Last week, I opened up the blog for question time. Sometimes people have a burning question and they’re too shy to ask so I like to open the floor up. Here’s my answers. It’s a bit of a mixed bag – there’s stuff about hair, careers, books, relationships. Enjoy!
When will the podcast return?
It’s usually a three week break so end of August most likely!
I know you’ve spoken about how you’ve gotten to where you are before, but as a writer and communications person I’ve considered going freelance but am not sure how to build the networks. How did you manage to build your networks that bring in your work?
For me, it’s all about the blog and being mates with other bloggers. It’s also about putting yourself out there. I ask other freelance writers who they write for, who’s good to write for and who’s looking for writers. I’m also extremely professional. I never miss deadlines and I make sure my work is always top notch and that leads to referrals. It’s hard work but it’s all about the hustle when it comes to freelance writing. The blog is a big help as well. They like seeing that a potential writer for their publication has the discipline to self publish several times a week for a decade. I’d start with following lots of freelance writers online, making connections with them, maybe doing a course just to get in front of people and sending out 3 emails a week to publications asking if they accept freelance articles.
A couple of times you’ve casually mentioned that you might be moving to Copenhagen next year – whaaat? Can you tell us more about this? Very exciting!
No news on that yet but it’s still in the pipeline! I’ll keep you all posted.
My question is…can you tell us more about your move out of teaching? I have just left my position due to stress issues. I am doing studies in Special Ed while having a sabbatical, but I am not keen to return to fulltime classroom teaching. Do you think you will ever work as a teacher again, or is that something you are keen to leave in the past?
I’d never say never but it’s not something I can see myself actively pursuing. I have a good relationship with a few schools and I’ve been offered some part-time positions but I’ve had enough work that I haven’t needed to do that. I really loved teaching and sometimes I miss it but freedom is more important to me. If I could teach my students from a beach in Italy, I’d totally do that but I can’t so I do this instead.
How would you feel if you woke up one morning and your hair was no longer curly?
Honestly? I wouldn’t be thrilled. I’d deal with it but big, scrappy hair is my thing. Sometimes it decides to go all flat and wavy for a few years and I don’t love that. Can’t do much about it because it has a life of it’s own but if I had my way I’d go back to when I was about 20 and my hair peaked and it was like a Diana Ross afro. My hair is still pretty rad now but it was freaking awesome back then. I’d been in London for a month and my hair LOVES the hard water. I can’t ever see it going fully straight though – I feel like if I was going to ‘grow out’ of my curls it would have happened by now. When it has its flat years, I grow it long and wear it in scrappy up-dos. If it went fully straight, I’d probably end up doing a mild Amy Winehouse thang. My hair has to be big no matter what.
Backstory – my husband and I went through two unsuccessful rounds of IUI and decided it to go any farther. For physical health reasons, mental health reasons, financial reasons, etc. We are happy with the choice we made. But today’s society makes the ‘mom life’ movement a big thing. If you just wanted to complain about your kids, why’d you have them?? But of course as a person without kids, I can’t dare say that.
Do you find this in Australia also? How do you deal with it?
If you have any other questions, go for it! The forum is still open on questions…
P.S Also you should totally sign up for my newsletter. It’s full of cool stuff.
P.P.S Don’t forget Crochet Coach has a free trial offer period at the moment so make sure you sign up!
12 Comments
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Great post, and thanks for answering the questions!
Would love to hear you guys discuss the child topic on S&C. As someone mid-30s who has chosen not to have kids, I get sick of everyone’s expectations that one day I will – it’s 2017 and still it can’t be accepted that I won’t ‘change my mind’.
Also glad to see Sweet Teen Club is back. 🙂
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Author
Will add that to the list! We’re recording this week!
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Agree that I’d like to hear about that. I haven’t actually listened to the podcast (I think I’m the only person on the planet who isn’t on podcasts–I’ve yet to catch the craze), but I think I would chime in for that one. My husband and I are open to life and even spent several years trying to adopt, but it didn’t work out for us and nothing is happening in the biological realm and we’re perfectly content with however it all goes. People seem to think we should be devastated or trying harder or who knows what. It gets old.
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Author
You’ve got to get into podcasts! They’re so good. It’s so weird when people project their baby stuff on other people. I still haven’t decided if I’m having kids or not but if it turns out I can’t, I won’t be devastated and I won’t spend a house deposit on trying to make it happen.
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Great post! Thanks for letting us all snoop.
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Author
Ha you’re welcome! 🙂
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Ha ha who would have thought the child free thing was such a big conversation point – definitely keen to hear an episode about that too ! Very awesome questions and answers !
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Author
I think for me, I’m not old enough so that not having kids makes people think I’m not going to. If I’m child free and 40, I imagine it will be a much bigger thing.
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Can you let me know what kind of hair pins you use for pinning up please? I have curly hair & need some volume at the roots!!
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Author
I used similar ones to this and I lift the roots and clip them up. Will do a post on it soon! https://www.aliexpress.com/popular/steel-hair-clips.html
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Thank you for the reply, I will definitely be giving these a try along with your other suggestions I have read on Bali.
With regards to child free, we have 1 son, by choice, but I also feel judged for not having had more. We have also had the insensitive comments about him being lonely, spoilt etc.
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Author
People are so weird about only children! If I have children, there will only be one.
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What true crime books would you recommend I read next? (just finished the stranger beside me and a mother’s reckoning)
Anything by Paul B Kidd. We Need To Talk About Kevin, not true crime but a bloody good read. 19 Minutes by Jodi Piccoult is similar to Kevin. I’m half way through Devil In The White City which I’m really liking. I also read Dexter Darkly Dreaming (fiction) and that was a fun romp. I also thoroughly enjoyed Little Big Lies. Joe Cinque’s Consolation is also good but probably only if you live or are from Canberra.