How Does the Online Idea Party Work?
You have a dream or a wish, and an obstacle to getting there. (If you don’t think you know your wish, work through my kick-starter and read this post. To learn why you must put logic aside to find your dream, read the following.)
The online Idea Party is here to help you – and the other fellow party goers – with your wishes and obstacles.
Voices from Success Teams and Idea Parties:
Having a team to report to and hearing what everybody did each week is very exciting. It’s kept me moving all year. In the past I made some good starts on my own, but found, every time, when the energy ran out, I ran out. Now it doesn’t run out.
Jade G.
Children’s Playroom Therapist, New York Hospital
I would do a painting a year, a sketch a year. If it was only me I know I would never do it. Having to tell you makes all the difference. It’s crazy why I didn’t do this years ago, it’s so easy all of a sudden.
Caroline R. Personnel Executive, Macy’s Dept Store
Post Your Wish and Your Obstacle Here!
And help your team mates out when you can. Use the Reply link to help, the form below the comments to add your own Wish and Obstacle.
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Hi all out there,
I would really loooovveeee to give lectures on fringe subjects, but I have no money for hiring lecture rooms (with equipment) and advertisements etc.
Kind regards
Martho
Holland.
the library
That sounds cool. You could videotape a lecture and put them as video downloads on a website either for free or charge for it (possibly to fund your lecture rooms). You could put them on youtube like the Khan University guy did. You can offer to do lectures for free at coffee shops, bookstores, libraries, or museums. You can find some Meet-up Groups or other clubs that might be interested and see if they would like you to come speak to them at a members house or at a coffee shop. You can try to get into The Learning Annex or other such companies that hold reasonably priced lectures and classes with people – sometimes even famous people. You could offer to come speak at colleges if the subject matter is appropriate. You could start a blog or write articles for magazines that might be interested (trust me – there is a magazine for everything) to establish yourself as “an expert” and then you’ll have a much bigger draw and will be able to charge for the lectures and cover your expenses that way. Also – what about a tent at burning man (or some other such festival) based on the subject matter. Also – if you join Toastmasters there might be someone there who might say “oh I know the perfect seminar series that you should try to speak at.” Also – if your fringe stuff is on the paranormal end then possibly psychic fairs, sci fi and comic conventions might be interested. You could also start a meet-up group about your interests if you don’t find any that match what you need. Equipment – well not sure what you need (projector?) but if you are getting paid to lecture then equipment might be supplied. Probably same goes if you are doing it for a school or museum. As far as advertising – if it is a paid gig you will get some free advertising there but you should always do your own if you can to increase your attendance. If you start a blog and get a following you can advertise there. You could make some flyers and post them at colleges, libraries, supermarkets – anywhere that there is a community bulletin board. Se if local radio stations would like to interview you and mention your upcoming lecture. You can advertise on craigslist for free. If it is something that is on the metaphysical side then the offices of healers, psychics, shamen, etc and any alternative medicine place and occult bookstores might post your flyer. You can send out mass emails to all your friends and family and tell them to spread the word, you could do the same at your job if your company allows that – and have flyers on your desk as well. You could get free advertising in a magazine if you get an article published in it at the right time and mention in your article your upcoming lecture. You could do senior homes and prisons without much expense if the subject matter would be good there. I think prisoners would love it – anything that breaks up the monotony of their days and where people are paying attention to something else other than fighting each other. Think Johnny Cash. Heck – they might even pay you. You can set up a table at street fairs and festivals and have a sign that says “ask me about” and then a list of things you want to lecture about. Give them a 5 minute lecture and say that if they are interested in hearing more here is a flyer about your next lecture or have them sign your mailing list. You can enlist a friend who wants to get some production experience under their belt to see if they can borrow or get donated or rent for really cheap the equipment you need and organize the whole thing for you. Maybe a friend might even be able to borrow what you need from work. There are also places you can rent equipment. You could post your project on indiegogo or other fundraising platform sites and see if you can get people to donate money – or equipment. You could look on craigslist for cheap secondhand or even free equipment. You could even post on craigslist your plan and see if anyone will donate the equipment you need. If you are single you could hang out at bars and coffee houses where people who work at places that might have what you need hang out. For example if you need a video camera to film something for your lecture then hang out near social places near a film school and befriend (or even date) a film student who can rent out cameras. You could even have them film your lectures and put them on your website. Or do an independent film about your material – ala What The Bleep. If it is scientific fringe stuff then your science museum might be interested if it is not too far off from science. You could also see if you could apply for some sort of grant to fund your lectures. Ok I am out of ideas for now.
OMG my posts are so long!!! sorry…
That’s ok, thank you very much! Lot of ideas here.
I would never have thought about the prison!!!
And I can also take a lot of your ideas and think further about them. I am unemployed right now, and I want to make a living out of this, I may even go abroad to give lectures ( I am from Holland, but I speak english). About science. , it won’t be accepted (yet!) by science museums etc , It’s too weird fro them for now. But I could lecture for hours about our scientific system. Let’s just say there is something terrible wrong with it. And a lot of my fringe subjects are about surpressed inventions. ( so beautifull some), metaphysics, conspiracies, religions , education. consciousness, healing (our current system is out of date!), hypnosis, water (not boring at all) , medicine, energy, light, ufo’s, electromagnetism, mathematics (this one is beautifull, not teached at school or universities!!), reflexology, holography, occultism in movies, psychology, energypsychology, parapsychology.
See, I am a scanner! 😉
Kind regards
Martho
Wow – if you ever do a lecture in the SF Bay Area I’d love to come! I love all that stuff too…
dtg, it looks like I can’t reply to your post so I do it this way.
Well, sometimes I am in LA. Is that nearby? I am also planning and working on a more then 8 hour ‘lecture’. But not a boring lecture, but one with a lot of ‘entertainment’. Nearly a ‘show’, about this fringe stuff.
If I am ready you can invite me. 😉
And the list is just a starter, there is so much more.
Thanks for the reply
Martho
Holland
Not only the library, but you can publicize by cranking out a few fliers on computer and then posting them on bulletin boards or kiosks in the area where you intend to lecture. Also, you can send free Public Service Announcements to the broadcast and print media in your area. If newspapers have arts and events calendars, time your presentation so that you get into these before the lecture. My methods of promotion are pretty primitive, but this is how I would start out. I have tried electronic promotion and have experienced it as an utter failure.
Also, now that I see your list of topics, I would highly suggest that you get onto radio talk shows as a guest. Contact them and see what it takes, and be ready to send them some of your material. They usually take guests who have written books, but not always, I think.
Bonjour: French lectures. Well, what if you found a local church witha hall, and offered to slpit the take 50/50 or in another ratio with them? Would a local library allow you to give one free lecture in their meeting room and perhaps, you could hand out flyers explaining you lecture about things Francophone for other events? Or possibly you might consider a virtual lecture. I attend these virtual lectures at http://www.accessibleworld.org though I’m not sure how you’d bill for that. Bon chance
Wow!!
Which particular wow-able thing are you referring to, Lyn?
Probably regarding the novel-long length of my uber-whiny Hard Times post LOL.
There were a few of us in the neighbourhood who needed some workspace, OUT of the house and away from distractions. We found each other via the neighbourhood google group. We swapped working at each other’s office or dining room table for a few hours a day a few times per week. All you need is your “vocation station” in a backpack, and walk over to the neighbours’ house. Agree to try it for 3 weeks, and then renegotiate. Good luck.
I’m just ready to join the party!
i am an american women having lived in switzerland 50 years and studied social work, art therapy, geriatrics and french and having been married to swiss, divorced and raised two children as a single mother. i would like to come back to usa to sunshine and good will. i would like to learn, teach, paint and find good friends and a community that is open to sharing. anyone who has any ideas or exchanges i am open to all of those and more, thanks and God bless.
A possibility: do some research, figure out what “sunny” places might suit you, (sell, give away, store) your stuff and come for a “visit” and see if it turns into a stay.
Just a word of caution here. I am a Canadian who has lived in Europe for 7 years, and the US for 10 years in three cities, and now back to Canada. Things change. You have been out of the US for a very long time and the place (values, ideas, culture, sentiment, priorities, etc.) you are hoping for may not be there any longer. I agree with Lyn’s idea – go slowly, do your homework, try a few cities out as a test run… I have to say the three cities I lived in the US had very different cultures (NEast, CA and midwest) and I decided I had to move back to Canada to better fit my values. Good luck – but tread carefully!
Switzerland, CH, Helvetians, land of Italian, German, French, and Romansch, sounds unique. Sounds like you are not happy there. But an interesting story you could tell. I have long wondered how they view the world, always ready to take the money from any African cleptocrat, or billionaire oligark from anywhere, and with a very goodmedical coverage for their people or at least I understand it is now. I’m not sure how you can come back to U.S. but if you are American, your paperwork should be easy. Do you speak any of the languages? Is the return depending on a financial situation? Best of luck to you.
I apologize in advance for the super long Hard Times post. After a long long time of not have one, I finally got a space in the house where I could put a desk and use as an office. Without a desk I find it hard to get any of my goals accomplished. Well, now it looks like that room is going to have to be used for something else and my lovely little office is going away. There is no other area – not even a corner in the house where we could fit a small desk. We don’t have any other spare rooms. We’ve tried other options like just using the dinner table but I had to clear away my stuff every time we had a meal or every time my husband needed it for his job, plus our living room/dining room is a hub of activity so there is no privacy whatsoever. No room in our bedroom -barely can fit our bed and furniture in it. I can’t sit on bed with laptop as it hurts my back and knees. Same with using the coffee table in the living room and sitting on the floor. We have no attic and no basement. We have a detached garage but it is unfinished, not well lit, the air makes me cough, it is really cold, and it is full of spiders which I have a fear of. And it is always a disaster area as well. Our local library is not open late. And neither are any others close by. We have one or two coffee shops open til 10 so IF I can get a table AND get one close to an outlet then that is not ideal but better than nothing. However getting a table is next to impossible much less one near an outlet. And our Barnes and Noble has Starbucks in it but no outlets. Beyond the coffee shop option I’ve brainstormed and come up with some suggestions: get an airstream or camper or van, buy a shed or have one built, redo our garage, rent a office space. None of these are doable cause they all cost money that I don’t have and my husband has said he doesn’t want a shed in the yard anyway. I’ve also thought of co-working spaces but have not checked any out yet, or placing an ad on craigslist for trade or for someone who will donate space like I read about in Wishcraft. However the co-working spaces would require a trip to the city (depending on location it would be at least 45 minutes away from my home). I can’t set up the table in our backyard or on the patio because with the sun I can’t see the computer screen and we have no outdoor outlets. Does anyone have any other suggestions than these? I know I sound like a defeatist who sees a problem in every suggestion but really I am not. I’ve tried the Starbucks and the libraries and the garage. I’ve tried the dining room table the coffee table and sitting on the bed. None of them worked. I’ve looked for affordable office share rentals with no luck yet. And I have yet to find an affordable camper van – plus I think my husband would have an issue with that too. I am beginning to completely lose hope and am thinking that the universe is trying to tell me to quit. Every time I get closer to my goal something happens that pushes me back. Far back. Sometimes back further than I was before. For example 3 computer crashes in a matter of months. In two of them I lost writing I had done. I’ve gotten into a routine of backing up my files everyday now which is easy since I now have a desk and have the drive attached and just click the mouse and it is done, but then when the desk goes away it won’t be so convenient to back it up anymore and I know I will forget because that is what happened all the other times. Another example – I am getting carpel tunnel flare-ups from writing so much. I know I should go out and get a special keyboard, and wrist rest and maybe even a special mouse, but if the desk goes away having to carry around a keyboard and all that stuff with my laptop makes my office set-up even less portable. And I have back problems that are getting aggravated from sitting. I’ve tried pillows on the chair which helped some. I know they also have special chairs for people with bad backs but they are expensive and I certainly can’t take them to Starbucks. So when I finally got my desk, it caused me pain which makes me not be able to sit at my desk. It’s like I get an obstacle, I try to solve it, and then what I try doesn’t work. Or I try something that does work but then something else goes wrong. The only progress I am making is troubleshooting problems. Which is great when you finally get to say ok – everything is fixed – now I can work. But that doesn’t ever happen because the problems never end. I’ve had years and I mean YEARS that I have tried to make this happen. Trying to be a writer. You kinda need a computer, a desk, and a little time to write. For years I had no computer and no desk. I wrote everything in notebooks and diaries which I am still transcribing to the computer. But some of it I can’t even read it is so illegible. So that was wasted time and wasted creative effort. Then I finally got a desk and then a computer and the writing poured out in what little time I had to write. Then I changed cities and changed jobs. And I had no time to write as I was working 12 and 14 hour days. Then I moved and lost the desk space. Then my job got less crazy and I had time to write but no desk. I did get a little writing done but not much. Then my company closed, I went on unemployment and I had tons of time to write. And I did write – but it was still not productive having to wait til breakfast was over, then clear everything off the table, then bring all my materials to the table and then do the reverse when it was dinner time. But I did at least get some writing done.Then came a few computer crashes. Then finally after a year and a half of that, I got my desk – while I had a computer and while I had lots of time and I started really making progress. It felt like I was finally going to get somewhere. I even had my desk in a room with a door that I could close for privacy! And now I am losing the room and the desk. And pretty soon I am going to need to go back to work so I will also be losing the time. I am feeling like the Universe is telling me to give up with all these roadblocks it keeps putting up in front of me and I am ready to give in and just quit. Again – sorry for the Hard Times Session. Anyone have any thoughts on solutions to fix my lack of desk dilemma other than what I’ve listed?
How many hours a day do you write? Your house sounds very small and totally used and you make me feel guilty for having my own little office where I can hide but I did wait over 30 years for it! The only thing I can think of that you haven’t mention is the bath tub! This is why I asked how many hour a day you write. Of course it does depend perhaps on having a separate toilet in case anyone wishes to use the bathroom. I am thinking you could pad the bathtub with cushions etc. and some type of back support and place a board across the sides to put your computer. Would this work or is this the dumbest idea? Anyway don’t give up if I could give you some of my space I would however I can provide some support write to me whenever you need to, With every good wish, Joyce
Thanks for the very creative suggestion – I would have never thought of the bathroom! However we have only one bathroom and there are three of us (sometimes four) and it is always busy so I’d be packing my stuff up every 15 minutes or so. Plus with my back problems I don’t think the seating would work. But thanks anyway. 🙂
A few more ideas — maybe one will work for you:
– Put all that stuff you need to bring to the table after breakfast on a tray or in a tub (a Vocation Station) and work from the tray or tub during the day, move it out of the way before dinner.
– Turn all the stuff you need to refer to while writing into a wall hanging in the dining room.
– Buy a digital recorder and dictate while you walk or ride around your neighborhood, sit on a park bench, or drive to and from work. Get Dragon Professional software to convert your dictation to a Word document. (Check their requirements before looking on eBay, Craigslist, Staples, etc. for the recorder.)
– Check your neighborhood for someone who has room for your desk and could really use an adult in the house to get out while the kids sleep.
– Move to a place that suits your needs better.
– Get a cigarette lighter power adapter that lets you power your computer in the car. Then build yourself a desk to put in your front passenger seat or in the back passenger seat with the front one folded down. Make it a desk with a lid over a shallow storage box, divided into paper-sized compartments. And add a carry handle for when you need to store it in the house instead of the trunk.
– Give up your dresser or nightstand or dining room linen storage to make room for a desk. Stick that stuff under your bed for now.
I hope at least one of those makes your writing seem possible again, dtg. It would be awful if you stopped writing just because it’s inconvenient.
Some great suggestions! Well, the wall-hanging idea won’t work for me – not enough space for our pictures as it is – plus well I wouldn’t like how it looked. The car is a great idea – I’ve thought of that too although we only have one car and it is too small (my back wouldn’t work well with that) so I thought about a van or airstream camper or trailer so there would be room to sit with a desk and chair.. However I’d need to buy one. Or rent one. Or be lucky enough to win one or get one donated to me. And figure out where to park it. So that is on my list of maybes as well. I’ve tried the dresser/nightstand option already. I need my dresser and nightstand for clothes. Can’t even fit all of them into our bedroom. Have a plastic crate of clothes in garage! Table lines are just kept on a small shelf in kitchen. I did try putting a laptop lapdesk over an open drawer from the nightstand but the problem is part of my legs need to go under it or else my back hurts within 10 minutes and with a nightstand I can’t do that. I also tried using our hamper. Same result. However, I really like the Vocation Station and the use a recording devise and converting with Dragon ideas. I have also thought of moving into a bigger house (not really an option – just a dream!) and trying to find someone who will let me use their house for trade or to be known as my “Arts Patron” or just to be nice. So they are on my list of possibilities to. But some awesome ideas – thank you. Keep em coming!
Possibility: definitely record yourself and have a someone in the family transcribe for you, or get a volunteer from somewhere, Some people love to practice typing. Or, Release your wish and see what happens- that has a lot of possibilities.
Get a virtual secretary from a foreign country- very cheap option,
I shall definitely release my wish to the world! Thanks!
Amazon.com has a bunch of wall-hung, fold-down desks with storage:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_pp_2?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AMurphy+desk&keywords=Murphy+desk&ie=UTF8&qid=1374197883
If you wanted to trade writing services for office space I would love to have someone writing in my blog on a daily basis. If I was a business owner with more space than staff, which is often the case these days, I would be thrilled to have someone in it all day even if you were only working for me an hour a day. Just put it out there to anyone in your area that you would like to be in and think you could write in their blog for them, or post it on Craigslist.
The camper idea is good. If you have space to park a camper or RV post it around that you are looking to use a camper/RV as an office in trade for storing it in your yard. There are people paying storage fees to have their campers sitting in storage getting all musty smelling from not being used.
Or you could look into house sitting or in-home dog/cat caretaker. You could even charge for the service of caring for the persons animals while they are out working on a daily basis. Allowing the animals to have a human around to let them out and in the house.
Yep, I like to barter! It is always one of my primary ways off getting stuff happening.
Hi Richard – thank you for your suggestion! I thought about doing a trade for an office as well – that is a good idea about blogging for trade. I have the workstation problem solved now and I kind of want to focus on my own writing rather than blog for someone else – but I will definitely keep that in mind if I decide to get an office space away from the home as well as what I have now. Thanks again!
Hi DTG. Can you update us? I’m anxious to know if you were able to find a solution.
I especially liked the the idea of providing storage space for a camper in exchange for using it as an office. You would need an air conditioner and heater. You’d have to vacate it when the owners want to travel, but most people only use their RVs a few weeks a year. I might try that myself!
I also wondered if you couldn’t create a “desk” that slides underneath your kitchen table. An old typewriter stand, maybe? Or a bedside table? I saw a Sharper Image SIB006-GPH06, Foldable Table Laptop Cart” for about $60 on-line. Maybe you can find a something similar cheaper on Craigslist. Or make something.
Here’s a potentially touchy issue: I wonder why you are losing the space where your current desk resides. In an entire house, it seems like there ought to be somewhere to keep a little desk, even if something else has to go. I don’t know you or anything about your relationships, so I may be off the mark. But as a reality check, here are a couple of questions to consider: Do you put everyone else’s needs ahead of your own, perhaps taking the martyr role in your family? Or is there a family member who undermines you, perhaps unintentionally? If so, working to resolve these issues may be necessary. Your story reminds me of a past relationship of my own, where it wouldn’t matter what solution I found–some objection would always arise that would put a damper on it, and I would always frantically try to find a way to placate the other person. . . which backfired because the person didn’t WANT to be placated. The real issues were masked. Just mentioning it in case it resonates.
Good luck!
Judith
P.S. By the way, stretching even 5 minutes a day (with chiropractor or doctor-recommended stretching exercises) makes a HUGE difference for my back and range of motion. You might check into it.
Hello! Sorry this is such a late reply – I am way behind at reading the emails in my inbox. YES I did fix it! Well kind of. Patty Newbold suggested getting a big tray or piece of wood and putting my desk set up on it and when I needed to move rooms I just picked up the whole board. (Thanks Patty! I couldn’t remember who it was that suggested it until I found my original post again!) I decided to try that and then I thought wait a second – why not one of those little portable workstations on wheels that I can wheel from room to room! And I used to be an Office Manager – I can’t believe I didn’t think of that right away! So I found one online that was reasonably priced and ordered it. My hubbie put it together and it was perfect! But then I found that I still was not working on my dreams so the desk wasn’t really the problem. It was me. But then I did one of Barbara’s resistance workshops by phone (highly recommended!) and got to the root of the problem and things are coming along much smoother now. And then my desk broke. Two wheels fell off – one on one day and another the very next day. And now instead of being able to wheel it from room to room it was stuck in the living room/dining room, we had to move the dining table so I could get to it and now my work time had to be worked around ever meal, every hour of tv time, every CD that someone was listening to, and my husband’s work time – he works from home about 3 days a week and his computer is also in the dining room. I did the best I could with headphones and white noise but it was not the best working conditions. Plus when I write I need to read it out loud to hear what it sounds like and with people in the room it just didn’t work out. And I had JUST started an online class on copywriting with lots and lots of homework. It was like fate saying oh yeah – you think you got your fear licked huh? BOOM! And then fate broke my wheels off. But I worked thru it, my hubbie fixed my desk – actually made it better – and my mobile workstation is mobile again and I can move it to wherever I need to now. I am back on track with my dreams. The desk is a Techni Mobile workstation and I got it at Staples online. It is small enough to get through doorways and around corners but big enough for laptop, speakers, back-up drive, and some other desk stuff like stapler tape dispenser, paperclip holder etc. . Room for a printer on the top shelf too although I use the space for other stuff. @Judith: the losing the workspace was because my step-son went to live with his mom for a year and I was using his room. But that didn’t work out so he moved back in with us and I lost my workspace. But I got my boy back so its all good. Our house is very very small (I live in CA and CA houses are generally pretty small unloess you’re rich which we are not) and every nook and cranny is filled with stuff. There was no room for anything permanent – trust me I have gone through it over and over and over again. The only permanent place would be in the garage which we tried twice but there were so any reasons it didn’t work (very bad air quality that gives me respirtory problems after more than 30 mins in the room, lots of spiders, electrical problems, very cold, leaky roof, crammed with stuff, and creepy to get too in the dark with the gate to the backyard – spider issues again) The mobile workstation is really the only thing that worked for me. As far as the family issues are concerned, the issue of having a permanent space for my desk is purely a small home that is too overcrowded already sort of thing. However carving out the time to write and using the living room/dining room to do so IS a huge issue. My step-son is now a teenage is hangs out in his room all the time so he isn’t a problem. My step-daughter is very attached to me and very clinging although I have established boundaries and “me-time” with her now and she has gotten very into hanging out in her room and doing her own stuff as she has gotten older so that is not the problem. Its the hubby. He works from home a few days a week and on weekends he is parked in that room either in front of the TV, listening to the stereo, or on his computer. So its a very unsaid “a man’s house is his castle” thing and I never have the reign of the room unless he is out. Yes it sucks and we’ve discussed it and fought about it but his view is that I get the house all to myself when he is in the office. And that is the end of the discussion basically. He also has a cute way of being jealous if my attention is on anything other than him. And he;ll come in the room and do something funny and I like the jealousy to a point but then if it gets too much and I tell him to go away I am working and he is understanding about it as long as I say it in a sweet way. So a mobile workstation was my solution to get privacy and peace and quiet as well as a desk and with the circumstances how they are it is the best solution other than my husband changing which I hope he does but sometimes you just can’t change people. I do still feel cheated out of part of my house but I hope that someday we have a bigger house where I have a room of my own or I have the resources to rent an office down the street etc. Til then I have a very happy marriage – just with a man who has different views of sharing than I have. Not ideal but my mobile desk has been how I deal with it. He could be more supportive yes I agree. Way way way more. But I think if he starts to see some $$$ coming in (or recognition) because of my work he’ll be more supportive. He’s that way – very results oriented. So anyway this is a super long post! In a nutshell yes i got my desk. But my desk wasn’t the problem. It was baggage from my childhood which I’ve got a handle on now – or am getting a handle now and I am seeing big results in working toward my dreams. Thank you everyone for suggestions – and Patty – thanks again for the Vocation Station suggestion! And thank Barbara Sher for holding those Resistance Telephone workshops! And having this awesome place to post problems and solutions!
Congratulations on dealing with your Resistance and creating a vocation station that’s perfect for you.
Yes! Don’t Ever be sorry for a hard times session. That’s why we’re here. You are obviously being challenged. I made it through grad school with a borrowed laptop which eventually gave up the ghost in the midst of a term paper, and no where to write either. I ended purchasing one of those big, very big fat cushions that looks like the back of an easy chair, with fat arms on it. This made it possible to sit on the bed without going nutz from the pain. My schedule was that I was in class from 9 until noon, with an hour break for lunch, and then in class from 1-4. I was home for supper briefly, and then back to campus to the academic library from about 6-10 p.m., and home by 10:30. If there were papers to crank out, I typed them, often transcribing from notebooks, until whatever time it took, including 4:30 in the morning, sitting in my room, typing away with the laptop on the bed or literally in my lap. Lights on in the rest of the house was forbidden; it kept others awake. On test days, I’d be in the library cramming, beginning at 7:30 a.m. when it opened. Same thing on weekends–it never stopped! Except then I would study all day and all night. And sometimes commute home to my New Mexico home, 175 miles from college on weekends and back. And use the borrowed laptop some more and the computers here at the library where I am now. And I am disabled and have a back that has been dislocated in 3 places. That big cushion really helped. I live in a tiny house where the “office” is so small that I can’t even think in there, so the space I use for my work is my bed. I don’t think I have ever sat down in my office and have ever written a lick. Most of my work in grad school was accomplished inside the academic library. Do you have any colleges or universities within a 50 mile radius of your house? You’d be surprised at how many of them will let guests use their computers, or if you can bring in your own laptop, hey, then I think your space problems are solved. Always, always back up each project or each day’s work, if you’re writing a book, on a flash drive. Always!
Another idea: Are there any writers’ groups in your area? Or could you found one? That way, you may be able to go to someone else’s house to work, someone supportive from the group, and you could work together, perhaps. And you’d have room to spread out. And no more 12 to 14 hour days! That’s toxic to the career of a writer.
Hi everyone,
I’m an entrepreneur wishing to establish a LLC in USA, unfortunately I’m on a tourist status, and investors visa doesn’t fits very well for entrepeneurs. With investors visa you need at least USD100.000 to invest in a business, my business is a small start up manufacturing products and selling them via Ecommerce site in USA, also I want to establish in this wonderful country, and pay my taxes as any other person, also my company will pay taxes too. There is no visa for entrepreneurs, maybe you have heard Google & Apple started as a small garage business. This is why I come here: I’m 27 years old; fluent in Spanish and English; I’m a B.A. in Political Science; I have worked in many non profits in Colombia, I have always worked in many volunteer job with homeless in Colombia and an investment firm in Bogotá. I have this excelent business idea I’m willing to work hard towards to, all I need is someone that could help me get a part time job in the USA. That way I can invest in my own company while working for somebody else in the USA, gain regional experience, and open many opportunities for me 😀
I know you can help me, any guidance or advice is greatly appreciated,
Matt
I’m inspired by your energy – I too lived in the US as a foreigner. It isn’t easy to be sponsored by an employer… Have you tried applying for the “green card lottery?”
Sadly, Colombia is not part of the countries that can apply to green card lottery 🙁
Can you sell things on e-commerce sites or places such as e-bay, from Colombia, and from that, make enough money to further your goals in the U.S.?
I want to do a PhD in alternative Sports Coaching incl. applied Kinesiology but I am 38 and cannnot find a professor who is willing to take me on as a doctor father. Can you help me?
I found something similar, talking to professors about a PhD at 40.. I was told that the PhD is intended to train new professors and researchers – not just be an extended master’s degree to apply in a non-academic setting. Perhaps you could clear up your intention with the professors, and make sure that your intention matches their goals as well?
Can you sell things on e-commerce sites or places such as e-bay, from Colombia, and from that, make enough money to further your goals in the U.S.?
Dear Doro,
The length that repressive attitudes can go in academia is unimaginable. When I got out of the university, having earned a master’s degree, I had a professor encouraging and even trying to set me up to pursue a PhD that would have taken me way too long and cost me way more money than I could afford, so I didn’t do it, but the encouragement is what counts. It all happened because he thought I had written the best, most brilliant research paper that he had ever written. And not being mathematically competent, I felt that research class was the most feared and dreaded class that there was in the curriculum. He did challenge me to publish my paper, and this is something that I intend to do. I am 67 and when I graduated from school, I was 64, and I think there is no age limit on a PhD unless you are my age and you graduate at age 70, and then have to begin looking for work when you graduate because the school you got your degree from doesn’t hire their own. This is what made me shift courses and direction, but I may still go for a PhD in a similar subject, with a much shorter time frame. I can’t believe that someone would turn you down for a PhD because of age at age 38! Someone’s head needs to be examined! And it isn’t yours. Would writing a proposal, or writing and publishing a paper on what you want to do help? Can the topic be empirically researched? Could you do that and publish your findings? Would that help? Are there any professors working in that field that you can talk to, and just ask for information about how to break in?
Any other ideas for my post of March 14th.?
Get rid of clutter, go virtual with everything, bills, banking, ebooks from the library. Anything you haven’t touched in a year, get it out. become a minimalist, we don’t need as much as we think we do. Be ruthless, you can do it! Use google to give you more ideas.
I would like to became a tv enterpreneur and presenter
Interpreter?
Hello, my wish is to have a nice (orderly) home office that I can share with my husband. We have two desks in my son’s old bedroom which is about 9 x 8 ft. I have about 150 books surrounding my desk (old kitchen table) and 4 file boxes containing: 1 budgeting, 2 writing course, 3 decorating, renovating, 4 retirement info. My husband works in a plant nursery so the office is mine during the day to pay bills, view e-mails, etc… On weekends he works as a plant photographer. We also run a network marketing business. During the evening, my husband is in a music hub, so he gets the office. We rarely are there together. Only during conference calls. My obstacles are that I have too much stuff, like paper, books, binders, all spread out and tend to do many tasks at the same time and so usually get overwelmed. I try to keep my agenda up to date with the things I need to do. The closet has photography equipment and a box of household appliance manuals. This is also where I keep my vaccum cleaner and telescope. What a mess LOL
those flat panel hollow core doors work great for desktops, they are 28″ x 80″ and only about $20. – use file cabinets as the base.
also, this site is great for inspiration and ideas (just don’t spend hours gazing….)
http://www.houzz.com/photos/home-office/office-/ls=5
Hi Marj,
We already have a desk for my husband’s computer and an old dinner table for my laptop and most of my books. However, the site you recommended really helped me take a look at bookshelves and other storage ideas. Thanks for that. P.S. I’ve only gone through half of the site. Will check the rest out later.
Hello – and thank you to anyone who has an idea or even just a good thought, a prayer, a wish for success for my Dream. Thank you for the space to ask for this help.
I want to open a Cafe, but a Cafe that is also a community resource. A For-Profit, that has space for lots of groups to meet and people to spend time. Something that is a cross between what a church or town hall might once have been and a family living room.
I want to serve beverages and a small selection of foods. I want to have outdoor yard like space. I want it to be profitable enough to support me and my partner.
I don’t know where to start. I don’t have a lot of liquid capitol, and I don’t know what to do first. I think I need a business plan and a loan…. But I am not sure.
It’s a wonderful idea. Before I got lost in a business plan (I personally have found it easier to write a book, business plans are so impossible), I’d do a lot of free-ish things.
1. I’d find out what neighborhood the artists, hippies and bohemians had already set up, near a small theater, coffee shops, health food luncheonettes, not too swanky, moderate prices, and I’d get to know that neighborhood and the people in it. (By drinking coffee there on different days, attending the theater, etc.)
2. If the walk-by crowd looked like the people you want in your place I’d start looking for an opportunity to set up something in an existing coffee shop, on their slow day, for example. Then I’d offer small events on that day just to see what the response is.
3. And/or I’d search my town for places like it – churches that put on plays, whatever has taken the place of town halls.
4. Find out if anyone brings speakers into your town, and if so, where do they speak? Check out college campuses for this kind of thing. Get to know the college booking agents to find out how they do their job. Or offer to work for them, volunteer for them to learn the ropes.
That’s the kind of thing you should be doing before you think of buying anything. If you give yourself a few months, you can learn a lot about what you need to know. Then you can start making plans.
You might meet someone who wants to be a part of it, or wants to help.
Good luck. It’s a lovely idea.
I started a restaurant and it is still a going concern. There is so very much that goes into that and extremely hard to finance. We did do a crowd funding of sorts at one point with our regular customers, but that was after it was up and running. You are looking at this to support two of you, which means no one has a “normal job”.
I too would not even bother with a biz plan, except for yourselves to have a much more complete vision. Unless you can find private backers, you will be very hard pressed to find a loan with no experience and no steady outside income.
Lovely idea, but I like what Barbara said, exhaust your free options and partnering up. One of the most underutilized resources are churches that don’t have enough staff to keep the building in use. Love the idea of hooking up with them – and helping pay for their space. Many already have a commercial kitchen (very expensive) and would be happy to have more activities in the building to pay the heat.
Get solid ideas on paper, so it doesn’t quite sound so dreamy (this is the idea or wish party, but not everyone things the same as this). Figure out how it can be a win win all the way around. One win for the church is bringing in a community that is not of that faith, or any faith, opens up the possibility that they may feel comfortable then taking part in other church related activities.
Another is an office building that doesn’t have many food options near by, or has only a morning coffee shop, that you could utilize other hours. Best of luck with this! Could be great fun when all is worked out.
This is great!
“Another is an office building that doesn’t have many food options near by, or has only a morning coffee shop, that you could utilize other hours.”
Thanks so much! It’s great to have some steps in between now and then! I’ll start trying to implement these and see where we get to. The dream details above are the end state, and I know there are several states of transitions between, just not a lot about what they will be! 🙂
Wish you were in MY neighborhood–sounds like a place I would love. Be sure to read The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community (Ray Oldenburg). Also, SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) might be helpful. You are not limited to volunteers in your geographical area–you can utilize on-line volunteers to find someone with relevant experience–preferably someone with an alternative bent.