If you’ve ever asked yourself any of these questions…
“How can I make the leap to being a freelancer?” “What should I do if my job doesn’t rock my world any more?” “How do I find customers, & make them care about my business?” or even: “What am I doing? What is my purpose? What is my mission?”
You’re in the right place.
Let's break out of this joint...
What others are saying
"Another author who is killing it lately with articles. Don't let the fact that he's a Brit dissuade you (ha), his is one of the few newsletters I actually enjoy reading." — Paul Jarvis, best-selling author and designer
"I think you have a gift that can help people face themselves through the uncertainty and turbulence life can be." — Mirtza
Just started reading your book and loving it. I've had a tough few months and know I need to shake it up but there's always a "first I need to do X, Y, Z...what if my decision upsets someone..." getting in the way. — Esther
My story
A few years ago I had a personal meltdown and quit my job, and then spent two months travelling across the USA by train. I was working so hard I didn’t have energy for side projects of my own, and the work I was doing didn’t feel like it mattered any more.
It seems naive now of course, but I thought that travelling would help me find clarity about my life purpose, and shake me free of depression.
When I got back though, the same old questions were waiting for me:
- Who was I? (the real me, not the pretend person on the outside)
- What did I want from life?
Why do I write?
If you’d told me when I left school that one day I’d be spilling my guts out to strangers on the internet, I would have laughed. (I can be pretty quiet sometimes).
But after a decade in the design industry, writing—or thinking in public as I like to call it—seems to be helping me make sense of things.
I haven’t found the answers to my original questions yet.
But I’ve made some important discoveries:
- That it's ok to feel lost (and the people who seem to know what they're doing are often floundering too)
- Fear of perfection doesn't have to hold you back
- Making yourself vulnerable allows people to connect with you
Whatever it is that you’re feeling stuck with, I’m here to help you find your way.
I’m aware this is a longer-than-average page, so I’ll stop typing now.
Thank you for being here,
—James
PS. What’s happening in your life that has brought you to my website? I read every response that comes in, so please click the link and tell me as honestly as you can. On average I reply to 99.461% (or thereabouts) of emails, because connecting with my readers is the best thing about writing for me.
Both photos on this page are by the effervescent Hello Sandwich