Category: career


Blogversation 2012: How do you set up your workspace?

Blogversation 2012: How do you set up your workspace?

Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation here and on their blogs — asking questions of each other and responding. Others are absolutely welcome to join the conversation, as well. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012. Today’s question comes from Lesley Ware,  www.thecreativecookie.net. On Twitter, Lesley is @creativecookie. For as long as I can remember…

Blogversation 2012: Perfection vs Perfunctory – Which Is Better?

Blogversation 2012: Perfection vs Perfunctory – Which Is Better?

Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation here and on their blogs — asking questions of each other and responding. Others are absolutely welcome to join the conversation, as well. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012. Today’s question comes from Lauren McCabe, mermaidchronicles.com, @mermaidtales on Twitter: Perfection vs Perfunctory – Which Is Better? This is…

Whitney Houston's sad story, which we've heard many times before

Whitney Houston's sad story, which we've heard many times before

From Jim Morrison to Michael Jackson, from Janis Joplin to Amy Winehouse, perhaps the saddest part of Whitney Houston’s death is that she’s hardly the first great talent to burn hot and flame out. So many people have already written smarter, better informed pieces about Whitney’s rise and fall than I could ever hope to touch, so I’ll just point…

Blogversation 2012: Some highlights so far

Blogversation 2012: Some highlights so far

Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation here and on their blogs — asking questions of each other and responding. Others are absolutely welcome to join the conversation, as well. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012. The Blogversation kicked off a month ago and in case you haven’t followed the conversation, this is a recap…

Should you really do what you love?

Should you really do what you love?

I like contrarian advice — not that I always agree with the devil’s advocate view, but I think it’s useful to challenge conventional wisdom and reconsider whether you still believe it’s true. For example: Do you really need to drink eight glasses of water a day? Is eight hours of sleep best for you? Should all couples be monogamous? Are…

Blogversation 2012: Do you make New Year's resolutions?

Blogversation 2012: Do you make New Year's resolutions?

Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation here and on their blogs — asking questions of each other and responding. Others are absolutely welcome to join the conversation, as well. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012. I like using the calendar as a prompt in my life. I’m a big fan of birthdays, and I…

Blogversation 2012: How and why did you become a blogger?

Blogversation 2012: How and why did you become a blogger?

Throughout this year, several bloggers will engage in a conversation here and on their blogs — asking questions of each other and responding. Learn more about the ladies of Blogversation 2012. I first started blogging in 2006 with a limited goal: We were going to spend a month subletting a New York City apartment, giving us a chance to test…

Kicking off Blogversation 2012 — join the conversation

Kicking off Blogversation 2012 — join the conversation

In the three years I’ve been blogging here, I’ve been grateful for the opportunity to write regularly and to get to know topics and people that inspire me. Even more so, I’ve loved the chance to engage in conversations about those topics and people. Ages ago, when I was a young newspaper reporter, writing was mostly a one-way process. Occasionally…

Is the sagging economy leading people to entrepreneurship?

Is the sagging economy leading people to entrepreneurship?

I recall hearing a story years ago that one of the drivers of the technology revolution and dot-com boom was the hard economy of the 1980s — facing shaky job prospects, the best and brightest were more inclined to strike out on their own and innovate instead of serving corporate bosses. I haven’t seen data proving the recession forced people…

New Orleanians work to restore and reinvent their city after Katrina

New Orleanians work to restore and reinvent their city after Katrina

This spring I wrote a freelance story for LSA Magazine at University of Michigan, profiling several Michigan grads working to reinvent New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005, followed by the catastrophic failure of the city’s levees, flooding much of the city and turning Katrina into the costliest natural disaster in American history. Elsewhere, time is measured…

Amanda Hirsch's easy 10-step plan to being an artist

Amanda Hirsch's easy 10-step plan to being an artist

Earlier this week I shared advice Ira Glass gave to beginning storytellers. Here’s a follow up from my Brooklyn pal, Amanda Hirsch, who wrote a tongue-in-cheek 10-step plan to being an artist. You get the idea when you read Step 1: Refuse to do the work. Avoid it at all costs. If you want to write, you should instead check…