Diary - September 29th 2009

Woah!It’s not that I haven’t been writing, to the contrary, more than ever, but a lot has been going so I’ve not had a chance to update the journal.Business is quiet to say the least, almost non-existent except for the few clients that rely on me more than ever. The downturn is definitely because of their cash flow problems or they are doing well enough to afford full time support, not because they don’t like us.I am however having brain ache (literally – I had a blinding headache on Saturday night) to maximise on this downtown and find other more creative ways to make a living and give up the ‘working’ for a living altogether. I want to continue to remove myself from any time restrictions and have a fluid week working whenever, wherever. I have hit upon a creative idea so will get that going slowly with minimum expense although I am somewhat restricted without transport. Watch this space.I am writing more than ever and still concentrating my efforts on submitting to publications I actually read, which narrows it down to the Sunday Times although there are enough supplements within that to keep me going. I completed my competition entry for Elle, ‘What Style Means to Me’ and obviously I’ll be very happy writing for them. However, I’m also submitting to Red and She, magazines that seem to be at least a little up my street.Best news is I have found a website of this ilk that actually pays it’s contributors. It’s for grown up ladies so no thankfully no selebs-diets-reality TV. I have just submitted one piece, have another ready to go, one more to be edited and the fourth I have just written now. It’s exactly the sort of stuff I write so fingers crossed – this is it, my (small) break!The ideas are flowing to me but if you have any or can offer a title for me to work on, please, please, please do add a comment at the bottom of this piece.I attended my regular Birmingham Social Media Café last week and met people from the Hippodrome, who have La Traviata coming up, which I missed in NYC and a lady from Royal Ballet. This week there is a large group for my Birmingham Entrepreneurs meeting.I’ve also been on a Self Assessment course so I have a big job to do starting this weekend inputting all my expenses (well the ones I have with me in this country anyway)!On the BF front, he has just confirmed his schedule is clear 28-30th October so I’m hunting down some deals for a flight to Montreal now for a very long 5 night birthday weekend. I’m petrified of passing immigrations, even having called Canadian Embassy umpteen times who keep telling me there is no reason I will be stopped.BF and I have such an interesting story don’t you think? I can see that one day he’ll talk about it in his letter from New York column in the Sunday Times whilst I’ll be the opposite number in the New York Times! Although with visits to New York by then.So I’m optimistic more of the time now than before the summer and I still have a dream. And I’m going to make it happen, somehow.