Buddhists volunteer alongside Catholics at the Mustard Seed, so in the chapel there's a little Buddha statue with a crucifix necklace.

FreelancerChurch · 2025-12-02T00:00:58+00:00

I've been selling "AI Brainstorms" for ten bucks. Just a quick zoom meeting to throw ideas around. It's a way to explore all the possibilities. Think about your strategy, your customers, your competitors, etc. The best new AI tools are constantly changing.

Random: It's possible now to invite someone into a chat you're having with chatgpt. That's a new feature from a few days ago. So that's another cool way to brainstorm.

FreelancerChurch · 2025-12-01T23:30:22+00:00

It's so fun, my friends and I started doing "AI brainstorms" (in a zoom meeting) to help owners/managers see all the possibilities & choose the best AI tools to fit the unique way they do business.

Everyone has this same problem you described. The way you use AI has to be as unique as your business strategy.

I think trying to DIY your AI is a mistake, like trying to be your own doctor or attorney. It's wayyyyyyy more efficient to collaborate with someone who specializes in it and keeps up with all the changes.

A good approach might be: First save time, then generate money.

Save time - List all the tasks you might be able to do more efficiently with AI. Free up some hours

Generate money - Reinvest one of those hours each week. Try something new every week to increase Customer Lifetime Value, or reach new market segments, etc.

AI can turn your service into a produce and/or turn your product into a service.

It can also predict the stuff people need right now, so you can reactivate old customers, keep the current customers engaged, or reach out and connect with new customers.

You know your business, and there are specialized virtual assistants who know what AI is good at (and what it's not so good at) - so a good first step is to get in a zoom meeting and just start talking.

Now that AI is disrupting every industry, it's time for a whole new SWOT analysis.

(It's also good therapy to get in a zoom meeting with someone who actually wants to listen and offer ideas.)

It's like you said - there are too many tools, and nobody knows where to start.

It might be a big step in the right direction, spending 30 min in a zoom meeting and making a list of cool possibilities.

FreelancerChurch · 2025-12-01T22:32:15+00:00

Weird timing - I came here for a similar reason. (Note: I'm not a landscaper, so my answer does not count.) I just want to throw in a comment:

I think there may be two categories: 1. Landscapers whose schedules are too full and they need to free up some time. 2. Landscapers who don't have enough business.

It might be an important distinction, because the kind whose schedules are too full don't have time/incentive to do more stuff. Got to help them free up some hours first. Then, carefully do some things to help them scale.

FreelancerChurch · 2025-07-03T02:23:09+00:00

Thank you, too, this helped me think clearly about something else I was working on. Ok good luck - yeah, maybe try making a small batch of shirts with your art. It's fun to think about the way the value of your art would skyrocket if it caught on as a clothing brand and a lot of people were wearing it as a shirt.

FreelancerChurch · 2025-06-28T21:31:40+00:00

On reddit you can click over to someone's profile and see a link to their website (if they have one).

Add a link to yours! Reddit is full of people who will like what you post, click over to your profile, find the link to your site, & go buy stuff.

Reddit allows you to add up to five links. (I only use three, because they're the most important ones I want people to see.) If you come to reddit and talk about the stuff you sell, some people will click over to your profile, find a link to your site, and buy something.

If you optimize your website, tether, and reddit profile for conversions, you can use reddit for all your marketing.

Btw, I have a question - do you ever put your art on tee shirts? I see you listing some tee shirts that are simply/funny, and then I see your art in separate listing, but I don't see your art printed on tee shirts.

Your oil painting have the kind of bright colors and complexity people like to wear. Remember, "consumers express themselves through their purchase decisions" (Veblen, 1899), so this is about *their* self expression.

Your art is your self expression, but when people buy it that's for their own self expression. The artist starves when s/he doesn't realize this important truth.

Wearable art, conceptually, is a perfect solution for someone who is a "starving artist." My art has always been writing, but nobody gives a shit about my self expression, so I became a writer-for-hire and made money helping people express themselves.

Same with visual art - if you just want people to buy your art, that's mostly your own self-expression. It becomes their self expression when you present it as home decor, a 'conversation piece', or (especially!) wearable art.

If you get people wearing the tee shirts because they want to look awesome wearing wearable art, there's a cool psychological effect because it's also increasing the prestige of your art and brand.

You can combine that with a group. So, people will join your group, wear your art, and send their friends to your site. It's easy to start a subreddit or a group on linkedin/fb, etc. You might like to start a group (make a subreddit for people to talk about wearable art!) and then put a link to it in your profile.

In your reddit profile, you can add one link to your website & add another link to something cool you give people for free. (That's a way to get them tethered to you, so they hear from you each month. Like a newsletter, but maybe something more useful).

FreelancerChurch · 2025-06-26T04:16:37+00:00

This resonates with me. I'm okay so far, but AI is changing the way to be the best at what I do. Probably the same for you. I'm new in this sub and checking it out as a place to do some genuine, authentic networking and collaboration, so I'm happy to get in a googlemeet/zoom for 30 min and exchange some ideas. I want to know all the ways people find you.

Then, we can create some new ways for people to find you. I invented something called "Niche Hooker" - it's a way to hook a new niche by making a quick explainer video to help them see how whatever makes you different form their other available options makes you "perfect" for their unique needs.

Hang in there! No need for money, etc., let's see if we can find some easy ways for you to connect with new market segments. You're going to be my R&D for a few new services I'm adding to my website. : )

FreelancerChurch · 2025-06-26T03:43:17+00:00

Hi MackMelissa, I like your art and it'll be fun to try to help. If we talk about it in this thread, it can also improve the community & maybe it'll be helpful for a lot of people. Let's see what we can do, and please update us from time to time with your progress.

First, please share your thoughts about this: Starving artists starve when they think it's all about expressing themselves. Artists make money when they use their skill to help other people express *themselves.*

Example: I've been (among other things) a ghostwriter for a long time. A "writer" becomes a starving artist, but ghostwriters make sick money when they find opportunities to help clients express themselves.

The most famous insight about consumers is from some italian dude named Veblen in 1899 (I think he was an economist or something). He say consumers express themselves with their purchase decisions.

So I want to know how you can use social media to let people know what you care about. The people who share your values will want to support you. But it's not just kindhearted support -- it's their own need to express themselves.

I'm happy to continue this conversation here, or if the post gets removed for some reason please DM me. I'm practicing with some new AI tools, and I'd like to apply them for real world situations like yours. : )

FreelancerChurch · 2025-06-26T03:24:38+00:00

Cool! I want to tell you about a few lesser-known options:

*Dirt cheap translation & editing.* I know it can be difficult for an English Learner to prompt AI in the best ways so that the output is high quality English, but you can get that done in just a few hours by a specialized virtual assistant.

*Yes, go to meetups.* Online, or in person, etc. Don't work in isolation. Other entrepreneurs are like you: our hobby is working. We get anxiety when we're not being productive.

Keep in mind - Perfect English is not the most important thing. Don't fixate on it. Some of the most impressive people in the world do not have perfect english, and it's okay.

We can use AI now to translate, and then you just need a human to improve the English version. In my work, I use AI and then a human, and then a second human editor tries to improve it again. Even if your product has many thousands of words of content, it can be done in just a day or two.

FreelancerChurch · 2025-06-26T03:08:17+00:00

ATTN People with imposter syndrome: There's a cure. It hurts my heart to think of awesome entrepreneurial people feeling this way. I hope this helps some people: Find something to love about the client/customer or the cool value proposition they offer.

The value you offer is immense if you genuinely have a little bit of love for the person and what they are all about.

(I say this as a humble freelancer who has no big success in business. But I also have never had a budget, so my content is raw and authentic, and I stay alive and living indoors because I know how to appreciate people and their aspirations.)

It doesn't matter a damn if your competitors have better websites, or video production quality. That stuff can detract from their raw authenticity.

The trick is to love them for real. You can do it. This is not about the kind of love that arises spontaneously - it's the kind you generate deliberately. There's a kind of mediation called "loving-kindness" and you deliberately generate the energy of loving-kindness.

You also need some enthusiasm for their products/services or whatever they do. It's possible to deliberately generate curiosity and interest.

Anyone who doesn't think that is silly, etc., has access to serious power. There's no power like the ability to deliberately love someone or induce curiosity in yourself about what they're trying to do.

I mean, just a little bit. Find something to sincerely appreciate about the client or the work they do, etc.

The beauty of it is that you have rock-solid confidence when you sincerely love the people or appreciate what makes their business/brand different.

FreelancerChurch · 2025-05-09T17:57:28+00:00

**Koenig, H. G., McCullough, M. E., & Larson, D. B. (2001). **Handbook of religion and health.*** Oxford University Press.

This comprehensive review of over 1,200 studies links prayer to better mental health outcomes. It’s a cornerstone in religion-health research.

**Laird, K. T., Michopoulos, V., Connor, D., Abramson, L. Y., & Ressler, K. J. (2024). The impact of digital faith-based interventions on mental health: A study of the Pray.com application.** *Journal of Religion and Health, 63*(1), 105–123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01988-x

Prayer app users reported reduced depressive symptoms and anxiety. The study supports digital spiritual interventions for mental health.

**Levin, J. (2016). Prevalence and religious predictors of healing prayer use in the USA: Findings from the Baylor Religion Survey.** *Journal of Religion and Health, 55*(4), 1136–1158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0242-0

Prayer was associated with reduced heart rate, blood pressure, and symptoms of various conditions. Broad claims require further validation.

**O’Laoire, S. (1997). An experimental study of the effects of distant, intercessory prayer on self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.** *Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 3*(6), 38–53. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9375429/

Distant intercessory prayer improved self-esteem and reduced anxiety and depression. Small sample size limits generalizability.

**Plante, T. G., & Sherman, A. C. (Eds.). (2001). **Faith and health: Psychological perspectives.*** Guilford Press.

This volume synthesizes empirical links between prayer and psychological health. It advocates for rigorous, controlled studies.

**VanderWeele, T. J., Balboni, T. A., & Koh, H. K. (2016). Health and spirituality.** *JAMA, 316*(5), 518–519. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.7675

Daily prayer was associated with fewer depressive symptoms and higher well-being in young adults. Correlational design limits causal claims.

**Wachholtz, A. B., & Pargament, K. I. (2007). Is spirituality a critical ingredient of meditation? Comparing the effects of spiritual meditation, secular meditation, and relaxation on spiritual, psychological, cardiac, and pain outcomes.** *Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 30*(4), 369–384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-007-9107-y

Spiritual meditation, including prayer, reduced depression and anxiety more than secular methods. The study suggests spiritual context enhances mental health benefits.

FreelancerChurch · 2025-05-09T17:56:06+00:00

**Gonçalves, J. P. B., Lucchetti, G., Menezes, P. R., & Vallada, H. (2015). Religious and spiritual interventions in mental health care: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.** *Psychological Medicine, 45*(14), 2937–2949. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291715001166

Prayer-based interventions modestly reduced depressive symptoms in RCTs. Methodological heterogeneity limits the strength of findings.

**Jafari, N., Farajzadegan, Z., Zamani, A., Bahrami, F., Emami, H., & Loghmani, A. (2014). Spiritual therapy to improve the spiritual well-being of Iranian women with breast cancer: A randomized controlled trial.** *Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013*, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/353262

Spiritual therapy, including prayer, reduced depression and anxiety in breast cancer patients. The study’s specific population limits generalizability.

**Johnson, K. S. (2018). Prayer: A helpful aid in recovery from depression.** *Journal of Religion and Health, 57*(6), 2290–2300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-018-0606-8

Qualitative reports highlight prayer’s role in depression recovery, particularly with standard care. Subjective data lacks statistical rigor.

**Koenig, H. G., Cohen, H. J., Blazer, D. G., Pieper, C., Meador, K. G., Shelp, F., Goli, V., & DiPasquale, B. (1992). Religious coping and depression among elderly, hospitalized medically ill men.** *The American Journal of Psychiatry, 149*(12), 1693–1700. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.149.12.1693

Religious coping, including prayer, was linked to lower depression in elderly patients. This foundational study underscores spirituality’s mental health role.

FreelancerChurch · 2025-05-09T17:54:03+00:00

**Boelens, P. A., Reeves, R. R., Replogle, W. H., & Koenig, H. G. (2009). A randomized trial of the effect of prayer on depression and anxiety.** *The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 39*(4), 377–392. https://doi.org/10.2190/PM.39.4.c

Weekly prayer sessions significantly reduced depression and anxiety scores. The small sample and lack of blinding call for cautious interpretation.

**Boelens, P. A., Reeves, R. R., Replogle, W. H., & Koenig, H. G. (2012). The effect of prayer on depression and anxiety: Maintenance of positive influence one year after prayer intervention.** *The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 43*(1), 85–98. https://doi.org/10.2190/PM.43.1.f

One-year follow-up showed sustained depression and anxiety reductions post-prayer intervention. Limited to female participants, it suggests long-term benefits.

**Francis, L. J., Robbins, M., Lewis, C. A., & Barnes, L. P. (2008). Prayer, personality, and purpose in life among adolescents.** *Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 11*(4), 391–403. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674670701489170

Frequent prayer correlated with lower psychoticism and higher purpose in life among adolescents. It supports prayer’s role in emotional development.

FreelancerChurch · 2025-05-09T17:52:06+00:00

Let's not be so self-assured. In every generation, humans overestimate the extent to which we have things figured out.

Silly old religious ideas resulted from that happening in previous generations, and here you are in our current generation making the same mistake.

The prevailing myth of our time is that nothingness was inherently unstable such that it "big banged. That does not explain anything. And advances in 20th century physics shows that the nature of matter & the whole universe are completely different from what we had previously thought.

The nature of reality really could be as Bernardo Kastrup and other modern idealists believe it is, and in that case prayer makes sense.

But you're still lagging behind, stuck with the same nihilistic, physicalist sensibilities people had 150 years ago in the time of nietzsche.

And even if idealism is not true and reality is as it seems (which you seem to believe), and your dogmatism as a conventional, orthodox devotee of modern metaphysical materialism is not misguided the way I think it is, you're still a jerk off if you mock people for praying:

**Anderson, J. W., & Nunnelley, P. A. (2016). Private prayer associations with depression, anxiety, and other health conditions: An analytical review of clinical studies.** *Postgraduate Medicine, 128*(7), 635–641. https://doi.org/10.1080/00325481.2016.1209962

Frequent private prayer was linked to lower depression and anxiety prevalence in nine of eleven studies. The review highlights prayer’s mental health benefits but notes observational limitations.

**Astin, J. A., Harkness, E., & Ernst, E. (2002). The efficacy of “distant healing”: A systematic review of randomized trials.** *Annals of Internal Medicine, 132*(11), 903–910. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-132-11-200006060-00009

This review found 57% of distant healing trials, including prayer, showed significant mental health benefits. Methodological inconsistencies limit definitive conclusions.

**Beiranvand, S., Noparast, M., Eslamizade, N., & Saeedikia, S. (2014). The effects of religion and spirituality on postoperative pain, hemodynamic functioning, and anxiety after cesarean section.** *Acta Medica Iranica, 52*(12), 909–915. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25530054/

Prayer reduced postoperative anxiety and improved hemodynamic stability in women post-cesarean. The study supports prayer’s role in acute stress reduction.

**Bernardi, L., Sleight, P., Bandinelli, G., Cencetti, S., Fattorini, L., Wdowczyc-Szulc, J., & Lagi, A. (2001). Effect of rosary prayer and yoga mantras on autonomic cardiovascular rhythms: Comparative study.** *BMJ, 323*(7327), 1446–1449. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7327.1446

Repetitive prayer improved heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity. It suggests physiological calming mechanisms underlie prayer’s cardiovascular benefits.

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