Kailey Pagano, Author at Creative Circle

Freelancing isn’t just a side hustle anymore — it can be your full-time job (and a lucrative one, too!). As of January 2024, there are an estimated 76.4 million freelancers in the United States, and ~40% of them freelance full-time. To back that up, we asked our creative community how many freelance hours they log each week. The response? 36% are leveraging freelance work as their main income stream.

It’s clear that creatives are consciously opting for the freelance path, and for good reason. We asked two of our seasoned recruiters, Elizabeth Calabrese and Jayce Reyes, how to thrive as a full-time freelancer. Here’s what they had to say:

Freedom, Flexibility, and Self-Management

Being a freelancer means you’re the captain of your own ship, the CEO of your freelance business. “You can decide when and where you work. Your freelance hours can flex around your personal needs, plus, there’s a lot of opportunities to work remote,” says Elizabeth.

Picture this: You’re putting the finishing touches on your latest design project, sipping hot coffee in your work-from-home attire (we’ll let you decide what that looks like) while the rest of the 9–5ers are still stuck in rush hour traffic just to get to the office.

And can you do this full-time? Yep! But you’ll likely need to pick up multiple part-time gigs. And doing this well requires organization, clear communication, and time management.

Elizabeth stresses the importance of project management. “When juggling part-time gigs, find a method that works for you. It could be splitting up your days per client, or creating time blocks for each client each day.” Elizabeth suggests looking into project management tools to help manage your workload across clients. If you need somewhere to start, our Creative Circle favorite is Asana.

Diverse Portfolio and Higher Pay

Freelancing full-time enables you to diversify your portfolio relatively quickly.

When hiring managers see your comprehensive range — from web design to content writing to social media management — they’ll perceive greater value, making you a highly sought after candidate.

Jayce Reyes shares that the most in-demand skills he’s seeing at the moment are “technical skills related to digital platforms, coding, and specialized software.” He reminds us to never undervalue soft skills. “Effective communication, time management, and adaptability are universally valued across industries,” says Jayce. Freelancers should consider gigs in fields with growing demand, such as digital marketing, data analysis, or user experience design.

But don’t just diversify your skills — explore different industries, too.

Jayce explains how experience in multiple verticals can be particularly advantageous when trying to make more money. “Freelancers can strategically seek out opportunities in specific verticals that have higher demand for their skills and offer greater compensation.” He adds, “Find the industry that calls to you and take on gigs there. Becoming an industry-specific expert can enable you to command higher rates due the specialized nature of your services.”

When setting wage expectations, consider each project’s scope, complexity, and the value you provide. Decide on a pricing structure (hourly, per-project, or retainer) that aligns with your work style and your financial goals. Jayce says, “It’s crucial to periodically reassess your rates as your experience and market demand evolve.”

To access detailed salary breakdowns for creative, marketing, and tech roles, check out our salary guide.

Link Arms with a Recruiter

One of the biggest challenges freelancers face is finding consistent work. And when you’re freelancing full-time, the work needs to keep flowing. That’s where a trusted recruiter comes in — they know you better than your favorite coffee shop barista!

Recruiters do the heavy lifting to find relevant openings, make client intros, and negotiate the best rates on your behalf. At Creative Circle, our connections with top companies get your resume in front of the right people and provide you access to positions that aren’t posted anywhere else. Plus, when you work with us, you’re on our payroll. So, you can immediately cross “send invoice” off that to-do list in your new project management tool 😉.

We’re Here to Help

With great freedom comes great responsibility. Managing every aspect of your freelance business — setting schedules, constant communication, meeting deadlines, client satisfaction, invoicing — can be overwhelming, but Creative Circle is here to help you. If you’re interested in dipping your toes in the gig economy or are ready to dive into freelancing full-time, connect with us here! And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Do you have any matchmakers in your life? We do — in fact, dozens of them! Their professional title is “recruiter”, but metaphorically speaking, we think of them as Cupid.

To us, each arrow in Cupid’s quiver represents an essential recruiter skill: analyzing resumes, interviewing, negotiation, patience, empathy, and listening. Cupid’s wings symbolize the express transport our candidates and clients ride on when working with our recruiters — an expedited job and talent search.

We sat down with our most tenured recruiter, Jennifer Marshall, to walk through some of the steps involved in her 20+ years of matchmaking success.

1. Understanding Wants and Needs

Recruiters work closely with employers to understand their requirements, including job descriptions, skills, experience levels, and any specific qualifications or certifications needed for the positions. But it goes deeper than that. When working regularly with an employer, recruiters gain a deep understanding of what makes a candidate the right “fit” for them. Recruiters use this expertise to home in on specific qualities that align with the employer’s needs and assess if they would mesh well with the existing team.

Sure, the candidate enjoys long walks on the beach… but if the conversation isn’t great along the way, the match is not a good one. After all, the number one reason employees leave their job is due to a lack of connection with the company culture.

Jenn says, “It’s a mix of experience and vibes, so the more you can get to know your client and candidate, the easier it is to get a sense of what will click. Resumes tell part of the story but personality, desires, goals — these things aren’t on there. Building strong relationships with both parties truly levels up the entire matchmaking process.”

2. Making the Match

Recruiters find candidates through various methods, including job boards, online platforms like LinkedIn, and internal databases. But the real diamonds are often in referrals. Jenn estimates that about 60% of her matches come from referrals within her network.

Like online dating apps, the algorithms can work…sometimes. But, odds are the date you land with your friend’s friend will go better than the one with the guy or gal on Tinder.

Jenn says the recruiter/candidate/client relationship is what sets recruiters apart from AI algorithms. “I’ve placed candidates on jobs they would have never originally considered!” She shared a story about how she recently called a candidate she has known for years with a role that was completely outside of her industry experience. The candidate went for it and got offered the job — an AI bot would never have led her there.

Opening yourself up to something that doesn’t have the surface-level traits you thought you wanted can be pretty eye-opening.

3. Setting Up the Date (Interview)

Recruiters play a crucial role in helping candidates prepare for interviews. They share essential details about the interview process and can offer tips and techniques to excel. The reassurance and support a recruiter provides can help candidates feel more comfortable and confident going in.

Jenn offers two pieces of interview advice to candidates and clients:

“It’s imperative that candidates research the company they’re interviewing with beforehand, and that knowledge should be displayed in the questions they ask. Candidates should express interest in what the company does, even if they’re not that interested.”

“Clients should remember that not every candidate gives good interviews. And, good interviewers aren’t always the best employees. Make sure to look beyond the surface.”

Full Disclosure

Recruiters get compensated when a candidate works a job through them. It’s how they make a living! So, if there is anyone on this Earth (other than you) who wants to find you the perfect match, it’s your recruiter.

Simple logos are everywhere. Corporate giants like Pepsi, HBO Max, and Johnson&Johnson simplified their logos in 2023 as part of a larger rebrand. In 2022, we saw GSK, Nākd, and Buick make a big shift toward minimalistic designs.

And then of course, there’s Pringles. Back in 2020, Mr. Pringle went bald, and his mustache turned to flat black. It completely divided the internet!

So, do consumers like it?

Social media posts like this one, lamenting the standardization and simplification of the Super Bowl logos, have been circulating for several years. Graphic artists, in particular, don’t seem all that inspired by the designs.

Veronica Fuentes, a digital marketing manager in Los Angeles, says, “There’s a fine line between brand recognition and creativity. We must never sacrifice one for the other.”
Lorit Queller, a content manager in Los Angeles, suggests big recognizable brands (like the NFL) have an opportunity to make their logos unique and fun.
Ernest Esterne, a graphic designer in West Palm Beach, ardently states that “creativity died in 2011.”

If consumers feel that the evolution to minimal logos is boring, why are corporations so tied to the trend?

Brand Recognition: Cutting Through the Noise

Simplifying a logo makes it easier to recognize, according to Blue Text Marketing Agency. A clean and simple design stands out in a complex and cluttered digital environment. Bold and well-defined shapes, minimal colors, and clear typography grab attention quickly and are easier to recall.

Adaptability: We Live in a Digital World

Before the digital era, logos were seen in entirely different contexts (billboards, newspapers, packaging). “The world now operates from the palm of our hands; we’re working on smaller screens with smaller real-estate,” says LinkedIn’s Digital Marketing Leader Jennifer Buntin. From small mobile devices to large desktop monitors, logos designed with clean lines and minimal details can easily be scaled up or down without losing their visual impact or legibility.

Timeless Quality: Leaves Room for Change

By eliminating unnecessary details and complexities, minimalistic logos can transcend passing design trends and maintain a timeless appeal. Additionally, such logos are less likely to be tied to specific products, giving brands some flexibility to change services over time. Unless you’re McDonald’s. Their giant French fry logo (bent into the shape of an “M”) is arguably the most timeless and more famous than its actual menu. Can you imagine McDonald’s without the Golden Arches?

What do you think? Are simple corporate logos a smart and timeless move, or does this trend suppress creativity and make it harder for brands to stand out? Join the conversation on LinkedIn!

Is your creativity tap running dry? Keep the juices flowing with these five suggestions from our talent network.

They say “creativity knows no bounds” … or does it? We love the days when our imagination takes flight: words flow freely onto the page and designs fall into place perfectly. But what about the days when they don’t?

If your creativity tap is running a little dry lately, you’re not alone. We asked our talent network to share their top tricks to stay inspired — here’s what they had to say, plus a few of our own ideas mixed in. Consider these suggestions to keep the juices flowing!

Study and appreciate the work of others.

Making time to analyze other creative work — be it through reading, exploring hashtags on social, or visiting a museum — can help you discover new techniques, styles, and perspectives that enrich your own work.

Jeff Cunnigham, a lifelong storyteller, writer, and editor in Hampton, Virginia, shared “To me, creativity is a lot like a bank account: every time I sit to create, I’m making a withdrawal. Reading, I’m making a deposit. Too many withdrawals without corresponding deposits, and I’m over drafting on myself.”

Take time for yourself.

When we don’t take time for ourselves, our creativity suffers. Many creatives shared that they make time to enjoy hobbies completely unrelated to their work, such as exercise, daily meditation, travel, or stepping into nature.

Kim Matthews, freelance editor and writer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, says “self-care enhances creative stamina, flexibility, and resilience — and the ability to solve problems as a result.”

Jessica Befera, art manager at FCI Brands, says “sometimes great ideas and creative solutions come when we’re in rest mode.” She notes that conscious resting and rejuvenating is key, rather than “doomscrolling.”

Find a creative community.

Creating by yourself can feel a bit lonely and boring. Consider immersing yourself in a network of people who are creating too! Explore Dribbble and Behance to get started. And when you’re ready, give Reddit a try — Reddit houses a large range of creative communities, where you can share your work, ask for feedback, and find inspiration.

Maintain an idea log or design journal.

Don’t lose sight of the ideas that wake you up from sleep at 2 a.m., or the ideas that spontaneously pop into your head while you’re in the grocery line or sitting in traffic. Write them down in a dedicated log that you have easy, constant access to; we suggest a small notebook or a note tab on your smartphone. The action of writing down your ideas forces you to think more deeply about them. Then, when you’re in need of some inspiration, scroll back through your notes and see where your ideas take you.

Dan Milbourne, a creative director and graphic designer in Philadelphia, PA, says he puts pen to paper before even washing the sleep out of his eyes. “I spend 10 minutes every morning drawing what comes to mind.” Noting that the outcome doesn’t matter, the pen just needs to move. Dan adds “Once it’s out, it’s out! Move on.” That’s his motto.

Change your environment.

Is there a two-day old coffee mug pushed off to the side of your desk (we know, we do it too), trace crumbs kicking around under your keyboard from a “working lunch,” or a stack of old post-it notes that could probably get tossed? Clean it up! An organized desk isn’t just visually pleasing; it’s also less of a distraction.

Once your desk is tidy, consider sprucing up your space with inspiring elements that reflect your passions: a framed piece of your own artwork, an affirmation or quote that resonates with you, a photo from your favorite vacation, etc.

And when the desk is clean and the vision boards are all hung, but you’re still not feeling inspired, consider taking a day to work somewhere new. Have you heard of the “Coffee Shop Effect”? Research suggests the background noise of clanking plates and the buzz of a coffee machine improves performance on creative tasks. So, if you were looking for permission to indulge in another Café au Lait, consider this it.

To keep up with our creative community, subscribe to our newsletter and follow Creative Circle on LinkedIn. We post polls and conversation starters on trending topics every week!

Three experts tell us how creatives can best position themselves to thrive in this AI era.

AI has already had a monumental impact on creative work — and its evolution is only accelerating. How can creatives best position themselves to thrive in this AI era? What new opportunities does AI present, and what risks should we all be aware of?

To get our finger on the pulse, we brought in three experts for a panel discussion. Meet Andrew, Claire, and Laura! They’re the first panelists to participate in our Conversations with Creatives series. They sat down with us, in front of hundreds of intrigued minds across North America, to discuss their experience using AI in the creative space.

Andrew Morner is an “AI-obsessed” Creative Director at Pillar Marketing Corporation, a full-service digital marketing, design, and mar-tech agency based in Los Angeles. He uses AI in every single project that he works on.

Claire Berlin is currently the Director of Academic Marketing Strategy at Ohio University. Before that, she was working in the tech industry and got her hands on many generative AI tools as they were launching.

Laura Gagliardi is a freelance content designer, currently on contract as a Conversational Designer and Strategist with Verizon. She uses AI to enhance her services and provide a high-quality experience for the end-user.

Here’s what we covered! Click the links to skip to the associated timestamped spot in our insightful hour-long discussion.

How did you evolve your role into an AI-focused position?

Laura started her freelance career as a copywriter. Her role evolved when she began leveraging her education in psychology to shape how companies and brands communicate with their consumers. She used AI to focus on putting humanity behind the robot’s interactions with users.

How do you use AI for marketing-focused projects?

Claire uses AI as a brainstorming tool and often leans on it to kickstart or refine her creative process.

Laura says AI serves as a catalyst for inspiration — she pulls parts and pieces from the responses it generates and builds out her content from there. “AI enables me to be more efficient; it refines my ideas and inspires me,” says Laura. “It’s a muse!”

How are you using AI as a tool to streamline your projects and processes?

Claire uses AI to make the most of her time! Some examples are:

Using AI notetaking tools (Zoom and Google Meet) to do the busy work so she can actively listen during meetings with her clients.
Drafting marketing strategy and frameworks.

How are you using AI in design and creative?

Andrew is using AI to significantly augment his creative process. He uses it for everything from writing email and social media copy to graphic design, researching and auditing organizations, and developing site maps.

“We use it for pretty much every project that we find ourselves working on,” says Andrew. “It’s really augmenting our process in huge ways and it’s becoming the missing piece to a puzzle in a lot of ways.”

He speaks to how “unintuitive” ChatGPT can be and how important descriptive prompts are — it forces him to ask himself “Am I asking it the right question?”. Through trial and error, and a little help from Reddit users, he’s perfected his prompts.

What AI design tools are you using regularly?

Midjourney, Dall-E 3, and Photoshop Generative AI are Andrew’s favorites, but he emphasized how quickly AI evolves and suggested that creatives always keep an eye out for new systems.

How do you use AI as a research tool in marketing strategy?

Claire relies on AI for persona research and learning about unfamiliar audiences. AI systems can outline the things the audience cares about, the language that resonates with them, etc.

“AI is incredibly helpful with persona research! With the proper prompts and guiderails, it can tell you a lot about a specific audience.” says Claire. She’s used it to adapt her content and messaging when targeting less familiar audiences, such as younger generations, c-suite level executives, and medical professionals. She reminds us, however, that it’s not 100% accurate: “It’s a CliffsNotes version and it always needs a second set of eyes.”

How transparent are you with your clients about your use of AI?

Andrew walks his clients through his AI use and process upfront. He makes sure to tell them that it’s a huge value-add to his services because he can build out a campaign calendar in a fraction of the time it would otherwise take (and at a fraction of the cost).

“AI allows us to create more things, at a higher fidelity, in a quicker amount of time,” says Andrew, “…and the outcome is that the client is happier for it.”

What ethical elements should we be mindful of when using this technology?

Quality checking the content that AI is generating for you is essential. Andrew says, “You must be intentional with your use of AI. A quick way to get let go of your job is to submit something that’s completely AI generated and not check it once.”

“Hallucinations are huge problem with AI; it will make up information and be very confident about it,” he adds. Andrew emphasizes that it’s important for AI to not replace the creative thought process. Instead, it should operate like an assistant, and you should always double check the work.

Claire admits that “AI can be scary.” She says, “anything that you input into AI can be spit out for any other user and that’s a little concerning.”

Digital hygiene is critical, our panelists warned. “OpenAI is using everything that’s currently online and anything that’s being fed to it as training data for future instances. Anything that AI knows comes from things that exist,” says Andrew. “It’s only as good as the training data; stay mindful of that.”

Learn More
Our panelists covered many other burning AI questions, including “How do you expect the creative industry to evolve as AI becomes more prevalent”? and ”What tips do you have to help creatives expand their knowledge on AI?”. If you find these conversations intriguing and you’re left wanting more, watch the full discussion from the start and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments. Also, subscribe to our newsletter to stay tuned for future installments of Conversations with Creatives!

Say hello to Pride Month, a rainbow-hued celebration of LGBTQ+ folks. The month-long mix of parades, parties, and pasties reflects incredible social, political, and cultural leaps forward over the last few decades, ushering in a more welcoming environment for all who identify as queer.

Today, it’s common for corporations to acknowledge Pride Month. But for those people who have seen Pride celebrated every June of their lives, mere recognition is no longer enough.

This year’s festivities are shadowed by numerous pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that have passed or been proposed since last June, disproportionately affecting transgender Americans and queer youth. Savvy consumers are paying attention to which brands are true allies 365 days a year and which are just dancing down Rainbow-Washing Way. As corporate Pride campaigns in June have gone mainstream, there is mounting pressure from this newer cadre of consumers to make more tangible, substantial commitments to the LGBTQ+ community.

“One of the biggest pitfalls is when we see companies that only want to have this conversation in June,” shared Jean-Marie Navetta, Director of Learning and Inclusion at PFLAG National, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. “That is problematic because people who are queer are queer every single day and every single month of the year.”

Some of these rainbow-come-June companies have internal policies that discriminate against queer employees, engage in business practices that are actively damaging to the queer community, or support anti-LGBTQ+ politicians, prompting the term “rainbow-washing” — cashing in on Pride merchandise while doing little to support LGBTQ+ organizations.

But the good news is that some companies are knocking it out of Pride park by being true supporters of LGBTQ+ rights. Here are four organizations doing Pride right. All the companies listed rank high on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index, a nonprofit that is the national benchmark for corporate policies, practices, and benefits as they pertain to the LGBTQ+ community.

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH

A&F x The Trevor Project | Gender Inclusive ‘Pride Hoodie’

With a muted colorblock design reminiscent of LGBTQ+ flag colors, this oversized hoodie works for various shapes, sizes, and genders. It’s part of Abercrombie & Fitch’s gender-inclusive collection, co-created with The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth.

In support of Pride 2022 and their ongoing partnership, Abercrombie & Fitch is donating $400,000 to The Trevor Project, regardless of sales. To date, Abercrombie & Fitch has raised over $2.8 million for The Trevor Project.

Abercrombie & Fitch has long had comprehensive and inclusive benefits for U.S. Employees. Health insurance and other benefits are equivalent for different-sex and same-sex couples.

🏳🏳️‍🌈️‍ Received a perfect score of 100 on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index/Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ for the last 16 years

ADIDAS

Adidas ‘Love Unites’ Print Pride Tracksuit

Queer artist Kris Andrew Small designed Adidas’ Pride capsule collection, which includes apparel, accessories, and footwear like limited edition Stan Smith Pride shoes. His work spreads a message of empowerment and support for the LGBTQ+ community. It’s inspired by the pop art and graphic design of the 1970s and 1980s, which helped shape his lens as a creative. In this doodle-driven print design are hidden messages of acceptance and self-love for people to discover.

Adidas’ goal for the collection was to bring visibility to the many voices of the LGBTQ+ community. They are continuing their partnerships with longtime British LGBTQ+ advocacy group Stonewall U.K. and Athlete Ally, an organization focused on ending homophobia and transphobia in sports.

🏳️‍🌈 Top-rated Brand: HRC Corporate Equality Index/Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+

APPLE

Apple Watch Pride Edition Sport Loop

Proud All Year Long is the tagline on the Apple.com website, clearly signaling their 365 days a year approach to supporting the LGBTQ+ community. In honor of Pride 2022, Apple has released two Apple Watch Pride Edition watchbands for 2022. The regular Sport Loop features the word “Pride” woven into the rainbow band, including shades of black, brown, and pink to recognize the trans, Black, and Latinx communities.

A darker Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop, featuring a matching rainbow-colored Nike Bounce face, honors “individuals who are expanding sport for future generations,” according to the company.

Apple continues to support many LGBTQ+ organizations like GLSEN — The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, The Trevor Project, and the Human Rights Campaign, among others. CEO Tim Cook came out as gay in October 2014, becoming the first “out” CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He famously said, “I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.”

🏳🏳️‍🌈 Top-rated Brand: HRC Corporate Equality Index/Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+

CHIPOTLE

Chipotle Pride 2022 Burrito

Chipotle has been LGBTQ+-friendly from the beginning. The founder, Steve Ells, is an openly gay man. Though he stepped down as CEO in 2017, 27 years after founding this innovative chain, Chipotle continues to be an uber-inclusive company.

This year, Chipotle worked with its Pride employee resource group to identify key issues that members of the LGBTQ+ community face and, in response, developed its first-ever yearlong support program.

One of its new initiatives is partnering with Happy Hippie — a nonprofit organization founded by Miley Cyrus — whose mission is to fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ+ youth, and other vulnerable populations. The goal is to provide $250,000 in free Chipotle food to Happy Hippie’s partner LGBTQ+ centers across the United States so that they have real food throughout the year.

A longtime Pride supporter, Chipotle celebrates equality with its employees and customers. They offer enhanced paid parental leave for adoptive parents, same-sex couples, and paternity leave, and cover care and surgical costs for their trans employees.

🏳️‍🌈 Received a perfect score of 100 on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index/Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+

Bottom Line

Brands that are true allies 365 days a year are the ones whose rainbow ad campaigns speak to more than just jubilant June Pride celebrations. They are showing up for their LGBTQ+ employees and the queer community at large all year long by making tangible, substantial commitments beyond a kaleidoscopic marketing splash. To do Pride right, consider partnering with known LGBTQ+ organizations and take stock of how your internal policies align with your June Pride marketing.

About the author.

An award-winning creator and digital health, wellness, and lifestyle content strategist—Karina writes, produces, and edits compelling content across multiple platforms—including articles, video, interactive tools, and documentary film. Her work has been featured on MSN Lifestyle, Apartment Therapy, Goop, Psycom, Yahoo News, Pregnancy & Newborn, Eat This Not That, thirdAGE, and Remedy Health Media digital properties and has spanned insight pieces on psychedelic toad medicine to forecasting the future of work to why sustainability needs to become more sustainable.

Sometimes we are blessed by the muse and find a flow so profound we see God. Most of the time, we do not and have to slug through a horror-inducing first draft in order to get anything decent. Everyone’s journey through their own mind is different, and the differences expand as we work with different mediums. Here’s how I tackle writing for this one… most of the time.

PITCH
It starts with an idea. This will often come from something going on or the yearly focus du jour. Maybe I read a Reddit post that got me thinking about a certain topic. Maybe it’s something I’m already passionate about. Maybe I just have a vague idea of a concept I’d like to explore. Maybe it’s Mental Health Month and I’ve got tidbits galore to share. Either way, I compile those ideas into an email and send them off to be green lit, rejected, or adjusted to fit the publication’s needs.

RESEARCH
Here’s where we dive in. I spend a lot of time here solidifying my idea and thesis. What exactly is it I’m trying to share/explain/provide resources for? Where do these resources live? What are other people saying about this topic? Especially people who disagree with my point of view. I always try to present counterpoints and add balance to any topic I tackle.

DISASTER DOCUMENT
We have not started writing yet. The disaster document is like my living bibliography where I throw the links to every source I’ve consulted and perused in my research process. I’ll paste key info and quotes I might want to use here as well. If I have interviewed anyone, this is where my transcriptions might live, as well as any other resources they’ve directed me towards.

This document is typically in Pages, where I do most of my writing. I also use SimpleNote to take quick notes and throw in links before transferring things into an official document. I jump between those two to refine my organization process and eventually format it so it makes sense to me, although it might not to anyone else.

VOMIT DRAFT
This is where I start laying out the goodies. Sometimes I start with an intro, sometimes I start with a particular point I’m excited about. I’ll go through and fill out all the points I wanted to get out. Sometimes I’ll remember something I might need a source for so I’ll look it up really quick, or if I’m being really “good” and in the zone, I’ll make a note to look it up later.

STRUCTURE
Some people may structure before they vomit, but I don’t roll that way. There is a rough structure, sure, but once I get the main points down, I’ll figure out the order they should really be in and find the narrative that will get me to a conclusion that makes sense.

This is not always the case. Sometimes I’m just trying to lay out information, in which case I want to structure it in such a way that each section builds on the last. Even if it’s just a presentation of referential knowledge, there should still be the shadow of a narrative holding it in place.

PLAYING WITH COOKIE DOUGH
Writing is rewriting and this is the meatiest part of it all. I’ll start going through each section and refine the wording, cut what doesn’t fit, and generally turn the cookie dough vomit into something resembling a cookie so it will be ready to bake.

TAKE A BREAK AND SCREAM
We get to the point where I start to ask myself why did I want to write about this. Why did I think I could take this utterly complex and nuanced topic and distill it into a 1,000–2,000-word piece. What drugs was I on? How did I think I was smart enough for this?

Here are things that might happen here:

various sighs, groans, and screams
staring at my documents and rubbing my eyes while I curl into my chair or onto the floor
exclaiming “why do I always do this to myself” whenever my husband walks into the room

Then eventually, I might:

switch to another task
go for a walk or swim
dance my frustrations out
practice the piano
meditate, preferably outside
take a nap or just lie down with my eyes closed
roll around on the foam roller

Usually, it’s something physical or some form of rest.

RESTRUCTURE
Okay, at this point I’ve stepped away, and now it’s time to come back and make sense of it all.

Hopefully, I can see more clearly and am ready to move around, cut things, and fill in any blanks. I’ll grab any bits of research from my disaster document that might still be needed, or grab whatever other sources might be required to complete the flow. I may just throw them in to edit later, or I may just write it in on the spot depending on how generously the muses are blessing me that day — or if I’ve gotten enough sleep, food, and water.

EDIT
Now we’re talking. We’ve got words, a narrative, and a structure. Time to go through and edit the damn thing. This is honestly the easiest part for me. Creation is a struggle, but honing is a challenge I love. Snip, snip, and reword. This is where we get it tight, fluid, and strengthen the narrative structure so the flow makes sense and presents the information in the most digestible format possible. I know you’re busy and need to move through these words smoothly.

SUBMIT
There comes a certain point where I can’t take it anymore and will just send off the article (usually because I said I would have it the night before and it’s the following morning). My editor luckily knows and understands this about me and never gives me grief for it.

RESUBMIT BECAUSE I FOUND NEW EDITS TO MAKE

Usually happens a few hours after I press submit. For some reason, I need to be “free” of the deadline in order to separate myself and see the words clearly for the very final pass.

FINAL EDITS
My bff Kevin (who manages this blog, say hi, Kevin) will usually let me know if there’s a link I forgot or trim verbose sentences and superfluous points.

Thanks, Kevin. He’ll send them to me to make sure none of the meaning has changed. Once everything has been OK’ed by us both, it’s ready to publish.

REST + RESET
Finally, I can rest, exercise, eat, and get ready to do it all over again!

About the author.

Alessandra is your friendly neighborhood writer, coach, and facilitator with a varied history of experience from digital agencies and corporations to yoga studios and gyms. Her expertise and interests range from fitness and wellness to self-care and personal development to intersectionality and justice to science and creative cultivation. She has worked on and off with Creative Circle since 2014, originally as an NYC recruiter, later as an internal sourcer, and currently as a community wellness and culture specialist as well as a contributing writer for this here blog. You can find up-to-date offerings or sign up for her newsletter at alessandracalderin.com.

Photo Credit: The Trash Project

What catches more flies — vinegar or honey?

Joyful activism, a growing trend in social and environmental advocacy, follows this logic, seeking to inspire change in behavior through celebratory actions rather than by scaring or shaming people.

A bright example is TRASH Project, a public art project developed by artist Adrian Kondratowicz to inspire mindfulness about waste creation, while raising environmental awareness and beautifying urban spaces. Kondratowicz shares: “By activating public space with sculptures of color, TRASH sparks awareness about waste, sanitation, and consumption.”

The project entailed getting residents and business owners to put their garbage in the artist-created, hot pink polka dot trash bags (made of 80% post-consumer waste) — transforming standard piles of trash into flamboyant soft sculptures, a vivid homage to Claes Oldenburg.

Photo Credit: The Trash Project

We typically walk blithely past piles of garbage on city streets, but these vibrant bags are so strikingly different we cannot help but notice. And in the process of making the unseen seen, the artist invites us to stop and reflect on just how much we really throw away.

Joyful activism spurs change through the power of positive emotion.

When psychologists studied people engaged in communal dance, singing, or other rhythmic modes of entertainment, they found that people connected physically. Musicians playing the same melody have brain waves that sync up, and choir singers’ heart rates synchronize. Even when strangers move or sing together, they become more altruistic and generous. These synchronous experiences create a physiological sense of community that can be conscious or unconscious.

It is a notable feature of autocratic regimes that forms of joy are often banned. In Trinidad, the British banned drumming. In Mao’s China, listening to Beethoven was a crime, and in Nazi Germany, traditional Jewish music was verboten. The Soviet Union censored songs by artists across the musical spectrum, such as Tina Turner, AC/DC, and Julio Iglesias.

The Singing Revolution, a four-year series of protests marked by mass singing demonstrations, swept across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania between 1987 and 1991, eventually helping lead to their independence from the Soviet Union. Matt Zoller Seitz from The New York Times described it like this: “Imagine the scene in ‘Casablanca’ in which the French patrons sing ‘La Marseillaise’ in defiance of the Germans, then multiply its power by a factor of thousands, and you’ve only begun to imagine the force of ‘The Singing Revolution.'” All of which goes to show that joy is a powerful and unifying force.

Dance, Dance, Revolution!

DAYBREAKER is an early morning, sober dance party that began in 2013 as an NYC-based social experiment and art project and has now evolved into a worldwide movement to increase mindfulness and ignite change through radical self-expression and joy.

DAYBREAKER launched the Cool Kids Club this past Earth Day, a collective described as “inspired humans determined to cool the planet through joyful climate activism.” In early 2022, DAYBREAKER took their unique brand of revelry on a trip around the globe as part of their Natüre Series, with a momentous stop this past March in Antarctica.

Photo Credit: Cool Kids Club

As DAYBREAKER cofounder Radha Agrawal shared on Instagram: “When there’s shame & blame we get paralyzed into inaction…our goal is to invite the arts, joy, and belonging — not just to each other but to our ecosystem — into the conversation to magnetize more people into climate action.”

Connecting the dots between joy and freedom

“Recognize that pleasure is a measure of freedom,” writes Adrienne Maree Brown in her book Pleasure Activism, which centers on the premise that the things activists strive for — liberation, wellbeing, justice, and more — are highly joyful states, underscoring that pleasure can be a powerful tool for helping us achieve these aims. Working for change you believe in can be profoundly joyful and straight-up fun if done with the right people.

Can we dance and sing our way to a healthier planet? It might be not only the most fun way to tackle such a serious problem, but perhaps the most successful. Leading with joy may make us more receptive to making real and actionable change.

About the author.

You’ve read these words hundreds of times, usually from companies trying to sell you products and peace of mind. But what do they really mean?

How does buying these products help the environment? Are they better than what you already have? Or, are they participating in a little something called “greenwashing” — making promises that either aren’t quite true or that distract you from other bigger problems that their company might cause?

The short and short of it is that sustainability and consumerism are inherently incompatible. Most greenwashing relies on misdirection. “Look at this little thing we’re doing over here” distracts consumers from manufacturing or logistics pipelines that create most waste and emissions. It’s a tale as old as climate activism and it started with the oil industry.

FOSSIL FUELS + TRANSPORTATION

Let’s start with the greatest scam of all. In 2006, BP, with the help of ad agency Ogilvy & Mather, coined the term “carbon footprint.” This propaganda ploy accomplished a vital task, shifting attention from corporate to personal responsibility when it comes to climate change, pollution, and environmental impact.

The phrase is still firmly cemented in the cultural zeitgeist as we look for ways to reduce our own. BP even started shifting their branding to “Beyond Petroleum” even though they are anything but. They were in fact the cause of the largest oil spill in history.

The origin story starts way before 2006, though. Chevron started way back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, running ads showing employees interacting with nature even when the company knew they were contributing to climate change. The transportation industry has tried to make even more green promises since then, but that doesn’t change that reliance on fossil fuels will never get us past a brownish gray. In spite of new ad campaigns like Shell’s greenwashing campaign, oil and gas are ruining our air and heating the planet and the industry has had concrete evidence of this since the 1980s. Why would you trust anything they say ever again?

Rugged truck brands that showcase commercials in mountains and open fields can be accused of greenwashing as they celebrate being closer to nature… as you simultaneously destroy it. Those gas guzzlers are extremely useful if you need them. If you’re a true laborer or adventurer that has to haul gear up and down mountain roads, much respect to you and your need for this vehicle. However, living in Miami, Florida I see way too many souped-up Jeeps that look more pristine than the obnoxious Ferraris along the street. There is no off-roading on Ocean Drive.

But is switching to electric any better? Well, that’s complicated, but not really. Not yet. Without the infrastructure to support electric charging, it’s not a practical solution for a lot of people. Plus the cost of making new cars, digging up materials for these batteries and vehicle structures, shipping them across the globe, etc. has its own carbon cost that may outweigh some of the long-term benefits if you’re not getting maximum use out of your vehicle. According to Car and Driver, “EV batteries are energy-intensive to manufacture, and there are humanitarian costs associated with mining the metals they rely on. Though EVs don’t emit greenhouse gases, the electricity they pull from the grid often does.”

That means it also depends on where you live and how electricity gets to you. In my home state of Florida, the majority of electricity is made by burning natural gas, which is pretty counterintuitive when trying to shift away from gasoline. However, if you live somewhere like Washington or Vermont where the majority of electricity is derived from renewable sources, then over the long term your electric investment might pay off, as “the life-cycle emissions of a small gas car will surpass those of a small EV after roughly 27,000 miles of driving.”

So in sum, it’s a higher carbon price to build an electric vehicle, but that cost is offset by the performance of the vehicle over the course of its lifespan. That still makes choices a lot more complicated, especially if you currently have a fully functional combustion engine car. Is buying a brand-new electric vehicle really the right move today?

FAST FASHION + TEXTILE WASTE

Zara, H&M, Forever 21, and now… Shein. What do these brands all have in common? They’re fast fashion brands that contribute tons of waste.

It’s a really toxic cycle that fashion brands and consumers are locked in. These companies produce hundreds of thousands of articles of new styles and clothes per year, and yet 60% of those will be thrown out within the year they were purchased. I’m sorry… WHAT?!

A lot of these brands have definitely made an effort, like H&M with their conscious choice line and product material and origin transparency. But that doesn’t change the fact that fast fashion is inherently not sustainable. Which is honestly a consumer issue as well. While corporations must make strides to look at their production, packaging, and shipping process, consumers need to stop demanding the latest craze of trend cycles, an area that has exploded with the rising popularity of Shein. The whole industry is built around people wanting more and more. (And that’s to not even touch the unethical labor practices of their overseas factories.)

So when a company, especially a fashion brand, makes claims about recycling and carbon-neutral practices… you may want to dig a little deeper. They might just be buying carbon credits, which is a step but doesn’t reduce their impact.

Still, some companies are doing good in the textile world, including Patagonia and Lucy & Yak. (That article also includes personal care brands like Dr. Bronner’s that don’t overhype their promises.)

SO WHAT THE HECK DO WE DO?

Trying to be an ethical consumer is quite frankly an existential nightmare. If you’ve ever watched The Good Place, you know what I mean. (Don’t click that link unless you want spoilers. The point of this clip is about halfway in.) So, what do we do? The best we can.

Obvious signs of greenwashing are when companies just use buzzwords and make big promises but don’t explain the how.

Akepa, an ad agency working exclusively with sustainable brands, does a pretty good job of tracking and pointing out examples like these nine companies with recent disingenuous campaigns.

A big one: companies that claim to recycle plastic. Single-use plastics are one of our biggest problems on the planet. Coca-Cola and Nestle are the companies producing the most plastic waste that DOES NOT get recycled. BlueTriton (owner of many popular water bottle brands) is currently in court over its “hyperbolic” sustainability claims.

So if a company is using plastic, they’re not helping the planet.

But what about companies that use compostable packaging? Well, you’ve got to check the details, because some of those require high heat levels that the average compost can’t handle. Those, unfortunately, end up in landfills, too.

See, I told you it was a nightmare.

If you have the time to check in on the ethical practices of a company, do so. If you don’t, do your best. Shopping smaller and locally will often help. Having some “go to” places to shop can help, too. That way your research can go towards a place where you can keep shopping.

But the number one thing we can do as individuals is to just buy fewer things we don’t really need, even if you’re replacing something with a product that is “zero-waste.” For example, if you already have a plastic product, don’t throw it away and replace it with a bamboo one. But if your plastic product is on its last leg and you need to replace it, then making the switch is a great idea.

There are tons of resources out there to help us make better choices, but more importantly, we need to let large corporations know we’re not falling for their empty promises, fudged statistics, and public gaslighting anymore.

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