Andrea McArthur 30/4/12 Andrea McArthur 30/4/12

Organise Me: Creative, Inc Review

By Andy McArthur

Creative, Inc The Ultimate Guide to Running a Successful Freelance Business

Creative, Inc is a little how to guide for freelancers, written by two knowledgeable freelance creatives Meg Mateo Ilasco author of Craft, Inc and Joy Deangdeelert Cho ‘Oh Joy’, a professional blogger.

Creative, Inc was first published back in 2010 (so some of you may have this one already stashed at home), however I have only just recently stumbled upon it, but once I did I quickly read it cover to cover. Stumbling through setting up a freelance business is interesting to say the least, with this book there is a starting point for you to know exactly what you are jumping into.

At first sight, Creative, Inc has been designed specifically for it’s demographic to pick up - it’s small, unassuming and beautifully designed with 2 colour illustrations throughout. The information is broken down into bite sized chapters with lots of interviews with successful freelancers scattered through for added insight (probably my favourite part of the book). It is written from a realists perspective and doesn’t use a lot of colourful adjectives. What it does give you are the facts you need to make it through the maze of freelance, if that’s what you want (assessing what you want is also written about).

From an organisation perspective some of the best advise I have read lately has been in this book. Right from Chapter 1 you are given small pieces of gold. Chapter 1 includes the 9 qualities a successful freelancer should have. Then there are useful tips about setting up your office/studio space and further into the book the topic of juggling children and freelance is briefly covered.

Creative, Inc is not just a read for graphic designers as there are a wide variety of freelancers profiled: sole proprietors, partners, a husband-and-wife team, agents, illustrators, photographers and even an accountant shares their experience about freelancing.

The great thing about the book is that it’s realistic. Yes, the hours are crazy and you’ll put in a lot, yes, the money juggling is a constant issue, but it’s also inspiring, reading insights into what can work for people and how they got their start.

Last word and impressions

Creative, Inc is a little pocket rocket full of freelance goodness. It doesn’t provide you with all of the answers so you will need to delve deeper into certain aspects and asking fellow creatives who are out there doing it is always invaluable and I think preferable to reading it out of a book.

As an Australian creative a lot of the business and financial information contained in the book is not relevant. But apart from this if you are a creative deciding if freelancing is for you I would highly recommend grabbing yourself a copy to start you on the road to freelance…

P.S. There is a list of great resources at the back of the book.

For more information on Creative, Inc: Chronicle Books

Andrea McArthur has a passion for all things visual and a soft spot for organisation. Type is her true love and goes weak at the knees over beautiful design. Andrea works as a freelance graphic designer in Brisbane by day and lectures in graphic design by night. You will find her sharing design related goodness via @andyjane_mc

Andrea McArthur 10/4/12 Andrea McArthur 10/4/12

Organise Me: Top 5 Productivity Tips

By Andrea McArthur

Productivity - noun 1. The state or quality of producing something. 2. The effectiveness of productive effort, as measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of input.

Like most creatives you are probably so busy that time passes you by and you wonder where all of your time went. Or you may find yourself constantly sacrificing your personal life in order to stay on top of your work commitments. At the same time you are probably questioning how others manage to stay productive, and why it looks so easy to those organised folk.

It turns out that setting goals, effective time management and discipline are key to giving yourself more quality time. Recently, I broke the silence and asked two busy creatives (who are as equally organised as they are busy) what their secret is to being and staying productive in their professional lives.

Meet the creatives: Jen Clark, Melbourne A design director and owner of Melbourne design studio Jen Clark Design, Jen Clark has over 15 years experience in all aspects of graphic design, specialising in branding and web design for new and existing businesses. @JenClarkDesign www.jenclarkdesign.com.au

Tanya Ruxton, Sydney A creative type with over 12yrs experience, working as the Head of Teaching, Shillington College, Australia. With a love for organisation, Tanya has run many creative side projects in her spare time, as well as her own graphic design business. @wearemessengers http://wearemessengers.com

Several tips reappeared in Jen and Tanya's answers - these tips appear to be the most universally recognised and most commonly adopted between organised folk. Following are their combined all time top 5 tips for productivity.

1. To-do Lists Manage tasks by keeping and writing lists. Andy's tip: Complete basic tasks as they arise. Jen's tip: The best time to make a list is often when you have the least time to write one. Tan's tip: Write a new list every day or every second day to keep on track.

2. Schedule blocks of time Plan your day in "blocks" (much like Hugh Grant in "About a Boy"). Plan ahead whenever possible by mapping out project deadlines for the following weeks or months ahead. Andy's tip: Keep an up to date calendar. Jen's tip: Set mini-deadlines throughout the day. Tan's tip: Be committed and don't get distracted.

3. Working space Create a comfortable working environment that you enjoy being in and that inspires you. This includes getting dressed as if you were heading to the office if you work from home. Andy's tip: Ergonomics work. Jen's tip: Your space influences your work, it can invoke feelings of vitality, energy and motivation. Tan's tip: Be comfortable, invest in a good chair. Declutter - tidy desk, tidy day.

4. Be realistic Secretly thinking we are Superwoman and can do it all doesn't always work. When opportunities arise communicate your current commitments and capabilities to clients. This will ensure you are not overbooking yourself or feeling overstretched or compromised on time. Andy's tip: You can not always say yes. Jen's tip: Be honest. Tan's tip: Don't over promise. Get a freelancer to help out.

5. Take breaks: When you work solo it can be very easy to work right through the day and night. However by establishing a routine and taking breaks you'll be less likely to procrastinate and find you are more reinvigorated to continue. Seriously taking a break can refresh your mind, your soul and your eyes. Andy's tip: Routine - 10am coffee, 12.30 lunch, 3pm stretch. Jen's tip: Time away from the desk is important. Don't get caught up in the lure of the immediate. Tan's tip: Enjoy your lunch break.

A big thankyou to Jen and Tanya for their sharing their top productivity tips (there are more to come). Now that we have demystified some of those efficient working habits we are a step closer to becoming one of those elusive, productive, organised folk.

TES 5/3/12 TES 5/3/12

Organise Me: Backing up - don't invite trouble in

By Andy McArthur As a freelancer, being professional and productive is key to enjoying success. I must admit that as I write each post here, I am definitely writing from my own experiences. I along side you am going to strive to be more efficient and make this year a productive one by getting the basics sorted. In this month's post I'm looking at workflow by implementing a safe backing up system.

So I know that the subject of backing up is fairly dry and kudos that most people have this sorted, but it is fresh on my mind. I have recently started freelancing and I work from a main "work horse" computer. Unfortunately my work horse broke its back and passed away early last week. Panic struck as I fumbled around trying to continue working, RIP computer. On the positive side, hurray for shiny new iMacs and recoverable hard drives.

I heard a great analogy this week via '(Freelance) Tips Learned From Top Tennis Players'. One of the pieces of wisdom was in regard to backing up:

"Ever look at a tennis match and not see the players with at least five other racquets in their bags?… There is an easy answer to this, it’s because they always have to be prepared! Anything can happen on the court."

Take from this the need to always be prepared.

When things go wrong you need an emergency system already in place to get you out of trouble. I urge you to stop and think about what would happen if your computer was to have serious problems, or the App you are using crashed or your house was to have an unexpected fire (with no one hurt of course). Would you be able to continue working? Would you be able to continue invoicing or using your emails? It's time to make sure you backup everything that is NECESSARY, then backup, backup and backup some more.

Thankfully at the time my computer crashed I had already implemented a 1.5TB external drive with Mac's Time Machine running constantly in the background. This meant that when my main computer was out for repairs I could plug in my backup drive and use the files from my last backup on my laptop. Unfortunately I had recently installed new programs such as an invoicing system which I hadn't yet begun to backup or install on my laptop. Fail. To counteract this I would make sure you have all of you program licensing details in a safe location off your computer (and on email) so that you can reinstall programs if necessary. Also if a program you are using has an inbuilt automated backup system, use it. This also got me thinking about emails: are they safe? If you use POP (Post office protocol) to access your email, you can always access it with another mail program if you have it set up.

After a little bit of research and asking other designers how they tackle the challenge that is "Backup", I discovered that a large proportion of people are now using "Cloud" (online) storage services. With Cloud storage you are able to save your current local data in the Cloud (off-site) and access those files from other computers (with internet access). Too easy. There are many Cloud facilities available online.

So, this month, let's all resolve to backup and stay productive.

Andrea McArthur has a passion for all things visual. Type is her true love and goes weak over great design. After being a graphic designer for many years she has switched hats to become an educator of graphic design and enjoys watching others fall in love with design too. From January this year Andrea has switched hats again starting her solo freelance design business in Brisbane.