Tag Archives: Freelance Writing

That was a Bust…

Well… that will teach me for making a New Years Resolution.

The reason I never make resolutions is because I never stick to them and this time was no different. I said I was going to do more writing:

“I intend to have a new blog written each week (maybe even twice a week),” is what I said in a previous blog post (have a look at my blog from January 6th “Starting A New Year!”).

I really did have the best intentions and had big plans to write once a week.

“So, Noel… does this mean that from now on and for the rest of the year we can expect a blog post each week (and maybe two)?” Is what you might be thinking.

The short answer is NO.

I will try my best and promise nothing.

Here’s some things that I have been looking at and thinking about over the past two months:

  1. Freelance Writing: I’ve been watching youTube videos about Freelance Writing by Sean Ogle, creator of Location Rebel Academy: https://www.locationrebel.com/join/ . His videos have great tips and tricks for starting freelance writing and ways to use a website to start generating passive income. I haven’t put any of his advice into practice yet (except for starting a blog), but I intend on starting with his video: 31 Ways to Start Making Passive Income TODAY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ5Chr2DTs0&feature=youtu.be
  2. Hearthstone by Blizzard: my best friend and I meet up online and challenge each other or watch each other beat other online players on HEARTHSTONE: https://playhearthstone.com/en-us . I’ve always been a big Blizzard fan and Diablo, StarCraft, and WarCraft were some of my all-time favorite games. Now, it’s Hearthstone. Mostly just a waste of time, but I enjoy it.
  3. The Open MMS Project: https://www.openmms.org/ is the personal project of a real Geomatics Guru: Ryan Brazeal! Being interested in Geomatics I have been trying to keep in touch with Ryan as I know that he will always be right at the forefront of Geomatics technology. His Open Mobile Mapping System is no exception and I would love to to one day work with or for Ryan!
  4. Space Weather: Keeping an eye on the sky is important to me, as things that happen in the solar system can have a huge impact on my chosen career as a Geomatics Guru. One website I like to check out every day is https://www.spaceweather.com/ . I can keep track of solar flares, geomagnetic storms, near earth asteroids, and the night sky – ALL IN ONE PLACE!! It’s awesome.
  5. Finally, almost every night for the past couple of months my wife and I have been trying to watch one or two episodes of Brooklyn 99 on Netflix. It’s a lot of fun and we needed something to watch now that we’ve finished The Good Place (which we HIGHLY recommend).

So, now that you’re caught up on what I’ve been doing – join me next week for a new blog post about something Geomatics related. I haven’t decided what it will be, so make sure you come back and check it out!

Stay safe out there!

Freelance Writing – A New Journey

There are two times in the past 10 years I thought about starting a blog: when my daughter was born and when things were not going well at one of my previous jobs. In both cases, I wasn’t able to get as far as I have today.

When my daughter was born six and a half years ago I felt the need to start writing. I think it was a response to all the complex feelings and emotions that come along with being a new parent. I’ve felt that need before, but never as strong as when I became responsible for a new human being. I did some journaling, and found that cooking and baking was a good way to calm my body and mind. I remember thinking a blog would be a way to keep track of things I want my daughter to learn as she gets older. I just about looked into creating my own website; obviously, it never happened.

When the price of oil began to drop four years ago I didn’t panic right away. But three years ago, after the second or third round of lay-offs at my workplace, I started to get scared about the future. I remember researching websites and looking into creating my own site on WordPress, but life got in the way. My grand ideas about blogging never materialized.

Looking back, there are many things I wish I had done differently. I wish I had started writing more. I wish I had started looking for work before I was laid-off instead of after. I wish I had looked into freelance writing.

Things happen for a reason.

That’s a powerful statement. I’m not sure if I believe things always happen for a reason, but that might be a topic for another blog.

The past is past and I’m ready now!

I’m excited to think that one day I will look back on this post and say, “That’s where it all began!” And, “look at how crummy my writing was!”

You might be wondering what set me on the path of Freelance Writing now.

“Why so ready to start this new journey now, Noel?” – is a question you might ask me if we were standing around talking instead of me sitting alone in my house in my pajamas.

About a week ago I was searching the internet for information on Freelance Writing and I found a YouTube channel by Sean Ogle called Location Rebel. I can’t say enough good things about his YouTube videos and all the great information he has about Freelance Writing! I don’t understand why he doesn’t have millions of subscribers on YouTube!!

Anyhow, in one of his videos Sean talks about being a writer and calling yourself a writer. Something clicked inside me when I thought about calling myself a writer. It’s always been a dream of mine to be a writer, and it would be amazing to introduce myself as “Noel Hamilton – Freelance Writer”.

So – my goal is to become a writer. And this is where it starts!