@ampster: whereas I feel inadequate when my my friends talk on FB about books they have read, never mind written. All I can ever think to post about is how knackered I am and how the DDs are. And when I do manage to read a book or see an exhibition, am always so behind the times I feel it's barely worth a mention. AND I work in the cultural sector...

Hi guys

I've not been too bad this week. Worked Mon Tues and Wed (till 11.30pm) cos I 'needed' to go into town today for a couple of tiles I was short for my bathroom. Bloody builder didn't turn up today - so I didn't 'need' to rush to get the tiles or work late last night in compensation!
Stupidly popped into Asda on way home to get some bread and fruit. An hour and £80 later I slope home - just in time to walk dog and go fetch ds from school. Wasted day - late night tonight!
Need to get finance papers ready for 2 board meetings next week!

No kick ampster, just empathy. I dont think the talk at the Tate/Novel people escape it either, they just wonder why they aren't talking at more places/getting shortlisted for the Booker. Seriously. is just the human condition. Shout out to Birdfromdanorth 'n' all.

I've done f all today. Feel crap and on the edge of whingey self-indulgent tears. If I can just buck up enough to go to the gym before collecting the kids, I might manage not to let it leak out on them

Finding it impossible to get started today. Have been at laptop since 9am and all I have to do is write this piddling little newsletter and then I'm free. But can I start? Can I bollocks. Mumsnet, Facebook, Twitter: you name it, I'm on it, sucking up all kinds of mental detritus, feeling inadequate compared to all my arty friends' status updates (new books coming out, giving talks at the Tate, and me here just being a mum / freelance copywriter). It's not good. Someone give me a kick in the backside, please?

Hello, I linger and watch this thread. I'm struggling with what thingy - sorry, is it hatwoman's husband said - I like the idea of it but frett on it and get sidetracked by getting paranoid, because I'm working by myself and don't talk to other people in an office about things, so I get all sorts of scenarios playing out in my mind.

Now I sound like a right nutter so I'll go back to watching you all from afar xx

Hello freelancers. I've just started my maternity leave today (need to post MATB1 form that says I've finished work) and it feels soooo strange because here I am at home, children at school and nursery, and no work to do. No emails to answer. No-one needs me! I've been cleaning the overn instead.

Back from London to a sick house! Ds and Dh both have the 5 day fever thingy. ds in bed and has been asleep for over 3 hours - poor thing.

God knows if he'll sleep tonight or not.

Mmm, hatwoman, I think your DH has a good philosophy. I will try to remember that.

Hope you don't mind me joining in - like all freelancers I spend a lot of time on my tod, and I'm in the middle of nowhere to boot!

I do freelance copy/marketing depending on what I can get! I've had a better year than last year but still short of work. I can't work out whether it's my personality/ my skills/ the market/ rural back-end-of-nowhere-dom or what...

...and I have my small, plug-in electric heater on. Bloomin' chilly, it is.

thanks for the replies. dh said "never attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence". I think it's a good maxim. I think part of the problem is that when you're freelance you feel just that extra bit vulnerable and possibly more paranoid about such things. I think the other issue is that the work I do is work we all believe in - but, on the other hand, it's our living. So things like attending and/or speaking at an event like this are fuzzy in terms of pay. (ie we attend them out of the kindness of our hearts/to network ) So, if I were the manager I would possibly wonder if whether asking people to come (and speak) was taking the piss/hassling them to do unpaid work when they don't have a salary. I'm going to speak to her today, with no incriminations/accusations and just tell her I'm available (still think she should have told me about it but it's not worth getting arsey about...)

hello, can I join in too.

Up until now I've worked in tv, but my one day a week contract has just expired as they've run out of money. So my life is divided between a desperate scrabble for something to do now, and trying to work out a whole other career (tv is the least child friendly industry ever, with the possible exception of Victorian chimney-sweeping). And right now I am sat at my desk with a stinking cold trying to work up the motivation to do anything at all.

Hatwoman - that kind of miscommunication used to happen to me all the time. It's being part time, and not being in the office and in front of people (and, in my case and quite possibly yours, working for a thoughtless idiot). But it's impossible not to be irate, it makes one feel utterly incidental to the whole thing.