**Examples of excellent science writing:** This shelf includes just a few of the books I put on the Recommended Reading list for students enrolled in my freelance science communicator course.

From Student to Teacher

November 30, 2022 in Science Communication

I stare at my laptop screen, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach. I click “Launch Meeting” and a Zoom window opens. One by one, I watch faces and names appear in the video chat. But they aren’t the familiar faces of clients or colleagues — the ten people on this Zoom call are students enrolled in a course I’m teaching.

Me? A teacher? Since when? While I have given dozens of presentations about my work over the past few years, I have never officially “taught” anything before. But when I gave a presentation about being a full-time freelance science communicator at Science Talk last March, Allison Coffin, president of the Association of Science Communicators, asked me about the possibility of expanding my 20-minute talk into an online course.

Sharing the story of my freelance career at Science Talk 22 in Portland, Oregon | Photo by Camille Collett

Science Talk 22: Tell your Story

March 31, 2022

There is nothing quite like being at a conference full of people who both love science and understand the value of solid communication. As soon as I walk into Science Talk, I can see that everyone here is curious, smart, and approachable. Even though I don’t know a single person, it’s easy to start a conversation.

When I sit down next to Tszula, a postdoctoral researcher in Physics at the University of New Mexico, I ask, “is this your first time coming to Science Talk?”

“No, I actually came to the very first one six years ago.”

“What was that like?” I ask. “Was it super tiny?”

“It was completely sold out!” Tzula says emphatically. “At the end of the conference, the organizers said, ‘wellllll that was a smashing success. I guess we should do it again!’”

I think about the demand for this type of knowledge and expertise. It’s affirming to realize that I am not alone in my quest to become a better science communicator.

Doing It

February 09, 2022 in Personal

Four years ago today I left my full-time position at UNC Research to start my own business.

Four years. That’s 1,461 days. It is also exactly a quarter of my adult, professional life.

When I left the comfort and security of my state employee job, I told everyone I was excited. But I was mostly stressed. I experienced a lot of self-doubt and sleepless nights. Venturing out on my own and navigating the world of full-time freelance work was daunting to say the least. Everything was a struggle: making enough money, getting enough sleep, finding enough work, exhibiting enough confidence. I lived off coffee, adrenaline, and tenacity.

Phew. Just thinking about those first few months is exhausting.

But I did it. And I’m still doing it.