#can't really talk about what the freelance market is like

[eisbecherovka]

Saw some post about AI art whatever and the op mentioned that AI "killed the field of translation", someone in the tags was lamenting that their career plan for becoming an interpreter was ruined because of that...huh??

Machines can't interpret (yet) and I think that technology is probably a ways off. But the real thing that everybody ignores is that a machine translation can only ever be as good as the source text. And if you feed a source text with typos and inconsistent terminology usage and...interesting sentence construction into a machine, you're going to get absolutely boiling hot nonsense out. And let me let you in on a little secret. Most technical texts - which make up the vast majority of translated material - are not very well written. The AI can't guess what the author was trying to say (yet) and it can't backtrack through other languages if the source text itself was a translation. It can't make use of supplemental material and it can't ask the author questions. It has the text and the text itself and that's it.

[hotvintagepoll]

Do you have any opinions on modern (post-1970s) movies that you feel capture the essence (in a good way) of Old Movies?

No, unfortunately. That doesn't mean I don't like modern movies or that modern movies aren't good, but modern movies—and here I'm really using modern to mean post-2010, so contemporary movies—have different standards for pacing, characterization, budget, and production that make it harder (or impossible) to capture some of the magic of old movies. Even when modern movies clearly try to emulate that old-movie feeling—I'm thinking of La La Land, The Artist, The Shape of Water, In the Heights—they play the homage too broadly, or they ignore crucial components that make the original films work.

There's kind of too much to go into here without writing a full essay, but essentially, the Old Hollywood system—ugly, failed beast as she was—made some movies simply more accessible to make, due to the ongoing storage of props, sets, master craftsmen, crew, and onscreen talent that could move from one movie to the next without pause. If you needed a dancer, he was already on staff. If you needed a fancy bed, it was already in the warehouse. That kind of longterm storage is invaluable if you want to crank out movies quickly and cheaply because it saves so much time on individual negotiation and sourcing. Modern production companies have to work out individual contracts for every actor on every film; crew members have to negotiate rental contracts and source pieces from scratch; if you need someone with specialist skills, you have to contract them specially at a high rate, which a lot of small companies can't (or won't) budget to do. There's sand in the wheels where there needn't be any. It's wasteful, and costly, but that's the system modern movies are made with.

Which all means that even if the modern movie system wanted to make a classic movie musical just like the old ones, they couldn't, because the talent isn't already there—it hasn't been trained up enough, and there's not that breadth of knowledge you can only get from people who have been allowed to work in the same department in the same place for decades. Movies like La La Land fail, for me, because they present themselves as descendants of Fred Astaire or Busby Berkley movies, while missing the bit where Fred Astaire was a master of his craft. When you watch Fred Astaire dance—or Moira Shearer, or the Nicholas Brothers, or Ann Miller—you are watching a true artist at work, purposely showcased by the studios because they already have them on contract. Modern movies, on the other hand, tend to take people who already have star talent (as actors) and try to convert them into dancers/singers—or they pull dancers/singers off of Broadway, but then they don't have the star power built in. You end up with lackluster musicals where no one truly knows what they're doing, or they do but they're not built up enough by the studios to sell. And that's me discussing just on-screen talent for musicals—there is a huge loss behind the scenes, as well, for all kinds of movies, where roles that would have been filled by union crew who moved continuously from one job to the next have been swapped for freelance labor who live with immense turnover, financial insecurity, and knowledge loss. You could hand me the budget and I could try to make an old movie, but the industry itself has changed so much it's impossible to recapture that charm of steady, niche talent, the amazing possibilities of bonkers set design, and the ability to take a risk on a smaller movie because the other films being produced by the same studio can help balance the budget.

I've talked way, way too much about all of this! Sorry, I just have a lot of thoughts—and the one above is just one of them; the talent loss and storage issues are only facets of a much bigger problem that extends to how we watch movies today, how we market them, what we expect of them, and what's allowed in them. It's a crying shame because the talent is still there, but times change and so does the industry, for better or for worse. (And, just again to clarify, I don't think modern movies are bad—they're just missing a lot of the juice old movies got to play with, even if there's more talent available than ever before.)

[steadycoffeeflow]

I'm coming out of my cage and things are not fine, I'm screaming at NaNo "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!"

If you haven't already been made aware how borked NaNoWriMo is, in the past 24 hours they've released an endorsement of AI after partnering with an AI software program.

The problem is, much of what they're saying is outright bullshit, and I don't even need to get into the nature of belittling the very writers they claim they're sticking up for by talking over them. It's an exploitation of a community, using them as a PR meat shield.

Because it should be awfully apparent NaNo's goal isn't to foster a healthy writing community. If that were the true goal, their missteps for the past year following the child harm allegations wouldn't be happening. Rather, instead, it's more likely the reason every company has relentlessly pursued and pushed AI: $$$

I don't think I'm entirely off base to say money is the reason AI is mucking up much of our creative spaces. At the peak of this fervor, you could load up some listicle titled '5 Ways AI Boosts Your Side Hustle' or some YouTuber claiming to make thousands a month with their AI writing, as if it were that easy to make a living writing and silly authors have just been leaving money on the table.

The mad gold rush that followed impacted literary magazines and publishing spaces, such as Clarkesworld Magazine freezing submissions as they were inundated with poorly written nonsense. The people behind NaNoWriMo, however, apparently believe Clarkesworld Magazine is just being classist and ableist in their anti-AI stance. Yes. Certainly because of those reasons.

And not because their submissions jumped an untenable amount, almost 500% from their usual submission intake, and cost the lit mag staff untold amounts of mental harm (as well as a very real number amount of staffing hours and financial costs to combat this problem).

But to that, NaNo Org argues that AI is cost-effective, actually!

Which, we're back to the opening argument that NaNo is full of shit (in case you didn't realize that citation link was sarcasm and not evidence in support of NaNo's stance). It may be free to the end user to access AI, notwithstanding the many many models one can buy including NaNo's own sponsor, but the financial damages being incurred by the use of this tech is anything but. The fact NaNo glosses through this in three little bullet points is insulting.

But what really has gotten me to write off about this on a mostly dead Tumblr blog, is that I've worked in the publishing industry all of my adult life and I've been a part of the creative writing community about as long as NaNo claims to. Hell, part of my contract freelance work has been to go through slush piles and evaluate, by hand, if the submission utilized AI or not. Full transparency, that work has helped me get through medical bills this year.

Yet that's my point. Someone had to rearrange their budgets to hire many people like me to combat rampant AI-generated submissions, from college admission offices to literary magazines to other publishers. What could have gone toward the print run of a special issue or increasing the marketing budget of a debut author now has to go making sure illegal, plagiarized work isn't being unwittingly published and endorsed. It's not classist to take a stand against a technology that's disruptive enough to put people out of business, but NaNo takes aim and fires off some bullshit claim they're pro-indie authors.

You might be thinking, "But Steady, if the business can't adapt to the market, they shouldn't exist!"

And to that I say, not every single little thing needs to have a financial commodity price tag slapped onto it. Not everything needs to make money. Things have a right to exist without a price tag stickered on them. The onus of this situation is because NaNo partnered with an AI sponsor. They're outright seeking to make money out of this. Because they're well aware of the PR fiasco, they're high-grounding the situation by claiming they're sticking up for the little guys, while outright taking money from a harmful billion dollar industry.

Meanwhile, the little guy will find no publisher will touch their work, that their writing has no copyright protections attached to them, and they'll be blacklisted by those they stole the work from. NaNo claims this is unfair; sorry folks, that's just how it works. Stealing from your fellow writers tends to get those same writers to rally against you.

I don't need to be told that the publishing industry has issues, that fanfiction writers are made fun of and lambasted. But most of those issues stem from and feed right back into the very problem NaNo is claiming to stand against: The financial commodity of writing.

NaNo has everything to gain by you believing them and using their sponsorship coupon so you can generate works as a writer that have no copyright protections and likely violated the copyrights of fellow writers works in doing so (I can play the bolded words game too, you pricks (see their update in response to the massive backlash this stance has generated online)).

The final point I have to say, is that in NaNo's defense they claim their online workshops are just full to the brim! See the demand! Look, look with your special eyes how popular AI is!! You fools, this is the future at hand!!!

Except, I, an avid anti-AI writer and publishing professional, attend webinars about AI all the damned time. Mostly to understand what new angle or developments we'll have to defend against. Every single one of these publishing industry or writing webinars are, in the end, a sales pitch to get you to pay them rather than a fellow freelancer.

Notwithstanding, it's a marketing and sales 101 faux pas to mistake interest in a thing, eyes on screens and butts in seats, for tacit endorsement in said thing. Besides the obvious point that people most impacted by this tech would be interested in learning more about it, there's the very real possibility that the same crowd who drives clicks to Forbes and YouTube videos is partially the same crowd that flocks to these NaNo webinars seeking to make a quick, effortless buck.

So, in the end, NaNo isn't speaking to writers. They're speaking to people looking to exploit a blind spot in an industry in order to make $$$ in our Capitalist Hellscape. And in NaNo's rush to join that race, they're trampling over the community they've grown and fostered for over 20 years.

The insinuation of this entire statement is that NaNo is standing tall for the "little guy" that the writing community has just let wilt and suffer for years, neglected and unheard. And it's totally not that NaNo nuked their own forums, a free, accessible resource for such writers to utilize, and without warning fired all of their volunteer staff all because they dropped the ball in moderation and safety checks (I'm not touching on whether the groomer is still working for NaNo since that situation is tainted by rumors, sensationalism, and directly conflicting stories).

And topping this all off with a pithy little cherry on this shit sundae: "For all of those reasons, we absolutely do not condemn AI, and we recognize and respect writers who believe that AI tools are right for them. We recognize that some members of our community stand staunchly against AI for themselves, and that's perfectly fine. As individuals, we have the freedom to make our own decisions."

So not only does NaNo condone plagiarism and theft, they're quick to both-sides the issue, only to immediately say "we're all free to make our own decisions!" Not said is the heavy implication, "oh but if you stand against AI you're a classist, ableist dickhead!" Which, if it wasn't obvious, is so far removed from the truth it's insulting.

In short, fuck NaNoWriMo.

Also what the fuck does "further-proof" mean.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

What is something you wish more people understood about you or if you prefer about your job or hobbies?

Hey Lovely!!

Ahhh, oh gosh SO much, honestly.

So I'm a graphic designer by trade, and an illustrator and freelance designer as my side gig, and my hobbies are art-related as well.

FOR SURE, I have to say that I wish people respected designers as the creatives we are. I've GENUINELY had clients who think all I do is hit a "design ad" button and BOOM it's done, and don't think they should have to pay me because – and this is ONLY because I've been doing this for 20 years – I can finish a print ad in under an hour, and booklets under 5, not taking into account the AMOUNT OF CHANGES and STUPID things I have to talk people out of to not make them look bad.

Some other things:

Microsoft Word is not a design program. I HATED this when I worked at the Paper. Good fucking LORD the amount of times I've had to rebuild an ad because the client couldn't resize it themselves and couldn't understand why if they moved something everything fucked up is astounding.

Canva is good for mocking up design, but I'm sorry, you're NOT a designer if you learned design in Canva. I know it sounds gatekeepy and pretentious, and I am sorry about that, but even with Canva you need to know SOME principles of design to get something appealing out of it. A designer, after-all, MADE your templates you're working from. We're everywhere. We're a silent bunch that's under-appreciated. You're never going to get the precision and nuance and a proper eye that you'll get from a designer. Sure you'll get quick and dirty designs, work fine for socials, but I LOATHE when people send me shit they made in Canva that I have to, once again, rebuild because they can't figure out how to resize in Canva and complained to me that Canva isn't making it look nice when they export it (to be fair, that's a them problem, the tools ARE there for you to do that stuff)

When your designer tells you one thing and you're trying to push for another, your designer is trying to save you the embarrassment of your "vision". We know what we're doing. We spend most of our days knowing market trends and what will make eyes go to your advertisements and products.

Strokes don't fix everything.

I can't read your mind. PLEASE, if you wanted an element there from the start, you need to tell me, and not tell me I'm a fucking moron who should have guessed by the blobs you drew on a napkin as your layout.

Fuck AI; I see the benefits of it for smaller things like content aware fill to add a bit more height to a stock photo I'm using, or the smart-select to route a photo faster, but literally that's all I see useful for it.

I know there's loads more I'm missing, but I've seen SO much that I'm numb to a lot of things and tend to just "autocorrect" stuff without even thinking anymore.

I love my job though, I really do. The joke in my industry is that "I get paid to play in Photoshop all day long" and there is some truth to it after doing this for nearly 20 years. But I wish people would understand that we are trained professionals who want to make them look good, and to do that I need time and money. We are literally background characters for the main protagonists, and the pay isn't great unless you're really lucky (which I am, but it took me 12 years to finally get in where I am), and I wish people would stop saying my job is easy.

It literally is not. Think of it as retail, but you deal with the same people every single day nitpicking the tiniest things over and over again despite you telling them countless times that 6pt font is probably the smallest you should go, but no 3 pt must be on this ad.

Anyway. 🙃

My favourite though is Layout Design. I love designing the booklets and mailers we do at my job, because I get to be super creative. My boss is pretty lenient with me, since "you've been here longer than all of us, you know better than me how this works", so I get to have fun.

Thank you for this question :) And gonna promo myself here, if anyone ever needs design or layout services, I'm your gal :)

[brehaaorgana]

Btw since we're talking about ADHD strategies for handling organizing events and tasks — I like this book Grip: The Art of Working Smart for workplace (office, freelance, creative) organization (and growth!) advice. Rick Pastoor really breaks down how to manage a work calendar (he focuses on/prefers digital), and to-do lists. Basically he starts with the premise that people "aren't natural born planners," and we can't possibly remember everything we need to, so we have to create an external hard drive for our brain.

There's also stuff for like, evaluating your job (if it's a good fit, if you want something else) and performance, finding valuable feedback (and who to listen to which is like!!! Great advice) and stuff like that, but the beginning parts about organization are why I bought it.

Highlights:

Figuring out your work habits and how to experiment to make things easier for you

Action plan for last minute jobs

The Eisenhower matrix for figuring out priorities of tasks. I started doing this at work when I feel like I have too much to do and no idea what to do first. The book explains each quadrant and like, what to do about tasks in those places and it has saved my skin at least twice.

How to make a to-do list. Literally a whole chapter. There's prompts for what to put on it, how to deal if you have too many things jangling in your brain to start, setting up keyboard shortcuts for digital list entries to help preserve focus, how to turn vague tasks into to-do list actions, and then only later does he explain how to get more complex with the lists. How to use the list.

He even talks about like, intentionally hyperfocusing and setting up the right environment to do that when you want to crunch through something lol.

Whole chapter on dealing with work emails!! I have so many, all the time. Necessary to defeat the beast.

There's an added mini chapter at the end about preparing for a vacation from work and returning from work without everything being maximum stress which is great.

Basically EVERYTHING IS BROKEN DOWN!! EXPLAINED!! steps provided to make it easier or less to tackle!!

Apparently it didn't do so hot in the English (US/UK) market which is a shame because it was VERY HELPFUL to me. (I went searching and found someone else with ADHD recommending it, which is how I found this out!)

[eusuchia]

sorry to the anon but I couldn't figure out how to edit my answer once it was in my drafts (great website).

the question was (badly paraphrasing) shouldn't we try to preserve the livelihoods of ceramicists and weavers too? and instead of saying 'mass production already killed this industry, and it will happen to others,' try to save more art from it?

basically yes! deskilling due to industrial capitalism sucks and mass production makes commodity fetishism infinitely worse. I think it's important to preserve craft knowledge and don't think we should just cede everything to industrialization, but that feeling isn't going to shift industrial trends -- only industrial action will do that. for what it's worth, it's really annoying to hear 'just unionize!' as an artist, when many, like me, are self-employed/freelance, and without sudden mass interest in some kind of low-entry-requirement sectoral guild, are not very unionizable because we don't have workplaces in the traditional sense. but by sheer numbers a lot of the job loss to AI would be corporate-level, I think, and there's more potential for people employed by like, marvel, to actually do something significant about the use of AI, than for individual customers trying to throw their weight around by buying or boycotting. I'm happy to get proved wrong here by some targeted mass boycott campaign, but I'm not holding my breath.

on a personal level I regularly spend money on handmade ceramics, fiber arts, and original art commissions both physical and digital because I find them valuable and beautiful. but I also use my IKEA plates and print-on-demand t-shirts, functionally devaluing those crafts. no amount of hypothetical discourse shaming me for 'stealing from working craftsmen' would really change that due to the economic realities. (tangentially, I don't use AI as a stand-in for commissioned art because they are not at all interchangeable to me.)

broadly though, isn't every kind of automation 'taking a livelihood' from someone in theory? my original reply to metamatar's post was basically asking where you draw the line. digital printing is taking the work of typesetters and sign painters, canva presets are taking the work of graphic designers, slip casting is taking the work of ceramicists. yet those trades still exist, and if anything I think their creative horizons are a little wider when the drudgery of the industry is taken up by machines. I know that's paltry compensation for a vanishing job market under capitalism, but isn't it a good thing when ceramicists and weavers are free to explore their ideas and not confined to backbreaking work of making the same bowls or yards of tweed for years on end? (especially in The Good Society with robust social protection that we should all be fighting for anyway)

there can be different use cases for these things (artisanal vs mass produced) and one use doesn't mean 1:1 something is being stolen from the other. personally I'm never going to pay someone to render my likeness instead of taking a photo; the money that's being 'lost' by a realism portrait artist there is purely hypothetical. same for when people get mad about others generating AI art for fun. 'you could have paid an artist for this [generated meme in the style of hr giger]' ok but they weren't going to and you can't make them.

I think people are unthinkingly flattening all kinds of creative labour when they talk about what might happen with AI. to start with, people are often talking about the job market of the first world/imperial core/etc despite the huge amounts of creative labour in/outsourced to other countries. but wherever you want to apply AI -- I don't think boutique client-based work is ever going to vanish, because the stuff that AI can do well is limited to certain types of digital illustration and animation, and you need human, creative problem-solving for new creative work, even on industrial levels with lots of automating tools in the workflow. art directors with good sense can see that. big name editorial illustrators are going to remain big name editorial illustrators. etc. (tbh, I think even the stuff AI is 'good at' looks dogshit a lot of the time, hence my disinterest in it, but that's a personal valuation and has no economic bearing.)

I'm not saying there's nothing to worry about, especially because managers and execs are often stupid and have bad taste and want to 'incorporate AI' when it makes no fucking sense, and would gladly thin out their staff for any reason. but that is ultimately a labour problem and not an artistic one.

[eleni-cherie]

ok nobody's gonna see or care this but I'm gonna rant bc I am sick of my life and maybe someone can relate: so long story short, I'm a 27 year old graphic designer who was working 2 years at a big e-commerce shop until the new asshole supervisor didn't want to continue my contract that expired bc of his hurt ego bc I (along w pretty much everyone else bc he liked to pick fights w ppl from all departments bc he got into everyone's business) dared to argue w him BC HE KEPT CHANGING HIS MIND EVERY TWO MINS AND KEPT CONTRADICTING HIMSELF ALL THE TIME. so I lost my job last October and ever since I'm unemployed. I live in germany (Berlin) so I get unemployment money, but it only lasts for a year and it's already the end of July and I still can't manage finding a job although I've probably applied to 90 jobs by now of which only about 10-15 turned into job interviews - or the new trend "getting to know you meetings". of which only 1 invited me for a 2nd interview. now I get there's sadly so many designers, the job market is kinda oversaturated and for one job probably 20-30 ppl apply. but then sometimes this isn't even the problem. I had an interview for what seemed to be my dream job so I was super excited for this but then when I met the two guys doing it, they were very underwhelming. I mean little to no reaction to what I was telling them about myself and at the end they only asked 3 quite superficial questions. that's it. meanwhile others for companies I'm less suitable for, ask me like 20. then there's this other case, where they give you tasks and I don't mind tasks but one time I'd have needed the whole creative suit for them and like - hello? I'm unemployed and don't have the extra money to spend 60 euros every month on Adobe? I only an old Photoshop Version and that's it. then another time they gave me tasks that were only 40% graphic design related (but very vague descriptions/no real info) and 60% marketing/copyright related and like sorry, but I only have basic marketing knowledge and I'm not a fcking ad writer? there's this trend nowadays, they say they want a graphic designer but what they really want is a graphic designer / marketing expert / social media manager / copywriter / photographer / editor / etc. but still w only a graphic designer salary, so they don't have to pay five different ppl. like FCK YOU!

and thing is, in my desperation I even applied to random jobs (which said "No experience needed" in the description) like vendor or barrista. even in a copyshop where I thought I should fit in bc of my knowledge of print products, but either no response at all or I "lacked sale experience". bc Idk how it's in other countries but here you need a certificate for anything. even for a shop vendor you need a 3 year long apprenticeship. for a moment I contemplated going freelance or self-employed but a) I got no fcking clue how and what I have to do and b) taxes and insurance system in Germany is insane, I read an article and was overwhelmed.

So yeah, I'm getting fed up and sad and mad mostly also very anxious about my fcking future bc it honestly seems like I'll end up just moving back to my parents at this point. idk what to do anymore. I try and try and try, but nothing happens and I'm just done. the pressure is overwhelming and the sad thing is, I purposely decided not to visit my relatives/my grandparents this summer (the live in greece) thinking I "might find a job" and even if not, I don't have the extra money for plane tickets! they're extremely overpriced. and it's sad bc whenever I talk to my grandparents they say they miss me and how they're worried about me being unemployed. and my grandparents aren't the youngest anymore either (83 and 89) and I haven't seen then in a year, so that only saddens me more on top of feeling like an overall loser.

[causticsunshine]

if he’s gonna claim to be a man of the people, indie artist, he needs to do better. imma need him to be more vocally progressive than this bullshit.

hiii anon i'm going to reply to you and some other anons i got on this topic as well, just because this has now turned into a Discussion and it seems people may be taking my initial annoyance at any potential interest louis may have in AI—and whatever direction that potential interest may go, but that is hopefully largely anti AI in regards to how it's largely being used rn—as possibly misdirected due to the space he was in being titled 'Is AI the end of humanity?' (+ comparing two differently functioning AI engines)

but i want to reply to you first, and say: yes!! it just doesn't make sense to me how someone who preaches artistic integrity, being true to yourself and your work, yk, that the Big Boss Man Indie Artist himself, could have any vested interest in tools that are used to literally steal art for profit, unless it was to try and find a way to make these tools obsolete!

now, to the other anons i got, which had to say this:

(my reply to these inquiries btw will likely give more support to my reply to our original anon on this post as well! also put it behind a cut because i get a bit wordy soz)

as the space was over before i even saw the post—or i at least couldn't access it, simply couldn't find it, etc.—i couldn't listen in and find out what exactly the discussion was deducing. while it would seem by the first half of the space's title that they were just talking about potential pros and cons to AI usage, the subtitle of the space, putting musty elon's AI machine up against ChatGPT, made/makes me a bit more apprehensive of how the subject of AI was being discussed.

(unless, of course, the goal was still to discuss the differences between two different AI tools, as well as their individual pros and cons and how both may end up relating to the first part of the space's title: is AI the end for us?

because i think it is really important for us to discuss the ways we can use different forms of AI to help us, as well as the ways we can use it to hurt us.)

while i definitely appreciate the anon in the first screencap for pointing out that while AI (as it's being used most currently) in general is still very much bullshit, that ChatGPT does have potential to be helpful as a writing aid and did offer them help in school, i'm still apprehensive of how it was being discussed in the space, and what pros and cons were possibly being touched on. especially if this was louis', or really anyone else's, primary education source.

(also while i do know at its core what ChatGPT is, i haven't personally used it, so i can't vouch for its overall efficiency or even it's morality as a writing AI tool!)

i say this because i personally already have a fundamental issue with AI tools 9.8 times out of 10, because of how these current big AI tools work, are being marketed and used, and what purpose they truly end up serving in the end, which is: to data mine and steal from artists/creatives/people putting their work up on the public internet to turn a profit without doing any of the actual work!

plus, as someone who actively draws and writes, puts their work out on the internet for consumption, and who's been trying to do freelancing for years—as well as someone who has also had their work stolen on more than one occasion before! without the help of machines!—i know firsthand how much most artists are underpaid and how much our professions and accomplishments are belittled, all while being demanded to work constantly for people to largely enjoy our content for free.

so tldr: even if louis was in that space just to hear about the dangers of AI, or how one system may be better/worse than another, the pros and cons of both, what have you, i don't really think you can blame anyone for being nervous of him having any vested interest in the subject due to how he approached NFTs, and i say this because there's a lot of crossover between people who utilize(d) NFTs for capital gains, and people who use AI for the same reason, as well as people who are trying to market AI as they did NFTs: as a business model rather than huge source of creative theft (and in some cases, data mining too!)

i will say though, in argument to AI, that at LEAST AI art theft machines can/could be altered and thus used as a tool to help the communities and people they're currently stealing from, such as being used to help create art references, alter your own works in a new method of editing or bolstering your end product, even protecting from art theft (which i believe a university tech team somewhere in the US is actually working on rn!)

if louis were to clarify that he's wholly against the misuse of AI as a pocket-lining theft module, i'd gladly redact my earlier statement and proudly thank him for educating himself on the matter and speaking up against it! like, i'd genuinely love that! but, because of how much crossover exists between AI and NFT users and how he initially approached NFTs in a pro-model sort of way (from what we were able to see), it makes me honestly exasperated to see him engage at all in discussion on AI, without true clarification on how that discussion is being put across.

especially seeing as how much he promotes originality and being proud of one's own work and ideas.

[elysiumwaits]

New Year, New Experiences

The days between Christmas and January 1st is a lot like a hangover for me. 

I lose track of time. Everything feels a little weird and unbalanced. I just had a really good time, but now I'm anxious about what's ahead of me, whether that's going to be a wine headache in the morning or a disastrous year of my life. There are exactly 6 days to survive in that liminal space between this year and the next. This week is the butt of the bread loaf that makes up the year.

That said, this time is really important for me as a human being, because I finally have time to stop and think. Another year down and gone - what did I do? What would I have done differently? What do I hope to do next year? When is the store actually open so I can get discount Christmas candy? Where am I going to put this air fryer?

Real talk, I am the type of person that has to pencil in time for self-reflection. What the past few days has done for me is offered a perspective for my life and relationships, courtesy of the ticking time-clock that I'm suddenly seeing over my shoulder. 2023 is going to be a big year for me. I'm newly married to a wonderful, amazing human that's helped me realize how much of my life I haven't been living. I finally feel safe enough to explore in ways I never have before, whether that's due to my own circumstances or society or whatever. My anxieties and fears have done a lot to hold me back over my life, and I've only started to realize just how much I've never done but really really wanted to. It doesn't help that I turn 30 in February. 

There are a few things that have been on my general bucket list forever: start a blog, find a way to help people with all of my random knowledge, make people feel less alone, talk about things that should be talked about, "live my best life." At least, at the very least, try.This blog is me checking off a few different things on that list. It's also me giving myself a way to stop letting my health, my anxiety, my circumstances, and so many other things dictate what a meaningful, authentic life means to me. 

Part of that life for me is always going to be sex. My relationship with sex is difficult at best, but it wasn't always that way. I can't stand the idea of going through life without trying some things that I want, that are available, that are perfectly fine when all parties consent, etc etc, but never doing those things because of the shadow of a man in my past or my own brain trying to drag me into an anxiety spiral. Are those things going to win the battles sometimes? Absolutely. Are they going to win the war? Nope. I won't let them.

So here it is. A 2023 "bucket list." More of a list of wants, needs, and goals. I'm going to give myself permission to take up space, to be a little selfish, to sit somewhere and pretend I'm Carrie Bradshaw for a little bit (without the whole toxic friendships and Mr. Big part, and also without the insanity of freelance writing in New York as a career, oh my god, I'd be living in a shoebox). I may add to this list, I may remove from this list. I may ask for help with some things or advice for others. 

And yes, the first one is a "gimme."

Start a sex/life blog for advice and journaling

Join the local BDSM/kink community

Start a sticker store

Become more comfortable with my body in lingerie and photos

Go to more open mics and comedy shows

Have good sex

Answer questions about sex/life with research and advice

Simple, right? I work at an adult toy store, so some of these should be a little easy to get the materials for. Starting a sticker store is something I've always wanted to do, mostly for fandoms and such, but requires me to have a tablet first. As for the open mics and comedy shows, I honestly just need to be better about marketing myself and making myself work through the mental slumps that come with being creative and also alive.

You all can help me with the questions. What do people want to know? Would you all want a basic explainer to bondage? A list of myths and misconceptions about anal sex? Reviews of all the roses? Would you want to know how the performance enhancers work? Or how about how to start a cam show, or how to explore your fantasies, or how to give your partner the first orgasm of their life? I have histories of pin-ups, of the adult industry, and a bunch of random and interesting facts (did you know that the first million-dollar budget for a porno was for the movie Pirates? did you know that there's a whole musical genre specifically for the adult industry? did you know that the artificial banana flavor we know is a different flavor than the actual bananas most of us eat?) about life, relationships, sex, cool shit, experiences, and more. In order to really expand my own horizons, I need the dialogue that comes with interaction. Let me google the weird stuff so you don't have to.

Anyway, that's what I'm going for. "Live better," I guess, is how this can all be summed up! Wish me luck, and stay tuned, I guess.

[buffysummers]

this might be a shitty suggestion bc i don’t 100% know what i’m talking about, but is there any way you could freelance as a side gig with your gif making expertise? surely that’s a skill in demand especially for brands who need people to make gif advertisements for social media?

you’re really good at this gif stuff (like REALLY good), and there’s got to be a market in that somewhere

Thank you for saying that! I appreciate you taking time to leave me this suggestion❤️

I've tried to make money through my giffing but it has proven to be fruitless :( I've tried to get graphic design positions using my gifsets to prove my experience, but since I don't have *official* experience working as a graphic designer with a reputable company, I am often overlooked.

That's why I have my tip option on, through desperation lol. But no one seems to want to tip content creators, whether they can't afford to (which is understandable ofc!) or because they don't see it as art or value it.

I applied to like 10 jobs today so hopefully I hear something.

[serenelysimple]

I'm convinced that everybody hates me.

An update for the past two years since I stopped posting here in 2022.

2022 - Intense relationship and personal doubts.

2023 - My job since 2020 started to do a face-to-face setup. It was actually fun and comfortable. I am anxious and have self-doubts to begin with. But I didn't realize how heavy it would feel to be talked about behind my back, and be called selfish. I was criticized for the way I managed the studio, and for taking my time to conceptualize and produce marketing assets. They said my designs were ugly. They said I spoke too slowly. I was called selfish for reflecting and expressing my feelings — about how my colleagues looked and treated me. I still managed to lead the scholars and produce a recital.

2024 - It was the same as 2023 but heavier since I needed to lead interns and new employees. My boss wanted me to focus on administrative work and was willing to replace me the day before my art classes, without orienting my lesson plan to the person who would replace me. I also managed to handle and lead another recital and art gallery and created the lesson plans. The teacher who replaced me earned twice more because she was assigned to teach the classes I planned, even though she did not follow most of them and didn't execute the techniques properly. I also resigned due to the unfair treatment during the summer classes and the days leading to it. They doubted and stepped on me. They didn't even raise my salary after the promotion. Now, they are thinking that I am just after the money, when in reality, I sacrificed a good freelancing career, and the possibility to try corporate jobs because I believed in their vision. I have been blinded by good words, despite being treated like shit.

Still, 2024 - After quitting my job at the studio, I got hired to a corporate work-from-home job. I'm still under probation until February 2025, which makes me anxious about the possibility that I will not be regularized because of how slowly I work on the marketing materials. Back in the studio, it was a bit easy but now, I have the skills but don't have enough speed to finish them.

I feel like I wasted four years. During those years, my classmates were already married, comfortable, traveling, receiving multiple awards, and so much more. At 29, I am still just beginning. And just when I thought I would be more independent and comfortable now that I had a new job, I suddenly got the responsibility of feeding 3 (my aunt, and two cousins) people passed on to me. They told me "help would be given", but I am the only person working my ass off to feed them and give them school materials. While I can't disclose why the responsibility of caring for them was passed on to me, I did not ask for it and was not ready.

I asked God many times, "Why do these things happen to me at times when I want to fix myself?"

I'm just trying to have a good day and have peaceful meals. I don't want to entertain traumatic stories daily because I wasn't involved in their problems and I have no idea who they are talking about anyway. Am I selfish for trying to protect myself, because absorbing someone's words and negative energy causes me stress? I'm feeling stressed because I have to step out of my comfort zone, deal with debts that I didn't cause, and ensure I stay composed for my new job.

And what if I really am not talented enough? Maybe I am not getting what I thought I deserved, because I am not really meant for it. Because I am just an average person. I don't work twice as hard as my classmates, so I don't have to expect that I would receive the same recognition that they are getting.

I'm convinced that everybody hates me from the people who blocked me to protect their peace, to being uninvited and not being considered. I understand that. I don't like myself either.

[myagencyexperiences]

The Power of Personal Branding: Leveraging Your Unique Identity

In today's world, personal branding is like giving yourself a unique stamp. It's about proudly displaying what makes you, well, you! Your personal brand is like your very own billboard that tells everyone who you are, what you're great at, and what matters to you. It's like having a sign that shouts out your special talents and passions for everyone to see.

What is Personal Branding

Personal branding is all about making yourself stand out from the crowd. It's like crafting your very own special identity that tells everyone who you are and what you're all about. It's like having your own spotlight that shines on you, showing off your talents, skills, and personality for everyone to see. Just like how superheroes have their own cool costumes and superpowers that make them unique, personal branding helps you show off what makes you special and awesome.

When you work on your personal brand, you're basically creating your own personal advertisement. It's like putting up a big sign that says, "Hey, this is me, and this is what I'm good at!" It helps people remember you and understand what you're passionate about. Personal branding is like having your own mini marketing campaign, where you get to show off the best parts of yourself to the world.

Why Does Personal Branding Matter?

Stand Out: Personal branding helps you stand out, just like how superheroes with their unique powers catch everyone's attention. It's like wearing a superhero cape in a crowd of ordinary clothes – people can't help but notice you!

Be Trusted: When people know what you're all about, they trust you more, just like how we trust our favourite superheroes to save the day. Building trust means people are more likely to want to work with you or listen to what you have to say.

Make Friends: Your personal brand helps you make friends and find cool opportunities, kind of like having a secret handshake that lets you connect with other awesome people who share your interests.

Get Cool Stuff: When people know who you are and what you're good at, they want to give you cool stuff to do. It's like how superheroes get called to save the city – but instead of saving the city, you might get cool job offers or get to work on exciting projects.

How to Build Your Personal Brand

Know Yourself: Knowing yourself is like finding your superpowers. Think about what makes you awesome – what do you enjoy doing the most? What are you really good at? These are the things that make up your superhero identity, setting you apart from the rest.

Tell Your Story: Everyone loves a good story, and yours is no exception! Share your journey – the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Talking about your experiences helps people get to know the real you, making you more relatable and understandable.

Look the Part: Just like how superheroes have their own cool costumes, your personal brand should look good too. Use the same colours and logos everywhere so people can easily recognise you. It's like having your own signature style that makes you stand out.

Help Others: Superheroes are all about helping others, and you can be too! Share helpful tips, offer advice, or simply be a friendly presence online. It shows people that you're someone they can trust and rely on.

Make Friends: Connect with other awesome people who share your interests. Leave comments, join conversations, and build relationships – it's like assembling your very own superhero team, ready to conquer the world together!

Conclusion

Personal branding is like putting on your superhero cape and showing the world how awesome you are. By letting people know who you are, what you're good at, and what you care about, you can stand out, make friends, and get cool opportunities. Whether you're a freelancer, entrepreneur, or business owner looking to boost your personal brand, or even a branding agency in Bangalore helping others do the same, embracing your uniqueness, sharing your story, and letting your personal brand shine is key to success in today's connected world. And for those in Bangalore seeking professional assistance in shaping their personal brand, partnering with a reputable branding agency in the city can provide invaluable guidance and support on their journey to building a strong and impactful personal brand.

[secretlifeofmoney]

Free Article Content

In an effort to increase traffic to their website and increase their bottom line, some bloggers use articles from free content sources. This is extremely useful for the people who have only recently started working as affiliates for different businesses, do not yet have any funding, and must create smaller niche websites to attract visitors in order to start generating income.

Even while it may often be the only choice for people with zero budgets, this is not a strategy that can successfully increase traffic to your website or income. This could hurt your efforts to create a business for a few different reasons.

#1 - Search Engines

Your website will only be considered by search engines if it has content that is 100% unique and not copied from other websites. Less sites sharing your content means less of a benefit to your ability to rank well in search engines.

In order for people to find your website and click on your affiliate links, you must have high search engine rankings. You won't ever generate income if you can't even attract visitors. Priority one should be given to improving your website's SEO so that you will eventually rank highly enough to attract customers.

#2 - Getting visitors to click

It takes a lot of work to rank highly in search engine results pages and attract customers, but sadly this is only half the battle. Also, you must be successful in convincing those customers to click on your affiliate links. They will be less inclined to click on your links if they find the same content on your site that they have already read on a lot of other websites. This is so because most customers prefer to buy items that have been highly recommended by those they respect or who they believe to be experts in the field.

You will come out as someone who doesn't really know what they're talking about if your content is just copied from other websites. As a result, people won't trust your product recommendations. As a result, fewer people will be inclined to click through on the page.

#3 - Author Bylines

The majority of free content is only made available to you if you agree to credit the authors in the article's byline (you can get into trouble if you try to use it without following the stipulated rules). Given that most author bylines contain links; this presents a challenge. After reading an article that really piques their interest, there's a good chance they'll click on the author's byline link rather than one of your affiliate links. To begin with, these authors provide free articles just for the purpose of promoting their names and links to the general audience. By using this kind of content, you run the risk of losing potential paying website visitors.

Simply because you utilized free website content from blog posts, you are looking at a significant decrease in revenue once you combine these three issues. If you have the money to purchase your own unique content, you should do so even though it could be your only choice for some. However, if you don't have the resources, you could be better off creating your own content first and then hiring experts once you have some money to work with.

Freelance Writers

You can search through several outsourcing companies to hire a freelance writer to help you expand your business and your website if you are unable or do not want to create your articles yourself. These freelancers will "ghost write" articles for you, which means that you will own the copyrights and can use the content however you like. Although freelance writers have a talent for writing, they prefer to earn quick cash by writing for others rather than investing the time to create a niche website that will require extensive marketing and promotion in order to start generating income. They are typically not marketers, but rather people with a talent for writing. On the other side, marketers are the ones who want to profit from content. Instead of just getting a one-time payment, they want to construct websites that will bring in money over time. You will have a fair chance to obtain the original, high-quality content you need to create your niche website thanks to freelance writers.

How Much Can I Make?

Each person has a different earning potential by posting articles and affiliate links to their website. The success of your website will largely determine how much money you can make. This refers to achieving high search engine ranks through SEO efforts, creating interesting and educational content for your site, creating your site around a strong niche topic, as well as the size of your site and the number of sites you own.

However, most people shouldn't expect this kind of success, especially if you are very new, as that kind of success typically only comes with experience and gained skill. Some people claim to make as much as $10,000 per month ($120,000 per year) through building and promoting niche sites, but most people shouldn't expect this kind of success. After putting in months of work to increase traffic and connect with quality affiliates, a realistic revenue from a niche site could range from $500 to $1,000 per month. However, because this is recurring income, you will continue to profit from your work on that one site each month; it is not a one-time purchase.

Most people continue to create niche sites once they have a popular website. The more the income you can produce, the more sites you should create. Some people also value creating websites that load quickly and are brief over ones that are a little bit longer. It should be mentioned that you will probably make more money from each of your sites the bigger they are.

As you get started, it's important to keep in mind that your first site will always be the most challenging because you're still learning the ins and outs of the business and that not everyone is cut out for marketing and promoting niche websites. Everyone in this business must accept the risk that it may not work out for them and that they could lose some money as a result.

If this is truly what you want to do, it's important that you give it your best effort before giving up. Your first site could take a while, the work might be boring, and you might feel like giving up. But if you quit too soon, you'll never know what may have been. And you might turn out to be the next successful website marketer!

And if you want to learn more about affiliate marketing and how to make money online

Just CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE TRAINING

[kitaguwu]

CRADLESONA: ARDEN

here he is! after much persuasion and procrastination here is my boy

made on picrew on DGC

DGCメーカー｜Picrew

(kudos to @narekashi for sending me the guides and @lovingsiriusoswald for coming up with this concept!)

Basic Info:

Nicknames: Ardy, Denny

Birthday: 8 March

Age: 21

Height: 175cm

Blood type: O+

Physical:

Eyes: Green

Hair: Navy blue, shoulder length

Accessories: Blue rose hair pins

Features: Mole on the bottom left corner of his mouth

Illnesses: Weak immune system, gets sick way too easily and is vulnerable to extreme fatigue. Also susceptible to heat exhaustion.

Social:

Affiliation: Black Army

Occupation: Six of Spades, writes poetry and short stories in his free time and publishes them when he can

Relationships:

Blanc: Has tea with him once every week. They like chatting about literary classics and mythology together. Arden brings cookies and Blanc makes the tea.

Fenrir: They're pretty close friends, and often spar with each other when they have time. They play pranks on the rest of the army when they're free.

Ray: They play with cats together when they're free. Arden sees Ray like a dependable older brother.

Sirius: Helps Sirius garden when he has time! Sirius visits Arden's quarters often, he has loads of plants so when Arden's sick (which is often) he helps tend to them. Sirius also cares for Arden like Arden is his nephew, because he's the one who scouted Arden and trained him.

Luka: Luka teaches Arden how to cook and they are pretty good friends. Sometimes they go to the market together.

Seth: Always chides that Arden doesn't take care of himself well enough; forces Arden to use more sunblock and moisturizer and take more vitamins because he's so sickly. Seth genuinely really cares for Arden, like a baby brother.

Lancelot: Sometimes delivers jelly beans or sweets to Lancelot just to piss Jonah off. Since Arden grew up in Red Territory he's familiar with the paths around the headquarters, and he's one of Lancelot's early childhood friends since he used to sneak around so much. Lancelot liked the books he wrote.

Jonah: They are on good terms and occasionally go out for pastries together. Jonah also uses Arden as a Luka Lookout of sorts, but Arden managed to get Jonah to calm down about the whole Luka situation. Jonah is thankful towards Arden for helping fix his and his brother's relationship.

Edgar: These two also like to play pranks on the Red Army, and like to gather sweets to give Lancelot. They play with the Creeks together. The Creeks like Arden. Edgar says he's like their nephew.

Zero: They go to the market together sometimes or walk through the forbidden forest. They like chatting about their pasts and their hardships and understanding each other. Zero often asks Arden how to be more human since Arden writes so many deep stories, to which Arden usually replies: "Being human is being yourself."

Kyle: Since young, they've known each other. Lancelot and Arden may have been friends but these two were essentially best friends since Arden was always going to the clinic where Kyle's dad worked in the Red Territory. Eventually the clinic closed down due to family circumstances and Arden had to move from the Red Territory too since it was too expensive, and they never saw each other again.

- Eventually they get back to talking once they join their respective armies and meet up for drinks every weekend. Kyle looks more tired and week after week looks more torn and broken and Arden is there for him throughout. One thing leads to another and they start dating (aka these two have been pining for each other for 20 slutty, slutty years)

Personality:

- generally a pretty quiet, reserved kid. he's outgoing when he wants to be and generally gets along with anyone but gets tired easily when out with too many people for too long.

- a massive introvert, likes to stay in and read and write as opposed to hanging out the whole day with a big group. prefers to either be alone or with a small group. easier to handle.

- has a good sense of humour and is actually really goofy but hides a lot of it due to insecurity and fear of standing out or seeming attention seeking.

- generally amicable.

- gets even more quiet and reserved when angry. is rarely angry, and when he is, you can't tell.

Family and History:

- growing up, his family was impoverished after having to pay for his father's terminal illness fees and his own healthcare fees, so he worked since young to earn money for his mom, older sister and him after his dad passed on. (age 5)

- his older sister and him would often draw and write stories respectively and sell short stories to children on the streets of cradle. they earned a fair amount of money and their business grew quite popular.

- they had to move to the neutral ground when he was around 12 because it was too expensive to continue to live in the red territory, so they moved and started selling their books and illustrations in the central quarter

- the money wasn't enough since he kept getting sick, so he learnt the art of sleight of hand and thievery and was very very good at it, until Sirius caught him one day and recruited him into the black army a few years later after training him himself. (was 15 when he met sirius; recruited at 18)

- met kyle again after the first meeting of the year at the garden. you know what happens next.

Skills and Special Abilities:

- fights with a crossbow named crowley. very, very good at his craft.

- fast runner. not a very high jumper. impeccable aim.

Paired with:  Kyle Ash

Life in Cradle:

- lives in the Black Army Headquarters and upon request, asked Ray to help him secure an apartment in the cheapest, safest area of Cradle for his mom and older sister.

- he sends back three quarters of the money he earns from the military to support his family. he usually survives on small snacks or home cooked meals of simple food (which results in his always getting scolded by the army for not eating enough).

- sees kyle every other week, sometimes the doctor even visits the black army headquarters. no one has any issue with it at all. kyle is chill. arden loves him.

- has a few books officially published with covers illustrated by his sister! his sister is a freelance illustrator and also works at a bakery in the central quarter

- his mom is retired. he visits home every weekend.

[matthillica]

Pandemic - Day 355

This week marks 1 year since Covid was declared a Pandemic in the US.

As things began to shut down and the world changed before our eyes last March, I picked up this blog again thinking it would be interesting to document. At the time, although we hadn't told anyone yet, my wife was three months pregnant with our second child. My daughter was about to turn two. What better way, I thought, to show my kids what Covid was like than to document the pandemic's course as we muddled our way through daily uncertainty.

What I hadn't counted on was the duration and depth of the pandemic. I figured we'd be locked down in quarantine for three months, tops… maybe six if things were handled poorly. 

As the novelty of Covid and prepping pantries and Covid memes began to wear off, we learned more about how Covid is actually transmitted. That meant aspects of our lives went back to normal while other abnormal aspects became second nature. Fear subsided, somewhat. I no longer stressed as much about grocery store trips. We still wear masks everywhere, but aren't afraid of Covid lurking behind every corner. For the most part, we understand that by taking a few simple steps, we can protect ourselves and our family from this disease.

Then in May came George Floyd, which took a world already turned on its head and lit a fire underneath it. A summer of protests against police brutality followed, then the politicization of masks, racial tension, and the most heated election cycle in my memory, all capped off by a coup attempt… the year we found ourselves living through became about so much more than just a pandemic.

The overwhelming was soon mired in disinformation and propaganda and the overwhelming-ness of it all became too overwhelming to even care about documenting, even for posterity.

I quit updating. Who gave a shit anyway? Certainly not me. I had bigger fish to fry than documenting the slow motion train wreck. I shared pics from my Instagram when I felt like it. I helped my Mom move from Kansas to Atlanta and then we packed up and moved to a new house ourselves. This was a welcome distraction from the horrible world, but Covid never really leaves your consciousness. It's always there, especially in weird, unexpected moments. This guy is trying to talk to me and he's getting too close but I don't want to offend him. I just filled up with gas and I'm all out of hand sanitizer, so I drive home reminding myself not to touch my face for the entire 15 minute ride. Mom wants to go to the salon, but I’m worried about exposure because my wife and her father are both high risk and I’m afraid to offend her by saying something. You're always thinking about it. How could you not? Covid is always there, always forcing you to adjust your life and habits around it.

With over 500,000 dead at this point in the US alone, the story of our little pandemic lives seemed so miniscule and, quite frankly, blessed. Sure, we'd lost income due to my unemployment, but our family managed to stay healthy (so far) and happy and together. We had it so much better than so many.

But then I have days like today where small things just rip me apart.

I got my car stuck in the mud in our backyard trying to unload a toolbox in our basement the other day and now I can't get it out of the goddamn grass. It's now sat there for three days while I waited for the ground to dry out so I could try again. I decided this morning to try and get it out by laying a cardboard path of old moving boxes. It was a massive failure that only succeeded in creating more muddy ruts, my car even more stuck now than it was this morning.

I sat in my driver's seat this morning… yelling at my stupid tires and two-wheel-drive, pounding on the steering wheel; the weight of all these little thoughts and worries crashing in around me. My daughter's entire second year was spent inside a fucking house. My son is already getting his first teeth and has only met six people. My hands have been cracked and bleeding for 12 months from constant hand washing. I haven't had a haircut in a year. I haven't seen some of my closest friends in over a year. I have a niece in Las Vegas who I was supposed to meet in March 2020 when she was four months old… now she's walking and talking. My friend lost her uncle and father to Covid in the same month. My other friend has been suffering with Covid for almost two months. My brother caught Covid in September shadowing home inspections to become a certified inspector because MGM’s shows were all closed. I haven't seen my father in a year and he’s 71 and lives by himself. The last time we were together (a year ago this week) he helped me buy a handgun for protection. Political division, social unrest, and America's tenuous grip on democracy. What kind of world did I just bring children into? Are we gonna make it?

I know there is light, but there are days when it still feels pretty damn dark.

And I guess that's where I'm at, mentally speaking. Exhausted. Sad. Grateful. So incredibly grateful. Even when the exhaustion takes over and guts me, I remind myself to be grateful. I'm grateful that the pandemic hasn't been worse for us as it has for so many others. I'm grateful that I've been able to cobble together an income off freelance work. I'm grateful that my kids are happy and healthy, not to mention too young to remember any of this shit once it's over. I’m grateful that I've learned to cook. I'm grateful that my wife and I still love each other. I'm grateful for family who have helped us navigate being working parents without daycare. I'm grateful that my parents and my wife's parents have been vaccinated. I'm grateful that now an end is in sight. When that end will be for us, I'm still not sure, but at least we know it's coming. And for that, I am grateful.

Now we brace for a return to "normalcy", whatever that means… and however long it takes. A regular topic of conversation in my house is what the first restaurant we eat inside will be. Or what vacation we'll take first. These all still feel very aspirational to me, but at least we're aspiring, I guess. In my mind, I'm ready to burst out of my unfinished basement office and folding table desk to tackle the world again. I'm ready to dive into another marketing department somewhere, go see a concert in the front row, take my kid to the aquarium so she can see the fish she only remembers from pictures. In my mind, I'm ready for all of these things and telling myself that attitude is everything.

But in my heart I know that it will probably be a long time before I can eat comfortably at a restaurant again, stand next to a stranger on a train, or sit in an airplane with other passengers without it doing a number on my head. In my heart I know that the first time I experience live music again, go to a museum, watch my child take in the majesty of a real shark, or feel the hug of a friend I've only seen over Zoom for 12+ months, I will be reduced to a puddle. And that's OK. I expect there are many, many others who feel exactly the same way and will be going through the same thing.

Still, if there's one thing the last year has taught me, it's that the abyss of the unknown is crossable and I'm ready to cross it, for better or for worse.  

[bloggerbro]

Free online jobs for students without investment

Official Site

Welcome back to my Article today we're going to be Read about seven online jobs that you can do it home that pay at least one hundred dollars per day.

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 I'm really excited to be sharing this list with you today, guys, because i know that you always love when i've share ideas for how you could make money at home,and i've done a few different Article like this in the past.

One of them was some of the highest paying work at home jobs and then another one was some of the easiest or get home jobs, but today i just wanted to break it down really simply share seven jobs that pay at least one hundred dollars, her day, because i know that that is kind of a minimum out that a lot of people would want to earn to make working at home a truly viable option for supporting themselves full time now, the only things that these jobs really have in common are you khun do them from home and they will pay you at least one hundred dollars per day.

                                   

 Aside from that, this is a really eclectic list that includes a lot of different options that would appeal to really different types of people, so if the first couple of jobs don't appeal to you, just keep on watching because i'm sure that you will find one that will be great fit for you and one last thing before reed eminent the list of jobs if you'v been around here it all, then you probably know that every month i teach on online workshop and one of my most popular workshops ever has been my how to get started making money online workshop and this month i decided to do something really special and actually offering a slightly condensed version of that workshop completely for free. 

Now normally i charge any where between thirty and two hundred dollars for these workshops just depending on what the topic is and how extensive they're going to be. But this workshop has been so popular and it seems to be topic that you guys were so interested in that i decided to offer,like i said, a condensed version of it for free. So if that's something you're interested in, then just keep Read until the end of the video and i will be sure to share all the details of that with you all right, so let's jump on in and talk about the seven jobs that you can do from home that will pay you at least one hundred dollars per day the first job on my list is bookkeeper now a bookkeeper is just someone who helps a business or an individual keep their finances organized. 

                        

Basically, there are many different ways that you can learn how to become a book keeper you can actually get a two or a four year degree that will teach you everything you need to know, or there are lots of shorter term training programs that teach you how to be a bookkeeper and as little as three or six months, and there's also the option to actually just learn on the job booking burst typically earned about twenty dollars per hour and it's something that you cannot do from home, either for local clients or you can do from home, working with remote clients and communicating with the monline. 

                         

And just so you're aware there are different types of financial professions,such as an accountant or bookkeeper or financial advisor, and many of them do require some type of certification or other prerequisite, but there actually isn't any such restrictionson being a bookkeeper. 

Anyone can be a book keeper as long as they know what they're doing.Job number two is something that i love to include, because i think it pays a lot more than a lot of people realize and that's to be a Article. Now, clearly, i have a Article and it's, one of my sources of income, my Article right now, with about seventy five thousand subscribers, is paying me a bit over three thousand dollars per month,and i think that seventy five thousand subscribers is a number that really, anyone can attain if they put in the work and they learn what it takes to become successful on Article.

                         

The reason that i mentioned that my channel makes three thousand dollars a month is because that is equivalent to one hundred dollars a day. 

However, just for reference, i'll share that when my channel on lee had about twenty thousand subscribers, i wass making about fifteen hundred or so dollars every single month, which is a quite decent wage for someone who has a very small you t j also, i can't not mention that even though is one hundred dollars per day it's a lot more per hour than a lot of these other jobs, because i only put about two hours per day into running my Article, so that means that i'm turning around fifty dollars an hour. 

                                   

If you want to learn more about how to start a Article and make money from it, then i'll leave a link there in the corner and probably couple down below. Also, i have a few different videos. One is all about the behind the scenes of my Article analytics, and i share exactly how much i make each month, and then in another Article, i share tips on starting you to channel that actually makes money. The third job on my list is that of transcriber now transcriber is someone who listens to audio. This could be audio from a speaker at a conference or simply someone reciting something that they want to be Subscribe. 

There's definitely a lot of different applications of this and there's also a whole lot of websites that helped to facilitate people who work as transcribers,finding work of transcribers with people who want to hire a transcriber. Now, typically,a transcriber earns an average of about thirty dollars per hour. It depends on which website you go with. Some pay as little as nine dollars per hour, and some pay as much as about fifty dollars per hour, but i'll leave links to several of those Article. 

                         

Job number four is chat customer service now a lot of people don't like answering thephone, and even though they're aware that there are a lot of jobs they could do from home, answering the phone for different cos they don't really want to go that route, buta great alternative is to be a chat customer service representative. The main difference is you don't actually have to talk to the people on the phone instead, you're just chatting with them over the internet, and you're probably used this service many times.

 If you've triedto contact a company such as most any clothing or technology company on the internet these days, many companies hire people to work from home and provide these services to their customers,and they typically pay around fifteen dollars per hour. And again, oliva, linked to a fewre source, is that you can check out to learn more about these chat customer service job opportunities down in the description. 

                        

The fifth job on my list is something very specific,but i think it might appeal to a lot of people it's to be ah home stylist for stitch fixor for some similar service. Now what the services dio is they offer custom selected pieces of clothing to customers and the home stylists take a look at the customers, profile it aside, what piece is the person who might be interested in buying and wearing and then stitch fix actually sends them out to the customer. 

Now the reason i mentioning stitch fix in particular is because they've actually publicly shared information about the fact that they hire people like this and the fact that they pay them about fifteen dollars an hour to do this work from home and, of course, only the link down below where you can find out more information about stitch fix is well.

 Job number six on my list is to be an online course creator now all the jobs on my list this one probably has the most wildly vary in income most of these other jobs i can say you know you'll get paid about fifteen dollar san hour or about thirty dollars an hour but as an online course creator there is so much opportunity for growth and you can make an enormous amount of money i mean we're talkin gtens of thousands of dollars every month if you're really good at it but if you are good at it then you might make no money however that being said if you use a proven strategy for building your brand and getting yourself out there and you make it decently good courses.

                        

Then you can easily expect to earn about five to ten thousand dollars per month if you want to learn more about how to become an online course creator and the strategy is to use to actually become successful at it on the best resource i can probably recommend to you is for you to join the free workshop that i'm doing soon so just stick around till the end of the video so that i can share with you exactly what's going on that and how you can join it all right and the seventh and final job on my list is that a virtual assistant now what a virtual assistant does is they help someone too basic tasks, such as answeringe mail will our proof reading or may be working on managing a small project, and they do soremotely, of course, there's loss of executives and other types of professionals that have assistants who work in the office. 

But these days, with a lot of people working from home,there is a big job opportunity for people to do virtual assistant now, a common objection that i've gotten when i have shared his people. 

The opportunity of being a virtual assistant is that there is a lot of competition, and lots of people basically are trying to be virtual assistance, even if they're not very qualified, and that that can really drive down the possibility for making money in this way. However, based on the experience of many of my clients, i would say it all depends on how your marketing yourself and where,if you're just listing yourselves on a site like freelancer dot com or up work dot com,then you probably can't expect to make more than about seven or twelve dollars per hour,which probably would not be enough for most people, however, there are other sites that helped to connect more skilled virtual assistance with people who are looking for virtual assistants who they can really count on. 

And if you sign up with one of these services and they helped to place you with a good client, then you can earn a whole lot more at least fifteen dollars per hour, if not twenty or twenty five or thirty dollars per hour. And of course,there's always the other option of building up your own network and finding clients that way.

And typically virtual assistants who go about their marketing in that way earned between twenty and thirty dollars per hour. All right, so that brings us to the end of my list of seven, jobs that you can do working for home that pay you at least one hundred dollars. Now first off in one of those jobs stood out to you. We're seemed interesting

Then make sure you leave me calm it down below just to share and then beyond that, if you have any questions about how to get started with one of those jobs. Also, i'd love to see it com in from you down there. I answer as many comments as i possibly can some days that is every comment i get other days, i can't get to them, but i answer as many as i can, so if you have a question, please leave it down below.

 And if i can help you, quite possibly someone else can. Also, of course, if you like this video, please hit the thumbs up button to let me know if that will help me know that she want to see more videos like this in the future, and it also helps other people find this video to all right. And then finally, i just want to share with you about the free workshop that i am doing very soon.As i mentioned, i teach these live workshops online every single month, and the most popular one that i've ever died is called how to get started making money online.

In this workshop,i really teach the entire system that i use with my clients to help them first build an audience and then monetize that audience and then scaled their business it's, a seven steps structure that really makes the process of building an online business quite black and white so that anyone can do it now. 

The bestselling version of this workshop is almost two hours long, and i really go into the nuts and bolts of it. But because this workshop has been so popular and it seems like you guys are enjoying it so much, i wanted to bring you kind of a condensed version to really walk you through the framework and help you understand the big picture of making money online.

                            

 So on a thursday, june fourteenth, i am going to be doing a lot one hour version of my house to get started making money. Online workshop this one hour work fat will be completely free, and i'm gonna put a link down below where you can sign up.

The workshop will be held on thursday, june fourteenth, at elevena m pacific standard time. And if you want even more details than just make sure you click that link down below, and i'll share some of the details of exactly what will be going over and exactly how you conjoined. If you're interested in learning how to get started making money online and finally be able to really take control of your life and take control of your schedule, then i invite you to join us for the workshop. Thank youso much for joining us for today's video. My name is gillian perkins, and i look forward seeing you again next time

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