Taking time off when you’re a freelancer

by Robyn Roste As a freelancer, taking time off from work can be a scary thought. What if an inquiry comes in while you’re away and you miss out on a great opportunity? What if there’s a client emergency and you let them down? And what if you go on vacation and then have no […]

Posted on June 17, 2022 at 8:30 pm by editor · One Comment · Tagged with: 

A note from the departing Story Board editor

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly a decade, but I became the editor of Story Board in July of 2012. I was fully freelance at that point, fitting writing assignments in between snack time, loads of laundry, school drop-offs, and all of the other work involved in raising two small children. Now, after nearly […]

Posted on January 3, 2022 at 10:25 am by editor · 3 Comments · Tagged with: , , ,

The Born Freelancer Tackles an Age-old Prejudice

This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.   Ageism. It’s probably the last great prejudice allowed to promulgate without challenge. Indeed, if attempts are ever made to reproach its […]

Posted on November 10, 2021 at 4:38 pm by editor · One Comment · Tagged with: , , ,

The Born Freelancer Takes a Good Look at Taking a Good Look

This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? We’d love to hear from you in the comments. The single greatest asset we freelancers possess is our own good health. Without it we can’t work. If we can’t work, we’re […]

Posted on September 16, 2021 at 8:35 pm by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , , , , ,

The Born Freelancer on Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone: Busting The Myth

This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.   Some of the most frequently accepted words of advice in the many self-help books I have read — designed to bolster […]

Posted on May 27, 2021 at 8:41 pm by editor · One Comment · Tagged with: , , ,

The Born Freelancer Stays Focused

This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.   One of the most frequent complaints I hear from non-freelancers during this pandemic is, “I just can’t stay focused on anything”. […]

Posted on April 1, 2021 at 6:00 pm by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , , , ,

The 5-Minute Freelancer Q&A #44 — Francesca Bianco

In this regular feature, Story Board asks Canadian freelancers to share a few details about their work habits and their strategies for navigating the ups and downs of freelance life. Francesca Bianco is a Canadian freelance writer currently living in Germany. Her Maisonneuve feature “The Hand That Feeds You,” which is about the impact of the pandemic on migrant farm workers […]

The Born Freelancer Reflects on Reviews

This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.   September. For some, a beginning – or return – to school. (This year being more of a headache than most, thanks […]

Posted on September 17, 2020 at 8:13 pm by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , ,

Are you having a CERB summer?

by Steven Threndyle  It will soon be Labour Day and, as the vast majority of public health officials predicted back in March, COVID-19 is still going strong. One thing that will end is the $2000 per month Canadian Emergency Relief Benefit (CERB), a massive injection of federal money that was dispensed to just about any […]

Posted on August 19, 2020 at 1:00 pm by editor · LEAVE A COMMENT · Tagged with: , , ,

Freelancers face new challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic

by Monte Stewart This is part two in a series on the ways that Canadian freelancers are weathering COVID-19. Read part one right here.   Lesley Evans Ogden shares her home office with a pet bird. Her feathered friend was there even before the coronavirus struck. But now the Vancouver-area freelancer, who specializes in science […]

Posted on May 11, 2020 at 6:53 pm by editor · One Comment · Tagged with: ,