On Tuesday night, as a belated gift for my 30th birthday, my brother Luke took me to the Steve Earle concert at Hoyt Sherman Place. Steve Earle is a legendary country/folk/blues/rock guitarist, and he recently released an album of songs that were written by the late Townes Van Zandt. At first I was skeptical about going to this concert. It was a beautiful night, and I was reluctant to spend it indoors. I didn’t know much about Steve Earle or his music, and I don’t listen to much music these days because I’m insanely busy (married, homeowner, father to a 1-year-old baby, working 1.5...

I recently turned 30. There’s no denying that it’s a milestone of sorts, and it’s prompted me to think back on some of the great life experiences that have brought me to this point. So here is a list of some of the best days of my first thirty years, in no particular order: The Day I met my Wife: Every romantic relationship is a kind of miracle. I sometimes think back on the years when I was single, and I remember thinking, “I’m never going to find someone,” and then one day, somehow, I did. I think about that sometimes – my wife and I have been married for...

As far as I can tell, people hire freelancers for one (or more) of the following reasons: They need to do something that they don’t know how to do. They need to do something that they don’t have time to do. They need an extra set of eyes on a project – one additional perspective or external validation. They need something done faster than they can do it themselves. They need something done better than they can do it themselves. I try to think of my clients’ projects as “problem situations.” The work that I do is not just about “writing,” per se –...

It’s been a busy week. I’ve been up until midnight the past three nights in a row, working on two freelance projects. The first project was some editing/re-writing for some literature to accompany a new photography exhibit at the Denver Contemporary Art Museum. It’s a photography exhibit by the artist Kevin O’Connell, who has taken some amazing photos of utility scale wind farms – his photos show the immediate reality of windmills and demonstrate how they relate to the surrounding landscapes. The second was a grant writing project for a public health project in Edmonton,...

I’ve recently made a few changes in my life that have greatly improved my outlook on the world. They include: Started waking up 45 minutes earlier. I’ve never been much of an early bird, but lately I’ve somehow managed to start my day at 7:15 a.m. (or even earlier!) I think the baby is mainly to thank/blame for this change – his sleep schedule pretty much dictates ours. Being up earlier allows me to change the baby’s first diaper of the day, take a more leisurely shower, and eat pancakes at the dining room table instead of scarfing a granola bar at my desk. I hope I can...

I freelance because I have a passion for writing. Ever since I was three years old, when I dictated a story about talking, dancing vegetables to my grandmother (she wrote down the words, I drew the pictures), writing has been a constant part of my life. I love to put words together on the page. I love to search for clarity, meaning and insight through the power of the written word. I freelance because I have a hunger for freedom in my career. I believe that we are on the cusp of major changes in the workplace, where anyone with the right skills can work from anywhere. Instead of driving to a specific...