Hello and welcome to the week, one and all. Hope your weekends were filled with dry land, sunny skies, and some well-deserved indulgence.

On to business. If you take a look around at these internets, you’ll see a few prevailing themes surrounding freelance writing. Beneath all the articles and posts lamenting the sorry state of freelancing fees, bitching about disrespectful editors and PR folks, and pushing us to have the balls and boobies to get what we need and want from our clients, there’s a throbbing pulse of barely disguised self-flagellation. Sure, as freelancers we take more than our share of abuse. We fight against an environment not often conducive to quality and dedication. But doesn’t this smack a little bit of an inferiority complex, one so ingrained we’re lashing out at everyone but ourselves?

In this week’s posts, we’ll take a look at ways we can disrespect ourselves as freelance and creative writers. There’s some great writers out there looking at how we disrespect our time, pave the way for editors and clients to walk all over us, allow business concerns and money to make us a sniveling pile of goo, and generally sell ourselves short. We’ll take it bit further, and see if we can’t find some rebel-like ways to combat our lack of writing self-esteem.

So tune in!

And while you’re thinking about freelancing and creative writing, let’s take a look around the web for links to love:

But let’s not stop there. As you may have noticed, I’ve been including some RANDOM LINKS each day for your enjoyment. Here’s some recent winners in case you missed them:

  • In this week’s Time Out Chicago, locals hit the tourist scene and hilarity ensues. In this article, a bearded Middle Eastern man hits American Girl Place, and freaks out the ladies in the bastion of weirdass femininity.
  • Like yogurt? You have to if you’re a woman. Check out this gem of women philosophy.
  • RANDOM LINK of the day: Holy crap, this looks good. Coen Brothers returning to violent nuttiness. (P.S. - NSFW)
  • Been digging on the Best Of album put out by Radiohead this week. Here’s a blast from the past. Holy cripes, Thom Yorke looks 11.
  • I do enjoy my Mo Ryan. The Chicago Tribune’s TV reporter/blogger posted an insanely comprehensive and thought-provoking post on the season finale of Lost last week. Check it out.
  • Nothing inspires confidence like a little ludicrous humor. Just thinking about this sketch makes me laugh, so now I bequeath it to you.

Keep on truckin’, everyone, and tune in this week for some themed posts, random links, and nifty surprises.

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