from home does NOT mean you don't work.  It does not mean every elderly relative can expect you to shuttle them around to doctor appointments, it doesn't mean you're instantly the chaperone at juniors Zoo trip.  YOU ARE STILL WORKING just AT HOME.

You’ll need to decide if you are going to follow a standard Monday-Friday work week or will you take Mondays and Tuesdays off?  Resist the urge to not take days off because money is coming in. I strongly advocate days off for your own mental health.   It's easy to swing the opposite direction in Freelance and work 24/7.

One of the first things I wanted when I went Freelance was weekends off.  After years of working in retail I never got to enjoy them.  In retail I had every Sunday and Wednesday off.  SPLIT days-- and I was looking forward to two together.  It seemed like a dream to me.

The downside to being off weekends is so is everyone else.  So those Wednesday trips to the bank or the post office I used to make were a breeze compared to trying to go on Saturday morning.

Now, I schedule days off (and to be honest A Day Off) the week I'm working.  It allows me to better balance projects.  And being completely honest, I LOVE working freelance, sometimes taking a day off is like punishment.  But even on the weeks I don't take a day off I take a morning off, or an afternoon, or an evening-- that works for me.  Starting out-- I'd give yourself at least one day off each week as you're figuring out what works for you.

How About Holidays?   That seems like a no-brainer until you're on that big project and it's due Dec 27th and using the Organizational skills I set up for you in Session 1 you realize you're behind.   Suddenly you have a virtual scale in front of you held by Santa Claus with family and friends on one side and the client on the other.

Deciding up front that it's a hard and fast rule that you won't work CERTAIN holidays is a concession I made right away.   I don't work on Christmas-- in fact I don't work two days BEFORE Christmas and I don't work the week FOLLOWING Christmas up through to Jan 2nd.  I don't.  Nope, not gonna do it.

Why?  I like Christmas and it's a holiday I look forward to.    I work extremely hard up to Dec 22nd but truth be told Christmas is VERY Slow in Freelance because most clients aren't thinking about projects either.  So a studio shut down is perfectly acceptable.

But the OTHER 99 holidays on the calendar?  They are all up for grabs.  I don't work the night of my wife's Birthday and I keep the schedule light during the day-- but other than Xmas, New Years and my Wife's Birthday I will work any other holiday even at the drop of a hat.

Knowing this helps me keep the stress level down.  My family knowing this keeps them from asking me why I'm not coming to the Memorial Day cookout, or the Patriots Day party. 

2. Establish a Work Area - My wife has her own studio on another floor of the house.  We meet daily for Breakfast and Lunch which is a nice break.  Her studio is very zen.  Very few things, a handful of books, some sparse furniture and warm inviting lights with some inspirational artwork hanging prominently around the room.  Mine is the polar opposite of Zen.  It's loaded like a High School locker.  There is not an inch of space on my walls or shelves that is not filled with comics, posters, original art, toys, action figures, vintage japanese vinyl toys, a lifesize Frankenstein, an Adam West Batman Cowl, a Nicholas Hammond Spider-Man Mask a Tony the Tiger display head, Darth Vader mask, more toys, more art more action figures and did I mention Books?  Libraries come to me to borrow things.  There are THOUSANDS of books.

I love the kinetic cluttered energy it gives off.  At Christmas time I decorate Frankenstein with colored lights.  The rest of  the year Halloween Lights hang in my studio.  It's my own personal Batcave-- all I'm missing is a British Butler walking in with coffee and scones every forty five minutes.

But that space works for me.  It gets me juiced up and ready to work.

That's how you need to set YOUR space.  When you're just starting out you may have to incorporate a drawing or work area in another room because of space restraints.  When I was first starting out in a one bedroom studio my bed was three feet from my drawing table.  It made for some tough nights sleeping because it was hard to "turn off" working mode in the same room.

Regardless of space, make some for yourself.  I have a good friend whose first studio space was a medium sized closet.  It was actually kind of cool-- you had to climb in like a race car but once you were encased in the environment like a man piloting a lunar shuttle to the moon you were ready to work.

The point is to make this space YOUR work inspiration-- so make it a place you WANT to spend time in.

3. Know when a Job is NOT the Right Fit - Easy to say when you're established.  You're going to take pretty much any job that comes along at first, and that's okay.  Sometimes you don't even know the job isn't right for you until you're doing it. When we get to PART 5: GETTING PAID SON we'll look at how to budget for these types of jobs so at least you're getting paid well for something that isn't a fit.

Let's assume that despite your portfolio of Goth Animals someone comes to you thinking you'd be perfect for that highly detailed photo accurate oil painting of Grandma.  That's not a good fit for you, you know it, they don't.  But the light bill is due and there's not a lot else coming in right now so you're thinking hard about taking it.   It's a fork in the road decision:

A. You take it and spend HOURS upon HOURS resisting the urge to give grandma dark undereyes and floppy ears. If you went with this option the biggest advice I can give you is do a lot of research and spend a LOT of time warming up. Look at portraits, look at Presidential Portraits and study the brush strokes. Grab your favorite sketchbook and some colored pencils and get to an art museum and do some sketching of the portraits in the collection. Get your head ready for the project and then give it your best shot.

B. Pass on it and recommend a friend you know who would be a better fit, earning Karma points from the friend and freeing yourself up for that job that WILL fit. Spend the downtime Marketing yourself (also coming up in the series) which is a better expenditure of your time and resources.

4. Deadlines Trump All - All my rules of work parameters combined with the skills I imparted in the ORGANIZATION session should lead you to a point where you don't have to work overtime, but in the real world we know that occasionally that IS going to happen.  If you find yourself CONSTANTLY working overtime on projects re-evaluate your working methods and see if you are actually being productive or if you're wasting a lot of time.

5. SetUp Productivity - The eight hour workday became the norm at the turn of the last century and pretty much has been the standard ever since.  This method goes back LONG before that to the days of Leonardo Da Vinci who often used this seemingly odd method to accomplish the amazing array of achievements he did over the course of his life. 

It's simple-- you work in 45-90 minute sessions with breaks in between.  During the session you do NOTHING but work.  You don't answer the phone if it rings (that's why Voicemail was created) you don't check your email.  You don't jump on IMDB to see who was the actor inside Darth Vader's suit (it was Dave Prowse, body builder and former Frankenstein actor).  YOU WORK.  Because SO much of our day is actually filled with distraction.  That's OK if you work for SNIDELY WHIPLASH INDUSTRIES who is paying you a fat check to work 30% of the time, as a Freelancer you only get paid for the hours you actually WORK.    Novel concept isn't it?  It's the price you pay for being your own boss.

This is best accomplished either by setting up a PLAYLIST running the allotted time, or by streaming an episode of a TV series or even setting an alarm clock.  Give it a try-- WORK for the allocated time and THEN take a break of 15-30 mins (also timed) to check your mail, return phone calls, do whatever-- you will be AMAZED at how this works if you can really be disciplined about it.

NEXT WEEK: LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS -- it's the difference between eating and not.

Andy Fish is a freelance artist and writer who has been living the lifestyle longer than there has been an iPhone on this planet.  The advice given has worked for him, it might work for you, he hopes it does.  But like all advice, take it with your own situation in mind.  If you want to contact him shoot him an email andy@andytfish.com

[darkwing-katy]

This has been a long, long, long week. For those of you interested, here is essentially what happened. Monday: I go to work. It's the one week that the school is fully closed so everyone can prep for the start of the new school year (which is exactly a week later, so this coming Monday). I get assigned to help this one teacher get her room ready. There is lots of heavy lifting. I spot Christian briefly and we share a wave. I sort through a crapton of books for the classroom and organize them by theme...sorta. Also there is lots of stapling and "is this straight?"ing. There is an all-staff luncheon and meeting that afternoon. I see Christian and decide to offer to give him a ride back to the school afterwards since I know he doesn't have a car. We sit at different tables because of assigned seating. I notice that even though his table was told they could get food, he goes to the back of the line and lets literally everyone else get their food before him. There are roughly forty people there, two of which are men, including him. This is a type of chivalry that I've never seen before in real life. Who is this guy? Where did he come from? I'm pretty sure he's secretly Leopold from "Kate and Leopold". As we are eating and waiting for the meeting to start, I keep looking at him, and I'm fairly certain he's glancing at me. One of the ladies at the front desk is seated next to him and turns and sees me. I smile and she laughs, then says something to him. He waves at me and she says something else, and I can read his lips as he replies, "Kate's cool." We smile some more. She laughs. I have to go to the bathroom when the meeting is over. Then I chicken out of waking back into the room to make sure he has a ride. Instead I sit in my car and wait for him to leave. He has a ride. Dammit Kate, why didn't you offer? I realize I don't know how to get back to the school from this place, so I decide to follow his ride. They end up going the wrong way and I have a moment of "HOLY SHIT THEY'RE GOING TO CVS TO GET STUFF AND I'M FOLLOWING THEM AND HE'S GONNA THINK I'M A STALKER AHHHHHHHH". Turns out they just went the wrong way. The girl who drove him texts me later to make sure I got home okay. I have somehow made a new friend. Apparently he was concerned about me since he knew I was following them. It's the start of a long week. I have decided to read all of Inkheart so I have an excuse to visit the library. Tuesday: I go back into the classroom. At one point I'm sitting at a table, cutting out waves. Christian pops his head in, possibly looking for someone else, possibly wanting to say hi to me. Who knows. We wave and say hi. I eat lunch with the girl who texted me yesterday. She's pretty cool. I have made a work friend. 10/10 was not expecting. I'm bummed that that's the only time I saw him, but realize that tomorrow is a day of meetings and surely, SURELY I will see him. Wednesday: the Day of Meetings. I have three meetings to attend. In between them I assemble four chairs and a table, and I'm so proud of myself for being able to follow instructions. Is this what adulting feels like? Is this why people buy furniture from IKEA? Is this why people build things? The first meeting is all about preschool stuff. It's fun. My boss is hilarious. The second meeting is after school staff. I go because I may or may not sub after school. Christian is there. The meeting is in the library. We smile and wave, and I contemplate sitting by him. But I'm too shy and I'm not that bold (at least when it comes to him) and I need to sit somewhere where I can read the instructor's lips. Alas. There is the occasional glancing at each other, and I make an effort to pay attention instead of daydreaming. Meeting number three (an IT info meeting that has two separate times we had to choose from) is the final meeting of the day, and the last thing on the agenda for that day. I am curious. Last week Christian asked me which session I was attending. I told him the 2-3pm. He said he signed up for the 1-2 session and he didn't think he could change it. He also thought the meeting was that week. So I've spent all day wondering if he did switch sessions. The clock is ticking. I resolve myself. "It doesn't mean anything. He just went to the other one. That's cool." Christian walks in. I am ecstatic. He waves and asks if he can sit by me. I tease him. "Didn't you tell me you were doing to the other one? I'm pretty sure you said that to me." "I never said that. I signed up for this one." Cue more grins and laughing. Then a very pregnant teacher comes in and he immediately offers his seat. I now have a teacher sitting between us. I am simultaneously impressed with his action and annoyed because I'm selfish and wanted to sit by him. Holy shit. Who is this man? Why is he so polite? WHERE DID HE COME FROM? Throughout the meeting we occasionally look at each other. Each time I feel like I'm blushing. Dammit, Kate, could you be any more obvious? Afterwards I go to the IT people and have them set up my work email on my phone. I see Christian talking to my new work friend and wonder if he's killing time, trying to wait for me. We nod at each other, he asks if everything's all good, I hold up Inkspell because i finished the first book and tell him I'm taking it. He laughs and says that's cool. This is all done via mouthing the words. The IT people are still messing with my phone. He leaves. I am kinda sad. He returns. I am amused. Also I'm still kinda reeling from the fact that he came to the session I said I was gonna be at and sat by me, even if only for a moment. This is a good indication that he is interested. The IT people are STILL dealing with my phone. He leaves, this time for good. I go to the library afterwards, hoping to say bye. He is talking to another teacher, and I can't keep killing time loitering like that. Reluctantly, I leave. He changed meetings for me. Holy shit, this might be a thing. Thursday: I see him once in the morning as I'm using the die-cutter in the library for bulletin board letters. I wonder if he saw/heard me singing to my Disney pandora. I'm fairly certain he didn't. I am both glad of this and disappointed of this. I finish the classroom I've been assigned and go to other classes in search of anyone who needs help. Another class needs letters. I volunteer to go to the library and cut them all out for them. They all seem to hate the die-cutter, so they are eager to let me do it. They don't know I have ulterior motivation. Insert maniacal laugh. I get there and play my music. Christian sees me and we wave and ask how it's going. Then he leaves. He probably has a meeting. I am kinda bummed, but I also know that I need to focus on being as helpful to the teachers as possible. We have one day left to get everything ready for open house. I stay late helping yet another classroom. Friday: It is here. The open house is tonight. Also my mother and my uncle are coming to visit me at work because they're curious. I am nervous but also excited. Mom knows about a Christian and I kinda want her to at least see him. I see him prior to their arrival and we chat for a bit about a painting project I offered to do for the library. He says Monday would be a good day to do it. My mom and my uncle arrive, along with my grandma. I was not aware that she was coming along. Holy shit, I hope she doesn't start telling everyone about her medical issues. Holy shit, she is. Grandma no. Grandma stop. We finally get to the library. Mom and I walk around. My stress level has risen and I'm regretting having my family come visit. I accidentally blurt out that she was fired from her librarian position without thinking about how inappropriate that was. Fucking hell, Kate. We leave the library and are trying to decide where to eat. I have almost got my grandma out the door when my mom points out a wagon. My grandma wants this wagon. She drags my uncle over to look at the wagon. I look at my mom. "Her hand was on the door. Why did you do that? Why would you say that?" Mom is clearly regretting her comment. Christian comes around the corner to talk to me. I tell him to save the Animorphs books for me and I'll come get them after lunch. He says he will. We chat for a minute, the three of us, and then my uncle finally gets my grandma away from the wagon. Christian bids us farewell and returns from whence he came. When mom gets into the backseat with me, she leans over and mutters, "He came out looking for you to talk to you. That's a clear sign. He likes you." I feel as if the family stress was worth it just to hear my mom say that she's positive he's into me. Now we know. We eat a delicious lunch and they drop me back off. I help with balloons (there is a hilarious incident involving helium), then I go to the library to get more books since we have 45 minutes to kill. Another teacher has taking the other animorph books. I am slightly mad at her. How dare she. I then help Christian go through the box of books to trash, and we and another girl make fun conversation. I realize I need to get back to the other building, so I walk with them to the trash bin out back. I tell them I gotta go to the other building and say byes and I'll see you later. Then I walk away, all the while throwing my closed umbrella in the air and catching it epically. I turn once more to say bye. Christian comments on my impressive umbrella catching skills. For good measure, I toss it up again and catch it. He laughs. I feel validated. After open house ends, I impulsively go back to the library. Maybe I can ask if he wants to get a coffee. Goodness knows I could use one. But I don't know how to ask if he wants to get a coffee. It's stupid. It's coffee. Why can't I say this. Why can I be so bold about some things and so shy about others. Fucking hell. We end up talking with a mom of a teacher. I learn that he wears contacts. Somehow the mental image of him wearing glasses is adorable to me and I need to see this in reality asap. I try to kill time when he walks away. It is raining, so I have an excuse. When he comes back, however, he has on his backpack and seems in a rush. There is car waiting for him. Oh. Well, there went that plan. He said bye and "Have a good weekend!" I say, "you too! Bye!" Then I leave. As I watch "Mamma Mia" with my mom, my aunt, and my cousins, I briefly entertain the notion of asking him out by singing "Take A Chance". I won't, but I'm amused by the mental scenario of what that would look like. I come home and type all this up. Holy crapoli I typed a lot. I am so tired. It has been a long week. I need to sleep. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll dream about him wearing glasses.