Hello ladies and gents, I apologize for the lack of posts but I have been swamped with work the past couple of weeks. Major deadlines, you know the drill. Anyway, I have so much information to update you on, I don’t know where to start!

First, let me tell you that in the next week or so, I am going to do a couple of interview pieces – Martini-Lounge, a women’s magazine I write for and discussion forum I love, is FULL of freelancers whom I would like to spotlight. Look forward to that!

Second, I currently receive a biweekly newsletter from Chris King, author of Creative Keys. She provides a wealth of information on website design and development, writing, professional storytelling, speaking, training, teaching group fitness classes, desktop publishing and learning everything she can about computers. From time to time I will be including information in my posts that are discussed in her newsletters I think will be relevant to you. One of the topics this week was PATTERNS. Below are some excerpts from the newsletter. (At the end you will find tips special to freelancers!)

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Theme – PATTERNS
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Isaiah Berlin suggested, “To understand is to perceive
PATTERNS.”

I chose PATTERNS for this issue’s theme, because one of the
marketing gurus who contributes regularly to a discussion
group to which I belong referred to the importance of
PATTERNS to marketing and business strategies.

This piqued my interest enough that I would like to hear how
you feel about PATTERNS. Do you follow a set of PATTERNS? I
think that most of us do. Where did they originate? And, are
they working for or against you?

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Three Articles Featured This Week
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Visit http://www.powerfulpresentations.net to read “Ten
Steps to Becoming a Professional Speaker: Part I.”
Visit http://www.storytellingpower.com to read
“Storytellers Unite – Let’s All Spread the Word.”
Visit http://www.freelanceliving.com to read “Six Steps
To Get ‘Slightly’ Famous,” by Steven Van Yoder.

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Creativity – Break Out of Your Established
PATTERNS
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The all-time super thinker, Edward de Bono said,
“Creativity involves breaking out of established PATTERNS in
order to look at things in a different way.”

Being creative is within all of us. But how do we make it
work for us? There are as many creative suggestions for how
to be creative as there are people. Following de Bono’s
quote, I challenge you to try a completely different PATTERN
from the one or ones you usually use.

Try a new way to access the power of your subconscious mind.
Every book and proponent of creativity PATTERNS that I have
studied give credit to the subconscious for being in control.
State your problem, your belief and attitude, and then let
the subconscious mind take over. You will be amazed by how
quickly your answer will appear.

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Powerful Presentations – A Power PATTERNS
Message for You to Present to Your Listeners
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Julian Simon wrote, “Our whole evolution up to this point
shows that human groups spontaneously evolve PATTERNS of
behavior, as well as PATTERNS of training people for that
behavior, which tend on balance to lead people to create
rather than destroy. Humans are, on net balance, builders
rather than destroyers.”

I love the above quotation for its positive power! So many
of today’s speakers, consultants, coaches, and trainers are
hired to fix us. They work on our “weaknesses” not our basic
talents and “strengths.”

I feel that if we look at our listeners as builders with the
positive behavior PATTERNS, they will never let us down. If
we “lead people to create” they will!

=================== HOT QUOTES ======================

“Your brain has an in-built mechanism for finding
PATTERNS you’ve programmed because of where you’ve
put your attention. Solutions, innovations, and
success come not from greater intelligence or
creativity but from what we notice because of where
we point those attributes.” – David Allen

“The way is long if one follows precepts, but short…
if one follows PATTERNS.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

“What we call chaos is just PATTERNS we haven’t
recognized. What we call random is just PATTERNS we
can’t decipher. What we can’t understand we call
nonsense. What we can’t read we call gibberish. There
is no free will. There are no variables. There is
only the inevitable.” – Chuck Palahniuk

“The invention of IQ did a great disservice to
creativity in education. Individuality, personality,
originality, are too precious to be meddled with by
amateur psychiatrists whose PATTERNS for a ‘wholesome
personality’ are inevitably their own.” – Joel
Hildebrand

“Life forms illogical PATTERNS. It is haphazard and
full of beauties which I try to catch as they fly by,
for who knows whether any of them will ever return?”
– Margot Fonteyn

“As the artist picks his way along, rejecting and
accepting as he goes, certain PATTERNS of enquiry
emerge.” – Bridget Riley

“But it is strange how many rational beings believe
the ultimate truths of the universe to be reducible
to PATTERNS on a blackboard.” – Frederick Pollock

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Presentation PATTERNS – Use Them to Become
an Outrageously Powerful Presenter in 2006!
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If your dream is to become a powerful presenter (this is the
number one skill for getting ahead in any career and/or
business), you will be thrilled with my e-book and the
bonuses (or deliberate bribes) that come with it.

Even if you are already speaking, have never spoken to a
group before, have never planned to be a speaker, or have a
deep fear of speaking – you can become an OUTRAGEOUSLY
Powerful Presenter. It will take work, effort, discipline,
learning the PATTERNS, and time. However, realize that you
have what it takes to be a Powerful Presenter if you want it
badly enough!

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Storytelling Power – What Threads Do You Use
to Weave Your Story PATTERNS?
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Richard P. Feynman wrote, “Nature uses only the longest
threads to weave her PATTERNS, so that each small piece of
her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry.”

There was a time in my past life when I was a gardener and
flower show judge. At that junction, I discovered the
consistent PATTERNS found in nature and actually gave design
presentations based on those discoveries.

I liken storytelling to nature. We use the “longest threads
to weave her PATTERNS.” Have you noticed that the best
tellers and most meaningful performances are organized like
a beautiful tapestry? Are yours? If not, what long thread
could you add to the organization? Tell me about it.

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Freelance Living – What PATTERNS Are
Defining Your Character?
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Stephen Covey believes that, “Our character is basically a
composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often
unconscious PATTERNS, they constantly, daily, express our
character.”

If you haven’t read and/or listened to Stephen Covey’s 7
Habits of Highly Effective People, all I can say is “do it.”
And then, read the 8th Habit. I guarantee it will change
your life (that is a strong statement, by the way, but one I
feel is absolutely true).

Why did I include this under Freelance Living? Because I feel
and know that in today’s skeptical and cynical world, that to
be of upright character will be evident to our clients,
peers, colleagues, and potential clients. And, from a free
agent’s position, nothing could be better for our businesses.

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Freelancers – Solidify Your Relationships – Every Day
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Right after the last issue was published, I received a
question from a freelancer who asked about weathering the
ups and downs of finding consistent work.

One great solution is keeping in touch – one a day is
suggested by master marketer, Dan Kennedy – with our
clients, potential clients, peers, and colleagues. This was
stressed in one of the few e-newsletters that I receive
from Michael Angier.

He wrote, “In a few years, we may each be doing something a
bit different. And the relationships we have and build today
will serve us in the future in direct proportion to the
quality and integrity we create. It’s important that we
cultivate and nurture our relationships. Being honest,
playing win-win and treating people fairly isn’t just a moral
thing to do – it’s good business – now, and in the future.

If you would like to subscribe to Chris King’s newsletter, you can send an email to subscribe@creativekeys.net. Email Chris at Chris@CreativeKeys.net and visit her blog at http://curiositycubed.blogspot.com.