Current Work Related Projects: Progress!

I’m working on taking my 2005 aspirations seriously so towards the end of each month I’m going to post a summary of where I’m at and related thoughts. I’m not really expecting anyone else to find this particular fascinating. ;) (My RSS reader isn’t showing up the “continue reading” link for some reason so if you’re looking at this from your reader, too, you’ll have to visit my site to see the rest of the entry.)

This month I moved into an office/studio in Somerville that I share with two other women: Wendy Constantine (art director and designer) and Jessica Finch (fine art and design). We sublease our space from Wooden Kiwi Productions. They are an entertainment production company. They build things like theater sets and dance floors. I found the space on Craig’s List. I don’t know what I’d do without that website.

I’ve been dabbling with freelance event planning and marketing since I left my last fulltime job as a web marketing specialist at SpeechWorks in October of 2001. This month has been significant because it’s the first time in a while I’ve had enough paying client work to cover my main bills without having to pick up any temp admin jobs. Most of my time is spent working with Joshua Darden, a typeface designer in Brooklyn. I suppose the best “title” that fits what I do for his studio is office/business manager. I’ve also lined up a speaking gig for him at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival in March where he’ll be moderating a panel about typography for the screen. And as I’ve noted numerous times, I’m also being paid by Marqui to blog about them once a week until the end of February. This project is giving me an opportunity to pay off debts I accumulated in 2004 when things were not quite so jolly.

And of course I want to get back to hosting more of my own events. I have a mailing list with about 700 subscribers that needs to be dusted off and promoted. I revived my Free Agent Boston dinner series on January 13th. I’ve been talking to a company in Kendall Square about providing space for a seminar series for Free Agent Boston. WhizSpark joined forces with my Exploit Boston! project and is sponsoring Exploit Boston! Radio until March. I need to spend more time thinking up ideas to work with them more on specific event ideas. Michael is working with me on Exploit Boston! and will be adding book-related events soon. I’d like to find one or two more conspirators so that events are added more quickly in other areas including art and culture.

Shimon Rura and I are working together on a semi-regular dinner for technologists, thinkers and afficionodos that we will be announcing soon.

One thing I need to add to my aspirations list is a specific reference to working with good people. Maybe another way of saying that is that I really don’t have the time to work with egomaniacs. This means that sometimes I will have to pass up interesting opportunities; but in the end, I think my sanity and resolve will benefit.

Sometime this weekend I need to write a more substantial entry about my experience dabbling with Marqui’s communication management system.

additional tags: Marqui, Whizspark, Resolutions