True social networking?

He’s not asking you for money, he’s asking you to show you care about someone you’ve never met.

People are doing it too. In fact, it's rather heartwarming.

I found it here. Nice blog.

Cabin fever...

... no, not the dodgy horror flick of a couple of years ago but me.

My trusty new car has turned out to be an absolute turkey. Have been having problems with the immobiliser for days - since, well, last Sunday when it started playing up, shortly after I'd crunched the side panel into a concrete pillar (um.... other story and the two are unconnected). The water dripping through the central roof console gave me a fair idea of what the problem might be.

Anyway, nice AA man rocked up on Monday to look at this. He took apart the central roof console, emptied it of water (while looking balefully at me like I'd done it on purpose) then went on to explain that the radio aerial leaked, which means that every time it rains, my immobiliser basically fills up with water. Which means the car won't go anywhere.

Anyway, this has dragged on all week. I simply can't bring myself to go through all the dreary details but it's still not working Luckily the agency I'm freelancing for up in Ricky have been fine with me working from home (they are in the middle of nowhere and almost impossible to get to by public transport which would be about a 4 hour round trip from here). But I'm going slowly mad in the process due to cabin fever.

I think I might need to get a full time job again. Anyone hiring out there?*

* The dull echo of my own voice bouncing back at me from a recession-filled void suggests not.

Bad ad

This is so bad it almost makes me want to smoke again on principle. Almost.

Work ethics

It’s a funny game this freelancing business. When I think back to this time last year at my last agency… I was so overloaded with work, I didn’t get home before 9/10pm most nights. Well, every night. And I’m not slow either. In fact, I thrive under pressure and can write at a rate of knots when it’s down to the wire. On the rare occasions I had nothing to do, I’d water the plants, get the teas in or clean out the library*. I have a low boredom threshold. Or ADD.

I think that’s why one of the few issues I have with freelancing is… boredom. A lot of the time, I’m sat around waiting for something to be briefed in. I’m usually pretty honest about it too – if I have nothing to do I’ll openly let people know in the hope they’ll chuck me something else.

But if I’ve only been at a new gig for a couple of days, I don’t know the agency or the clients well enough to do ‘something’ proactive to fill the time in – or they’re unable (or unwilling) to give me access to info or systems to dig around in, in case I do a runner and take their information with me. Likewise helping out on pitches*.

So, I try and fill these pockets of time as constructively as I can. It’s not exactly good form to curl up with a book… I read industry blogs and news. Check out agency websites. Catch up with the latest creative reviews. Chip away at the corporate website of the client I’m working for. Seek inspiration/new ideas/art/culture/anything. Think about other jobs I’m working on for friends. Or failing that, I update for my blog...

* Apart from the place I was at before Christmas who would cheer and chuck a brief – any brief – at me, including their agency Christmas card and new biz work. I think that’s one of the reasons I like them so much. Trust works both ways…

Venn is recycling a good idea?

A term you sometimes hear in this game is ‘recycling’ but I’m not talking about tin cans or paper. When it comes to ideas, it’s usually a word that’s used instead of ‘nicked’ or ‘stolen’. Or sometimes it’s cloaked as ‘inspiration’.

Now I stumbled across the fabulous and rather clever Venn That Tune a couple of weeks ago. And of course, mentally filed the idea away for future use at some point (as… ahem… inspiration of course). However today I found that some other bugger has beaten me to it.

And again.

And once more for good luck.

Bah.

Guess who's back?

Well I enjoyed giving myself December off so much I extended it into January, before realising that I really should be getting back to work. But my 5 weeks off included a trip to a longhouse in the middle of North Wales, for a jolly Christmas with the boys.

Now when going away with three gentlemen for a week, take care to select your companions carefully. Mine for example, were exemplary. Able to make me dinner*, make me laugh, buy me a lovely watercolour set for Christmas – oh and also quite importantly, able to stop me falling off a mountain (I discovered I may suffer from vertigo, just short of the summit of Snowdon on Boxing Day).

Anyway, currently working for a B2B tech agency so a return to familiar form. Here all this week and they’ve just asked me back for next week too.

Oh, and I bought a new car. Well, a new old car. Good job too. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to get home after Christmas, rescue my Mum from Gatwick airport (long story) or get to work this week.

* AND they cleaned up afterwards. The boys done good.