Inspired Freelancer

10 Reasons Why Cleveland Rocks...

Ok, I should be working right now. In fact, if you're one of my clients and I owe you something, don't worry, you'll still get it on time. I just had to pause and respond to a survey that listed Cleveland as one of the 10 worst places to live and some of the discussion that followed. I'm not going to bother comparing Cleveland to other cities on the list - each has its own pro's and con's, and I don't purport to be an expert on Denver or San Diego. Instead, I'd just like to give you 10 reasons why Cleveland rocks my socks off.

The other reason I'm stopping to write this post right now is that I actually planned to write it before I even read George Nemeth's tweet. The other night I was talking to a friend of mine at a rehearsal. She is originally from another country (I apologize for not remembering which right now), and she asked me why I wanted to stay in Cleveland. It wasn't hard to explain at all, and I felt very inspired by our conversation when she told me she agreed!

These are also the 10 reasons why my husband and I will stay here, even though either one of us could do our job from basically anywhere in the country (and yes, that also has to do with the fact that our family lives here, at least on the days when we like living near them). Without further ado - here they are...

1. Regionalism

Cleveland Plus has it right! One of the things that makes Cleveland such an awesome place to live for me is our connection to a greater region. I actually live in Copley, Ohio, which is just north of Akron. Why, then, do I say I live in Cleveland? Because I'm in Cleveland constantly. I have clients in Cleveland (yes, I found some!) and friends in Cleveland. I'm a Cleveland State University Alumni (and a current student as of last week). I sing with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus. Because Cleveland, Akron, Canton and Youngstown are so close to one another, I have a huge playground! I can perform as a musician in three major metropolitan areas and I can work in one and live in another. Because we have such a large group of people living in "Northeast Ohio" or the Cleveland Plus region, we have a huge local consumer base for our businesses, a large group of potential donors for our non profits and many businesses to fulfill our needs as consumers. Regionalism rules.

2. Accessibility

Say what you want about the traffic on Rt 77 (and trust me, I know, I used to drive it EVERY day), Cleveland is a completely accessible city. If you've ever fought the traffic in L.A., you know what I'm talking about. In Cleveland, it's feasible to live 40 miles outside the city and work downtown. It's also easy to attend a concert, find parking near the sports game and travel from the heart of Downtown to University Circle. And, if there's an accident on one of the major thoroughfares, you should be able to find an alternate route. I know a lot of people are afraid to travel to downtown, but don't be! I was terrified at first, but then, as an on-campus resident at CSU's Viking Hall, I became intimately acquainted with all parts of downtown, any 24-hour cafes/deli's/businesses in the area and all the great art and culture institutions. We also have "ride with a smile" trollies - come on - how cool is that? I love traveling around downtown using the bus system - it is so convenient.

Newly Published: From Stitches to Suede

In an effort to make my blog a great place to keep up with what I've been working on and a repository of writing samples, I am adding this recurring blog section entitled "Newly Published." The Newly Published section will run when a new work is published, or when there are a few new things to share. They will always be categorized under "Writing Samples" so that potential clients can quickly and easily locate samples of my published work. So... without further ado... here is "Newly Published: From Stitches to Suede.

Article: "Ring in a Successful New Year"

"This month was a big month for me, and right now I'd like to highlight two recently published works. The first piece, written for Stitches magazine, is an article on marketplace trends in the embroidery industry. The article, Ring in a Successful New Year, gives embroiderers tips and trends to help them profit in 2009. I was especially proud of this piece, as it was my first foray into writing about embroidery. In the past, I've often written for the branded apparel industry, and jumped at the chance to write for embroiderers. I'm very happy with the results of my research and writing, and hope that Stitches readers find the information I've shared both interesting and useful.

Interview: "Suede Says"

Another piece I was very excited about this month was my interview with Project Runway Season 5 Designer: Suede. His designs may be fashion-forward and chic, but it's his constant reference to himself in the third person may truly be his claim to fame. I interviewed Suede about his predictions for Fashion in 2009. The full interview was recently published in Wearables Style, an online newsletter for the branded apparel industry. 

(A shortened version of my interview with Suede previously appeared in the Apparel Hot Sheet section of Counselor magazine in December 2008.)

All-in-all, December was a great month for me. I'm looking forward to January, all of 2009 and to my business really taking off. Happy New Year everyone!

RSS Feeds Repaired

Hello readers. Apparently my RSS Feeds went down a week or two ago, unbeknownst to me. I'm happy to report that I have repaired them and they are now fully functional. Unfortunately, this means that anyone who subscribed to the blog (there were a few of you!) is no longer subscribed to a live RSS Feed.

In order to re-subscribe, or to subscribe for the first time (do it! you know you want to), please click on the "subscribe" link on the bottom right hand of this page. Thanks everyone!