The 5 Best Freelance Sites to Find Work

Us creatives are on the forefront of the freelance field, which can be awesome and challenging at the same time. As companies continue to focus on greater efficiency and the more marketing tools are automated we are being pushed to differentiate ourselves and constantly expand our skill sets. In addition to this, we will need to find people that we can partner with in order to compete with larger agencies and corporations. John Hagel III, Edge Perspectives:

“We're just in the earliest stages of an emerging and evolving gig economy. Very broadly, the gig economy is likely to evolve from a focus on routine tasks to a focus on creative work. As this evolution plays out, we're likely to see the focus of work shift from individuals to small, sustained workgroups that are driven by a desire to learn faster together. This in turn will lead to a shift from work that is defined by short-term transactions to work that is pursued in the context of rich, trust-based and sustained relationships. In short, the gig economy will become a fertile seedbed to help all of us achieve more of our potential and deliver expanding value to the marketplace.”  

In light of the ever evolving freelance economy it’s important for us to stay active in the new networks that are being formed. Here are the top 5 freelance websites that are on my radar. Do you have any you would add?

1. Upwork

Formed in In 2014 when two leading freelance networks Elance and oDesk merged, Upwork is now the largest network for freelancers! With three million jobs posted every year, Upwork has something to offer for everyone from writers and marketers to SEO geniuses and photographers.

I appreciate the flexilbility this site offers in that you can sign up for short- or long-term projects, and elect to work by the hour or be paid per-project. This site is #1 on my list because after a couple of challenges initially it has been the site where I have secured the majority of my small business freelance work.

2. Craigslist

Uncovering freelance jobs on Craigslist can be a little more of a hunt, but my experience is that the projects tend to be a bit more long term and often part time roles.

3. Freelancer

Freelancer features competitions that allow you to compete with other freelancers to win exposure and engagements. I have not received a project through this site yet, but just recently joined and look forward to sharing results in the future!

4. Freelance Writing Gigs

Freelance Writing Gigs, a specialized freelance platform, is an excellent option for editors, writers, bloggers, and more.

5. Elevator

This site is a little newer to the field and still identifies as being in “Beta” but I think the concept which taps into building teams of freelancers is where we are headed in the future. 

Uncommon Cartography Link Stash

✨UNCOMMON INSPIRATION LINK STASH✨

I was asked to put together a list of what I’m reading, what others have been sharing with me, what’s inspiring me. Daily I find I manage to follow a bagillion rabbit trails and am always seeking to discover connections between them. I will be sharing in this document the links that are truly articulating something which is inspiring and resonating with me.

Check out the link stash here.

Shooting For Something Higher Than Happiness

We can shoot for something higher than happiness. We have a chance to take advantage of every day occasions to build virtue in ourselves and be of service to the world. - David Brooks, The Road To Character

I stumbled upon this book in Barnes and Noble a couple of years ago when I was going through severe disillusionment with religion and many modern day institutions. I was at a point in my life where I had a moral vocabulary but was uncertain of how to apply it in today’s world. I really had no idea what I was getting myself into when I picked up this book, if I did I most likely would not have purchased it. But as I began reading the book I realized that the challenges I had faced were no excuse to not keep forging ahead in the development of my own character. I feel like this book has helped to equip me with some tools and ideas for how to translate the importance of personal character, values and a deep core even for those who don’t consider themselves to be religious or spiritual. The stories have reinvigorated and reminded me of the value that is found in the struggle.

Such people forgot that often it is just such an exceptionally difficult external situation which gives man the opportunity to grow spiritually beyond himself. - Victor Frankl, Man’s Search For Meaning

These days it has become popular to point to the flaws in everyone except ourselves. Modern dating apps let us pick and choose from a buffet of interesting individuals. If we don’t like what we experience then we get a fresh plate and go back for something more exciting! These ideas have begun to seep into our other relationships. We surround ourself with people who are like-minded and don’t inconvenience ourselves with those who might challenge or disagree with us. All this tip-toeing around has left us spending more time trying to conceal our flaws than combat them. We don’t realize that a recognition of weakness, reveals a new opportunity for strength.

Crisis doesn’t necessarily make character but it certainly does reveal it. Adversity is a crossroads that makes a person choose one of two paths: character or compromise. - John C. Maxwell, The 21 Indispensable Qualities Of A Leader

The about page states that the book looks to some of the world’s greatest thinkers and inspiring leaders, how through internal struggle and a sense of their own limitations they built strong inner character. The book was written in 2015 but with what our nation is currently facing, now seems the perfect time to revisit it.

Leadership is the capacity and will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence. - Bernard Montgomery, British Field Marshal

When was that last time that you and your friends, co-workers, etc. discussed personal character? How often do we invite people and obstacles into our lives to push us towards personal growth? The individuals in this book faced incredible challenges, but it seems to me that they didn’t let themselves off of the hook because of inferior family or financial situations. So listen to what people around you are saying, or what they are not saying. What have you been trying to escape or distract yourself from that could actually strengthen your core?

We don’t get to pick our talents or IQ. But we do choose our character. In fact, we create it every time we make choices- to cop out or dig out of a hard situation, to bend the truth or stand under the weight of it, to take the easy money or to pay the price. As you live your life and make choices today, you are continuing to create your character. - John C. Maxwell, The 21 Indispensable Qualities Of A Leader

About the author of The Road To Character, David Brooks is an op-ed columnist for The New York Times, as well as appears regularly on PBS NewsHour and Meet the Press.

Uncommon Affiliate Program

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Today, I am excited to announce the launch of the Uncommon Cartography Affiliate Program! Each month I will introduce you to artists and brands that I am working with, which you can support by either making a purchase or becoming an affiliate to spread the word about them. I have personally met the companies involved with this program and am excited about the work that they are doing. My promise to you is to only share brands that doing something interesting and beautiful because I know how important it is that the brands you are connected with fit your aesthetic and level of excellence.

The two brands below,

MOO-YOUNG

and

RADLEY RAVEN

, are based in the Pacific Northwest and have a unique and compelling story which we believe your friends and networks will enjoy learning about. Becoming an affiliate is a great way for you to earn extra revenue as well as support local creatives.

- Esther Maria Swaty, Dream Defender

THE STORY BEHIND THE BRANDS

MOO-YOUNG Born in Jamaica, Francine Moo-Young comes from an eclectic family mix of European, Chinese and Caribbean cultures. A love and appreciation of art was instilled in her from an early age, as many of her relatives were practicing artists. Her passion for textiles began as a child, when her grandmother and great aunts taught her to sew by hand. Francine went on to gain multiple degrees, eventually following her heart and obtaining a degree from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles. She worked for iconic LA fashion brands for ten years, building her knowledge of both design and production. Francine now calls Seattle home, focusing on her desire to make beautiful, functional and wearable art. With a studio and storefront in the Pike/Pine neighborhood of Capitol Hill, Francine lovingly crafts each piece by hand. Her choice of hides and where to cut each pattern piece is determined by the feeling she gets from each hide, highlighting its unique markings and characteristics, not masking them.

Sign up hereto become an affiliate, 20% commission.

RADLEY RAVEN  The Roaring Twenties - Hollywood, Gangsters, Jazz & Gin, there is something so alluring about that era that just had to come back. In 2012, Radley set out to make his own version of this period. Something cool, sophisticated with an air of mystery. Through traveling & other means, Radley curates rare vintage textiles from around the world to be handmade in Seattle into beautiful gentlemen accessories. In ode to the great craftsmanship & detail of the past, each piece is personally inscribed with the fabric’s history, including: the circa date, origin, type of material & the limited number that were made; Most often, few & far between.

Sign up here to become an affiliate, 15% commission.

Ps: Program brands and participants must be based in the US.

Pps: If you or someone you know is interested in joining the affiliate program please email me at info@uncommoncartography.com.

The Value Of Personal Transformation

How do we call out the best in another? How do we embolden them with courage to face inconvenient truths which require personal transformation. How do we raise the honor given to those willing to do the hard work of soul building? To acknowledge not just the pursuit of financial success but to recognize the value of those who have failed yet continue to seek change in their lives. Those who choose to bring their failure into the light instead of walking as mere shadows masked by self-deception. The work of the soul does not happen at our convenience rather it tends to provide us with opportunity at the most inopportune times. You know when you feel most stretched financially, physically or emotionally. When it feels like more things are going wrong then are going right. Just like an athlete is brought to the brink to test their endurance. When we are pushed to the point of straining that is when our true mettle is revealed. When we finally reach out in humble recognition that we can no longer do this thing called life alone and that if we are to become the best version of ourselves we need the mighty help of another.

Usually we are brought to a breaking point, a crisis, an exact moment where we would prefer to pull back, to hide within - it's at our weakest, our least beautiful that we fear rejection if people were to finally see the fraud we see ourselves as. Our self-hate can become overwhelming. We need another to lift our face to look into our eyes and to say YOU ARE ENOUGH and YOU ARE LOVED more than you could possibly imagine. That love is what is desperately needed for any forward movement - our past has paralyzed us. The easy path led to destruction and now we recognize we are off-course but our perspective has gotten so soupy grey fog filled that we cannot steer ourselves back to what our hearts and souls ache for. We became complacent and settled for something that only now we recognize as inferior to what our soul would truly find delight and happiness in. 

Art By: Amy Judd