Sunforged Interviews Sufidreamer
An expert hubber shares his fascinating interests
1. Sufidreamer is a very interesting Pseudonym - What inspired that choice?
Believe it or not, I am named after a cat. We had a beautiful black and white kitten in the UK, and the name Sufidreamer seemed to suit her. I have always been interested in mysticism so I stole the name for myself when I signed up.
2. As a fan, I have always been interested in the apparent incongruity between where you live and how you earn your income. Whats it like working online yet living in the mountains? Any fun related stories you could share?
It is a strange one – we moved to Greece to escape the endless grind. I worked in corporate hell for a few years and it was grinding me down, making me into a person I did not want to be. My partner worked as a cook for a long time and had the same crap thrown at her, so escaping to the mountains was a chance for a fresh start.
The online thing started by accident – we intended to set up a guesthouse but the money ran out and, despite having little knowledge of Greek, I had to find a job. As a result, I fell into writing online.
It is a nice part of the world, with beautiful scenery, great people and lots of history – just a shame that I don’t get out much!
3. You are quite experienced in the freelance writing world- How does Hubpages compare to your other writing pursuits?
Freelance writing can be a lonely profession, as any online worker can relate to. Hubpages is somewhere to meet like-minded people and get involved in the community side of things.
Sadly, I have been too busy working and looking after 19 cats to participate much, recently, but I love to wander the site and read the work of others when I have the chance. I have also learned a lot about online marketing on HP, which has helped my writing business grow.
4. As an online writer, do you prefer to pursue a passive or active income?
I love the active side of writing because I like learning about new things. It is great when a client gives me a subject about which I know nothing, and I have to research and write about it. In my career I have covered a wide range of new topics, from Islamic history to green construction, and women’s rights to golf. That’s what gets me out of bed every morning (well, apart from being rudely awoken by hungry cats demanding their breakfast).
With passive income, I tend to stay in the comfort zone, writing about furniture, hardware and Greece. This is thoroughly enjoyable but lacks something, although it is nice to have a little Adsense cheque at the end of the month.
5. I've seen you refer to yourself as an "Old Hippy," what influences you from this movement?Favorite music or authors?
I never used to consider myself a hippy, but I soon learned to answer to the name of ‘Stupid Bloody Hippy’ back in the UK – I must look the part. I guess that it comes from hanging around with a few old druids who lived through the sixties and early seventies and came out the other side. The sort of people who wear ponchos knitted from the wool of alpacas, by a blind, one-armed lady in Peru.
It is perhaps an over-romantic view, but I love the protest music of the sixties and seventies – this love of anti-establishment music carries on through folk music, soul, punk, and old-school rap. I was pleasantly surprised by the more recent protests against the Iraq war, which united protest veterans such as Neil Young, Al Jourgensen, Patti Smith and Jello Biafra. Maybe we can get the old hippy/punk spirit back.
6. How do you keep up with changes in the online writing field, where have you learned from, where can Hubbers turn to keep up to date?
I must admit, I don’t do a lot of research about the online writing field – there are too many writers online who read various books and websites and end up adopting a ‘Paint by Numbers’ approach. As a result, they lose their unique voice in the process and end up churning out the same generic content as everybody else – tired old squeeze pages and soulless sales copy.
As with self-proclaimed online marketing ‘gurus’, 90% of what you read online about writing is unadulterated crap.
I learned as I went along, by actually doing it and making mistakes, receiving feedback and criticism from clients. When I stumble across a piece of writing that I like, I analyse it, whether it is a beautiful piece of flowing prose, an emotive sales letter, or a poetically written SAAB car manual.
Good writing can be found in the strangest places.
I seem to remember that you described yourself as an experimental online entrepreneur – I suppose that I am the freelance writing equivalent and take bits and pieces from everywhere, judging trends in the freelance writing market by instinct.
By all means visit online forums for advice about the mechanics of where to write and how to bid for jobs, but don’t lose your inner voice – that is the reason that people will pay money to hire you.
7. Tell us about your love of Ouzo! What is it and can it compete with your "two wonderful Guinness-fuelled years, playing Gaelic Football" in Ireland?
Ouzo – it is a spirit distilled from the left over mash after making wine, with a few herbs, spices and anise added. It is one of those drinks that turns cloudy when you add water, and it tastes so nice that you don’t realize that you are getting deliciously drunk.
The advantage of working for myself is that I can drink a couple of glasses if I need a little inspiration.
I hope that the HP powers that be don’t mind me dropping in one link:
The Ten Stages of Ouzo Oblivion
Ireland was great fun and I enjoyed it immensely, but I was in my prime. I could not work in such a physical job now or play contact sport. I can still do the getting irreverently drunk thing, though – it would be awfully rude to live in another country and not sample the local beverage on at least a daily basis.
8. Do you ever write "for fun?" Where can a fan find more of your writing online?
I very rarely write for fun, believe it or not – I do have a few light Hubs but writing is a profession to me and I very rarely do it in my leisure time. I have a few posts on Paraglider’s Dropout Nation blog, but I have had little time to keep up with that recently. For fun, I try to unwind and unleash my artistic side by sketching, or reaching for a lump of olive wood and my woodcarving tools.
9. If you could only have access to three books, no more, no less for the rest of your life, what books would they be?
Lord of the Rings (Spot the Hippy!), A Bob Ross ‘Joy of Painting’ book, and an English/Greek dictionary.
10. Do you have any advice for new Hubbers?
If you are interesting in improving as a writer, read the work of others and write. When you have finished writing, write some more – like a musician, a writer has to practice constantly if they are to improve.
11. Tell us something we’d be surprised to know about you.
I am the world’s worst poet!
|
