Thank you!

Ros Null — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 19:52:37 -0500

I work from home and often when I hear friends complaining that their paycheck is a day late, or they share a great story heard around the water cooler, I must admit that I get nostalgic over what on some days can feel like "the good old days".

Thanks for sharing!

Ros Null
The Edge Virtual Assistance :: View from The Edge

I love this Elana

Denise — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:40:03 -0500

I'm going to save it and refer to it often. And, I'm going to share it with all of my kids. I spent six years at a job that I should never have stayed that long with. I don't want my kids to do that. I want them to remember and believe they do have options.

~Denise
Fast Times @ Homeschool High & Flamingo House Happenings

This is a great post!

Catherine Morgan — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:59:53 -0500

This is a great post. Thanks.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
also at Women 4 Hope and CatherineBlogs.com

Another Girl At Play Celebrates Independence Day 365 Days A Year

Elana Centor — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 14:30:06 -0500

Sometimes when I have to deal with idiot clients, when the check is lost in the mail,and when my $1000 health insurance premium is due, I wonder what it would be like to have that 9-5 job with benefits and 4 weeks paid vacation.

Then I remember that I have been an employee and that for me, the price of benefits was not worth the taste of freedom.
Being independent--as a nation and as a career choice is a precious thing to celebrate. Those of us who live in the United States will be taking time out tomorrow to celebrate our nation's freedom.

Alex Beauchamp of Another Girl At Play celebrates work freedom aka creative entrepreneurship 24/7/365. The stories will inspire and hopefully encourage those who have trepidation about taking the freedom path.

Behind every successful woman lies a tale of self-reliance, persistence, and the joy of following one's heart. Another Girl at Play shares over twenty-five of these stories, written by female artists from musicians to writers to designers.

Answering the same set of questions, each artist reveals their unique experiences, insights and wisdom on how they made their creative dream real. Understanding the importance of sharing information and taking the mystery out of living creatively, each artist donated their time to write about their artful career - answering questions from how they began to how they deal with the frustrations of being a creative entrepreneur. They share everything because they believe in the importance of living creatively and know that it's possible if only one tries.

From word wrangler Laurie Wagner,

At one point in 1990 I quit writing because I didn't think I had what it took to be a writer. I didn't think I was talented enough. I wanted to be a cog, I wanted a paycheck and I didn't want to have to self-generate. So I went and worked for the massive publisher, Simon and Schuster. I traveled and sold books for them for three years and learned a ton about the book business.

I also learned that I was more artist than salesperson and if I didn't quit the corporate gig I was going to die. I realized that I had judged my own talent so harshly and that wasn't fair. It didn't matter whether I would be successful or not, what mattered was that I gave myself a chance to express myself.

From illustratorClaire Robertson,

Apart from getting to do what I love to do every day, the most rewarding aspect of my job (at the moment) is continuing to build up my client list. It's like a little reassurance that I am on the right path. This year I hope to write and illustrate my own children's book which has been a lifetime dream so hopefully that will become the most rewarding aspect of what I do. The most frustrating thing is the daily issue of self motivation. Some days I don't even have to think about it and breeze through my work, but other days I feel as though I am walking through mud.

And from paper artist Sharyn Sowell,

Never copy, never, never, never under any circumstances copy someone else. Have the courage to be yourself; don't be afraid to take chances. Work hard and don't expect people to seek you out. Be true to your goals and dreams and never worry about what other people think.

Years ago when I was desperate to leave my 9-5 job I downloaded a sound clip of Richie Havens singing Freedom to remind myself of what I hoped to achieve.

In 2004,NPR's Tavis Smiley talked to Havens about the song that set the tone for Woodstock. Have a listen, enjoy and have a happy and safe 4th.

Elana also blogs about business culture at FunnyBusiness

BlogHer - Another Girl At Play Celebrates Independence Day 365 Days A Year - Comments

Thank you!

I love this Elana

This is a great post!

Another Girl At Play Celebrates Independence Day 365 Days A Year