OK, so this is my second attempt to post this review of the Creative Freelancer Conference; my first, done just after the event wrapped earlier today, ended badly when the hotel internet connection kicked me off and lost my work. Ah, technology.

Regardless, it was a terrific event, and the first of what I'm sure will be an ongoing gathering of solo creative types.

The thing that stood out today was Lee Silber's personal slideshow, which he created as a vision of his ideal life. It was made up of his own photos, found images, key words meaningful to him and a soundtrack; Lee keeps it on his iPhone and on his desktop computer as a regular reminder of what he's really working for (and toward). Lee's time-management seminar was great.

The ever-generous Jeff Fisher wound things up with an overview of his experiences and advice on running a well-balanced freelance gig, gleaned from his 30 years on his own. I like to think that Jeff was freelancing when freelancing wasn't cool.

If you are a freelancer, stay tuned to CreativeFreelancerConference.com and its companion blog, which we expect to become a community for people like you. The connections that were developed here in Chicago are too valuable to be lost, so we'll create a meeting spot online.