"Every piece crafted by hand carries the beating heart of its creator, embedding stories and dreams into every fiber; such is the intimate dance between artisans and their art." — Lila Emerson

"In a world dominated by machines, the touch of human hands in craft is akin to whispering secrets into the future; it embodies passion, imperfection, and soul that no algorithm can replicate." — Leila Torres

"Craft is the silent ambassador of cultural heritage; it speaks in the language of hands and heart, molding dreams into tangible existence." — Ananya Jain

This week our freelancers meet up is in the Lord Nelson pub, Brighton. We'll be there Wednesday from 7pm - 11pm, please join us! We talk all things client handling, tax, marketing yourself, and a fair amount of nonsense too.

Last week: https://www.brightonfarm.com/2025/meeting-notes-20250723/

Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/cvx8bVp8Aj6C379e9

"Craftsmanship is the poetry of the hands, speaking in a language woven from passion and persistence. In every handmade creation, there’s a story where creativity meets opportunity for those bold enough to listen." — Mia Cortland

#Craftsmanship #Artisan #MakerCulture #Creativity #Handmade #Freelancing #Entrepreneurship #Passion #Opportunity

"Creativity unlocks the soul of an artisan, where each handmade piece becomes a chapter in the storybook of human endeavor and entrepreneurial spirit."

— Lila Kassidy

"Every creation of the hand is a dance between tradition and innovation; it's where passion translates skill into magic for those who dare to believe in their craft." — Isabelle Maquis

#MexicoNews
#México ¿ya te enteraste de esta #noticia?
¿CUÁNTO COBRO POR MI TRABAJO? #freelancing #cuantocobro #finanzaspersonales https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Lfuu5t_C8rs

"Crafting with our hands, we not only forge objects but also shape the soul of a business in its most authentic form." – Unknown

“I had no experience, no fancy resume, and my Upwork profile looked like a ghost town…
But I still got hired. And paid.”

If you're just starting on freelancing platforms and feel invisible, this guide is for you.
I walk through everything I did to get my first client — the emails, the pitch, and even the awkward mistakes.

Learn how to get noticed (and paid) as a total beginner:
https://www.tolearn.space/2025/07/how-i-landed-my-first-freelance-client.html

If you're a fellow translator, writer, or other creative freelancer, you should have a peek!

From improving your LinkedIn posts and getting paid on time, to protecting your data, there's something for everyone.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/4-ways-simplify-your-freelance-life-claudia-kozeny-pelling--o6zje/

#FreeLancing any suggestions on what to do when a client is insisting on using copyrighted album art for their own poster?

Have already said I wouldn't use it and tried to come up with a lookalike using legit sources but they say they still prefer the album art.

This week's freelance question is: How long should your initial consultation be?

I used to let prospective clients have as long as they want, and travel to their offices. Many people abused this, so I now offer 30 minutes, remote-only (down from 60 minutes).

Fellow freelancers: How long do you let prospective clients have for free?

https://www.phpdeveloper.org.uk/how-long-should-your-initial-consultation-be/

Tomorrow we're having a freelancers meet up in the Lord Nelson pub, Brighton. Want to chat with a nice bunch of people who understand your stresses? Come along, we're very friendly! We'll be there 7pm - 11.

Last week: https://www.brightonfarm.com/2025/meeting-notes-20250709/

Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/cvx8bVp8Aj6C379e9

For the @brightonfarm blog, I wrote about watching out for when you should change what you're doing as a freelancer - https://www.brightonfarm.com/2025/when-to-stop-and-change-what-youre-doing/

Job seekers "feel unable to stand out, knowing that hundreds if not thousands of other applicants had almost identical CVs, and had likely produced very similar cover letters with the help of AI."

Recruiters are "bemoaning that so many applications fit the bill so precisely that they don’t know how to filter them."

Highly educated young people (even those with STEM subjects, it seems) spend months applying for hundreds of jobs, often unsuccessfully.

And because people's cover letters and CVs now look so similar, "personal connections" are becoming more significant again when job hunting.

Nepotism, anyone?

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/jul/13/student-debt-graduates-share-job-hunting-woes-ai-fallout

#TIL about @sepheo;

"... stands for "Self-Employed People Helping Each Other"…​ that’s the basic idea. We are a society run by freelancers for freelancers, providing a platform for skills exchange.

We are self-funded and organise democratically and accountably using co-operative principles. Our founding inspiration is the solidarity economy. Our vision is to support collaboration with and creation of aligned organisations."

https://sepheo.co/

Freelancers! Are you ready to embrace the future with AI? Discover how the latest AI tools can revolutionize your workflow in 2025. Let's discuss how we can collectively harness technology for better productivity and innovation. Share your insights! #AI #OpenSource #Freelancing #TechCommunity

Ah, the weekend beginneth.

I have ingredients to make lentil soup and yoghurt, which I'm super happy about (will probably eat those separately, especially since I'm going to make vanilla flavoured yoghurt). My mood has been low lately, so I'm trying to boost my poor depleted microbiome...

Tomorrow is the usual shopping day with Dad and then mostly at home, since I've got a fair bit of freelance stuff to catch up on, plus the endless PhD edits. I know they will end eventually but I've done the easy-to-do bits and now there's the actually-changing-stuff bits. More effort required = more procrastination. Pretty sure there's a direct correlation between those. Maybe I'll procrastinate by seeing if anyone has written a paper on that.

Tonight I'm putting aside some time to write emails to two friends plus I need to organise a catchup with another friend next week. I said this week wasn't great because I was busy but it occurs to me that next week could well be busier, but also... that is a recurring theme so I am just going to make a date and fit it in because otherwise there is no time for excellent friend chats (and good chats are life, aren't they?)

Ended the workweek on a high by booking a week of holidays in September. I'm planning to travel to Perth and see my favourite Perthlings, plus the Terracotta Warriors, hooray!

This week's freelance question is: What are your niches and how did you find them?

For me they are:

Sector: IT for financial services
Programming language: PHP
Type of work: Bespoke/legacy applications
Working arrangement: Retainer-based

Though not all of my work falls into my niche (I'll happily take work outside it - I'm a coin-operated monkey at the end of the day).

Full details in blog post:

https://www.phpdeveloper.org.uk/what-are-your-niches-and-how-did-you-find-them/