This post is part of Blog Action Day 2008. Today, over 12,000 blogs around the world are calling awareness to the topic of poverty, reaching an estimated audience of over 13 million readers. Join in at blogactionday.org
Blog Action Day 2008: Poverty - Use your Design Skills to Make a Difference
Ever feel like you are in a profession that doesn’t allow you to have a huge impact on some of the most important issues in the world? Designers can make anything beautiful and eye-catching, but what can they do to solve poverty? The answer is A LOT. Don’t be fooled by the doubts. Here are 10 ways designers can tap their creativity to make a BIG difference in world poverty. Now you have no excuse!
This post is part of a series on That INDIE Dude called “Uber-YOU” - all about using web 2.0 and other connected technologies for the greatest impact and productivity possible!
Uber-YOU #3: Taking hold of your telephone communications.
Telephones, especially mobile phones, can be one of the worst time wasters around. Mobile phones are always tied to us: constantly asking us to pick up or text our friends back, and interrupting our work schedule. Even in the rare circumstance that you see the caller ID before picking up and have enough restraint to not talk to John or Crystal while you’re trying to get work done, what happens when you’re like me and use the phone for business? You can’t NOT pick up calls from business clients in case it’s a work emergency or a new job lead. So what happens then?
You might be tempted to lose hope and decide we’re always destined to lose hours of productivity every day to that blasted device. Don’t do it! There ARE solutions — even free ones. Here’s a run down of a couple great online services for taking control back of your telephone communications.
We’ve talked a lot on here about the importance of being YOU — indie, original, and true to your inner self. From expressing your life, causes, and passions through art, to always being REAL and honest in your interactions with those around you. But the question that keeps coming up in the comments and even more so in some e-mails I’ve received is an important one: how do you stay in touch with that inner self?
Of course there are no ground rules. Everyone is different and has to figure that out for themselves. But there are a few common ways that keep coming up, which I lean towards a lot.
One way, is what the “Inspired” series is about: finding those things that inspire you most and latching on to them — feeding your passions.
Another is what the “Resources” series is about: learning the best practices in your field so you have the skills to crank out all your awesome ideas.
And this is the beginning of a new series: Uber-YOU. (more…)
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Telephones, especially mobile phones, can be one of the worst time wasters around. Mobile phones are always tied to us: constantly asking us to pick up or text our friends back, and interrupting our work schedule. Even in the rare circumstance that you see the caller ID before picking up and have enough restraint to not talk to John or Crystal while you’re trying to get work done, what happens when you’re like me and use the phone for business? You can’t NOT pick up calls from business clients in case it’s a work emergency or a new job lead. So what happens then? 
