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Another day, another post chock full of…

Well, it’s full of something. Because I’m full of something.

Today is Valentine’s day, so I’m going to focus on stuff that is Valentines’ related, heart-shaped, about love or things that are sexy. I’m nothing if not sentimental. And by sentimental, I mean black-hearted and spiteful. But, that’s a personal issue that we really shouldn’t get into here.

The Top 100 Perks of Freelancing 81-90

#90 – Harney & Son’s Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea. I don’t know for sure, but I’ve got my suspicions that this stuff has crack in it. It’s like drinking a hot cup of those little red candy hearts. I absolutely adore this stuff, and I’m a very, very staunch coffee guy. My son agrees that we could drink this stuff all day, every day. You can try it at Sbux inside Barnes & Nobles. You can also order it. HELL YES.

#89 – Craphound. I love these books. I’ve gotten all of the reprints, and I use them regularly. They’re great reference for all my conspiracy theory posters and doodles, plus they’re very punk rock. Break out a copy of Craphound and you’ll be the target of suspicion and strange glances. Sweet.

#88 – Loving my job. Yeah – I love this job. What’s not to love? Freedom, poverty and real control over the end product. Sure beats the pants off of bagging groceries.

#87 – Naps during business hours. I’ve got this quilt that my Aunt Elaine made for my wife and I. It’s this grand affair with squares and a million colors and hearts. It’s tattered and worn, but it’s warm and it’s my favorite. Give me that thing, around 3:00 in a sunny, quiet house and I’m a happy, sleepy boy. Sometimes, a 15 minute power nap can make the difference in having a good, productive afternoon and sitting around in a haze. Napping is a business investment. You have to be rested to be creative. Really – try it.

#86 – Cardio during business hours. Get your heart pumping, take a break from the electronics and get moving. I’m a big advocate of the gym (especially now that I’m getting older) and I know from personal experience that a healthy freelancer is a happy, productive and energized freelancer. Walking back and forth to the coffee pot is NOT the proper amount of exercise – unless your coffee pot is a couple of miles away and you run.

#85 – The love and support of my family. If you’re a freelancer with a family (oh – and I’m going to start posting more in that vein,) you know how good it feels to have your family behind you. If you’ve got that support and you work hard, you’ll succeed. If your wife isn’t happy with your career choice, you’re going to have a hard time. My wife and kids are awesome, and they put up with a lot for my “job.” Hope you have the same.

#84 – Love songs. This goes back to music and headphones and the ability to listen to music as much as you want without a manager looking at you angrily. Music feeds me all day, every day.

#83 – Quotes About Love. I post a lot of quotes on Twitter. One of my latest favorites: “Do what you love and tomorrow will pay the rent.” ~ Felix Sockwell

#82 – Twitter Love. Speaking of Twitter, I get a warm feeling when my Tweets get reTweeted. Viral communication is really very, very cool – and it can be a huge boon to freelancers. Tweet regularly – how else can you reach thousands (potentially millions) of people of like mind – FOR FREE? That’s worth loving, right?

#81 – Getting to see my babies grow up. With my first son, I was in the belly of the corporate beast. I loved my job, and I had a good time doing it – but I missed a lot of my son’s “firsts.” With my other 3, I’ve been able to be there for the big stuff. A lot of the time, I worked out of the house, so I could stop and interact and see what they were up to. Now, I work mobile, but I can generally show up when something cool is going on – so I get to see my kids’ stuff. That’s important, and it’s one of the biggest things I love about this “job.” My kids and my wife and our family is my heart…

I’m starting a list of reasons that Freelancing kicks ass. This is just as much a reminder to me as it is a list for general consumption. You see, I’m like everyone else (in a creepy Herman Munster-esque sorta way) in that I constantly fail to see how good I really have it. I cry and whine and mope about my job – but really, how freaking awesome is this? And still, I get my panties in a wad…

So, I’m making a list of the Top 100 – But really, there’s about a million.

Anyway, without further adieu:

The Top 100 Perks of Freelancing 100-90

#100 – The coffee is infinitely better.You get to pick what you drink, and I’ll bet you don’t pick anything close to office coffee. That stuff is essentially paint stripper and caramel color.

#99 – Pajamas are viable business dress. That’s right – I’m the Hugh Heffner of freelance graphic design.

#98 – Headphones. If I have to explain this, you’re not worthy of being a freelance designer.

#97 – Spending 3 Hours Reading About Milton Glaser is Kosher. It’s research – not slacking. This is a concept that I’ll be returning to very, very frequently. There is a big difference between screwing around online and actually looking for inspiration and resources. One is very important – the other is crucial to your business.

#96 – Your boss rarely looks over your shoulder. Actually, if you can look over your own shoulder, I’d love to meet both of you.

#95 – You can pick the people you work with. I’ve done the corporate thing enough to know that not everyone in the business world is a lovable eccentric like the folks on The Office. Some of them are downright evil. When you’re a freelancer, you can avoid the evil. If you’re stuck in an office with someone, avoiding them can be problematic, uncomfortable and dangerous.

#94 – Melt Banana  at ear-splitting level at 4:00 on a Monday. See #98, above.

#93 – The smell of fresh Moleskines. Man, I love my notebooks, and the scent of these babies is like nothing else. It’s freelance crack.

#92 – Dafont.com. If you’re a fontophile like me, it’s like wandering into a candy store on free day.

#91 – People watching. If you work mobile (I do, mostly,) you get to see some pretty great stuff. Weirdos, geeks, freaks and some genuinely funny stuff. When’s the last time you got to see someone break up with their boyfriend in a coffee shop? Me – last Thursday. It’s entertaining, and in a lot of ways – good research. You get to see what kind of crap the general public is up to. Oddly, I’ve found that most of the world isn’t a 40-something doofus who thinks The Young Ones is the funniest show. EVER.

Did I miss something? Contact me and tell me your goodies. If I use ‘em, I’ll give you credit. Backlinks YO!