STARTING YOUR FREELANCE CAREER
FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Without food and water your body will cease to function. So it is with your brain. Your mind cannot function optimally without being fed. Day in and day out, you continually ask your mind to put forth ideas and bits of stored information to keep your freelance career going. Without realizing it, you ask your mind to do what you would never expect your body to do--to continue to work without fuel.

Fuel for your brain? What is it? Where do you find food for thought? Or if you prefer, brain food? Take five minutes and think about it. Then jot down as many kinds of brain food as you can. Now that you have listed all the usual sources, try thinking outside of the box-time. Consider your unique brain. Upon what does it thrive?

What can you do to re-energize your creative thought processes?

In addition to all the standard sources of brain food, here are some other possibilities to help keep your mind invigorated:

· Get some exercise.

Take a daily walk. Play hide-and-seek with the children. Toss a Frisbee for Rover. You'll be amazed at how these simple activities can help clear your mind.

· Get enough rest.

Though it never actually stops working, your mind needs time to rejuvenate. However, don't cross the line into too much sleep. Too much sleep or inactivity can have just the opposite effect of the desired effect--you'll be groggy and dull.

· Keep an open mind.

Actively look at life with an inquisitive eye. Look for ideas in the most common of places. Everyday life is not mundane--except to the disinterested.

· Read.

This seems to be a very "inside the box" source of food for your mind. Well, maybe, if you only consider books and magazines. How about cereal boxes? Or billboards? Or junk mail? You don't have to spend hours looking at these odd pieces of reading material. Just spend a minute here and there and who knows you may read a few words that will spark your next "brilliant" idea.

· Listen.

Truly pay attention to those with whom you have conversations every day. Listen actively. Not thinking ahead to what you are going to say next, but considering the ideas that are being set forth.

This is a very short list taken from the dozens of sources of brain food offered to you every day. Take time and take advantage of these opportunities to rejuvenate your mind and keep it sharp so that you and your freelance career can continue to thrive.

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Marilyn Crain is a freelance writer with an extensive background in human resources, information systems and performance improvement. Most of her writing has been in these business fields, but she is now expanding her horizons into other areas.

She has had a lifelong love of reading and writing. Among her many passions is sharing history with children through her developing series of children's historical fiction soon to be out on www.ezetta.com.

She is a partner in the e-newsletter/e-marketing site http://www.evoicenewsletters.com/, as well as, the soon to be launched eZetta.com, author's site devoted to e-book publishing and decodiva.com, a site filled with beautiful living resources. She is co-publisher of two newsletters, The eVoice and The Freelance Life. You may contact her: marilyn@smartwriters.com.