I’ve been thinking a lot about smells recently. Not just because I have a son on the cusp of teenagerhood. Have you noticed that certain scented shower gels make it easier to wake up happy? Or that some scents throughout the day can make it easier to focus?
Most of us know that the smell of lavender is calming, citronella keeps bugs at bay and baked bread can increase feelings of wellbeing and prompt us to spend more. So I got to wondering, which scents improve productivity, focus or creativity — if any? Can we use different aromas to hack…
A guide to pricing your services as a freelancer
Figuring out how much to charge for what you do as a freelancer can be tough. Particularly in the early days. Particularly if your good at it. Especially if you find it easy. How do you put a price on something you enjoy? How do you charge for the time that you can never get back? These are the questions I struggled with when I started out more than a decade ago.
Figuring out my rate felt like a question without an answer. I love what I do — writing. My time is also priceless. …
MARKETING TOOLS
A guide to CoSchedule’s Headline Studio and Answer The Public
CoSchedule’s Headline Studio and Answer The Public are my two all-time favourite blog writing tools. Out of all the online tools I’ve used from writing over the years, these two stand out. Not only are they simple to use, but they’re also exceedingly effective at what they do — generate headlines for blogs that spark curiosity and article ideas that provide real value for readers.
Whether I’m writing for my own audience or my clients, Headline Studio and Answer The Public are the two tools I turn to time and again to get the results I need.
CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer
Peace of mind, freedom and inspiration can all be found in the woods
I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors. Being Australian, it’s kind of in my psyche. For me, outdoors equals space, freedom and really feeling alive.
When I lived in Melbourne, I was lucky enough to be able to walk to work through the Royal Botanic Gardens. I’d watch the sleeping fruit bats hanging from trees like strange alien fruit, relish the patches of cool shade, and marvel at the trillion shades of green. I credit this simple walk with always arriving in a good mood.
Today, I live in the UK and life is a little different. There are no Botanic Gardens…
Some of the best writing advice I’ve ever had is to write about what interests you most.
This is something I’ve been doing on Medium for the past year.
Following this advice usually makes it fairly easy to come up with something to write about.
But not ALL the time.
Sometimes, thinking of a topic to write about can be downright difficult.
Even when you’re writing about things of interest, the well can run dry.
Maybe you feel like you’ve shared all you know.
Or you don’t know enough about a subject to write a blog about it.
Maybe you’ve…
Follow these tips to boost your brain — and your body!
I’ve never been a huge fan of exercise. For me, the health of my brain is a bigger priority. But if you look after your brain, your body benefits too.
A healthy brain relies on a well-functioning body. And vice versa — looking after one means you’re looking after the other. You might call it a win/win situation. I think of it more as a knock-on effect. Because I have made changes to take better care of the ol’ grey matter, I’m physically fitter than I’ve ever been before.
Below are some of the simple practices I keep to ensure…
Show what you can do
I’ve been freelancing for more than a decade. For the past 7 years, writing has been my main source of income, and Upwork one of the key resources I use for connecting with clients. I’ve held a good freelancer score (90% or higher) for years and a ‘top-rated’ badge since they were a thing. I was awarded ‘Top-Rated Plus’ early on in 2020 — before I even knew it was possible.
Whatever people may say about Upwork, I’ve found it to be an excellent platform for finding quality clients. It’s helped me build my freelancing business. Their commission rates are…
Reduce stress, find peace, improve your well-being with water
Finding peace of mind these days can be difficult. For me, being in or near water — swimming, surfing or just walking along the coast — is guaranteed to calm my thoughts. It turns out, I’m not unique in this. Multiple studies have shown that water — being in it, on it, near it, or listening to it — has a calming effect on our minds.
Considering that water covers around 71% of the earth’s surface and we are comprised of around 60% H2O (our brain even more so, it’s 73% water), our affinity with water and blue spaces shouldn’t…
I love a New Year resolution. They give us something to aim for and help us maintain focus as we work toward them. As you start to tick them off, it builds your motivation to keep working towards the other resolutions you’ve made. At least that’s the idea.
But I hate setting my resolutions on New Year’s Eve along with the rest of the world.
The last day of the second full week in January is widely referred to as ‘Quitters Day’, and no, it’s not because this is when most people ditch smoking. …
About a year ago, I began regularly writing on Medium. I didn’t know a huge amount about the platform when I made my commitment. I learned as I went along. Committing to a weekly article for Medium when my week is already full of website content writing, blogging for clients, and creating other sales and marketing assets, hasn’t always been easy.
But it has been worth it.
Fortunately, I didn’t walk into Medium with my eyes closed. I know what it takes to create a good piece of writing. Nor did I expect to get rich quick. In fact, I…
Vic Womersley
Freelance writer using Medium to explore ideas that interest me. Get in touch: vicwomersley@gmail.com
