With the economy in the dumps and unemployment looming around every corner, you might think it’s a terrible time to try and sell yourself. Au contraire.  When sales are down, businesses need creative minds more than ever, as they seek new ways of generating buzz for their brand.

If you’re a freelancer, or any type of creative worker at all (illustrator, graphic artist, jingle writer, etc.), 2010 can be the year you get more gigs than ever. Here are seven easy ways to get your name out there and generate some buzz of your own.

1. Social Network, Social Network, Social Network

Even the big companies are doing it, so why aren’t you?  With a cost of nothing you should be using social networking sites for all they’re worth to establish your reputation as a go-to source for whatever you produce. Only have a personal page? Set up an account today for your work persona.

2. Print Some Business Cards

If you tell yourself “I’m just a guy who draws pictures” or “Writers don’t have cards,” you’re selling yourself short. Business cards are cheap to print these days (check out Vistaprint), and you don’t have to be a bigwig to carry them. Give them out anytime you find yourself in conversation about your work.

3. Volunteer

Some people fear giving their work away for free, feeling that it devalues what they do. In fact, the opposite can be true. Donating work creates the idea that your work is worth donating, and serves as an example of what you can do. Design brochures for a local charity or write copy for a political campaign –and make sure you leave them with plenty of business cards.

4. Take a Break from Creating

It may seem counter-intuitive, but far too many creative types spend so much time creating that they never take time to market themselves. You may have a stack of paintings a mile high, but the bills are even higher. Take time off –whether it’s a week, a month, or even a year– and devote that time exclusively to selling your product. You won’t lose your mojo, and you’ll gain real work.

5. Teach a Workshop

Whatever skills you have, there are kids who would love the chance to learn from you. Offer to teach a workshop at a community center, school or church. You can even charge a small fee while you pass on your know-how about photography or screenwriting. The upside: those kids all have parents who will now know your name, and equate you with being an expert on the subject. (Pass out those cards!)

6. Join Oozil.

It’s free –and it’s right here. While you’re on the site, take the time to sign up for the forums. With Oozil matching clients to providers, you can go back to doing what you love most: creating content.

2010 will be your year. I can feel it.

By Elizabeth Kelly

At year’s end, a flurry of articles surface with predictions about the hottest trends for the upcoming year, and the cusp of 2009/2010 is no exception. These are some of the well-spotted trends we can expect to impact our lives in 2010, chosen by those who have their finger on the pulse.

Embedded Generosity

The minds at trendwatching.com recently released their list of “10 Crucial Trends for 2010,” including the concept of embedded generosity. Noting that it was huge in 2009, they predict an even bigger boom in 2010, as consumers look for painless ways of making a difference. Examples inlclude Tom’s Shoes, the company that donates a pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair sold, or Pampers diapers, who donate the cost of a vaccine for each package purchased.

Local Pride

Also on the list at trendwatching.com is what they call “urbany”: city-specific products and services that are already cropping up in bigger cities across the country. Its already been tapped by companies like Absolut Vodka, who launched a mango and black pepper-flavored vodka inspired by the city of New Orleans (and later a flavor custom-made for Boston), and Guerlain perfumes, who sell city-themed scents at Harrod’s. In London, some bank ATMs have an option to receive your instructions in Cockney rhyming slang.

Real Time

Pete Cashmore, the founder and CEO of Mashable’s social media blog, wrote at CNN that “the real-time trend has been to the latter part of 2009 what “Web 2.0″ was to 2007.” Facebook and Twitter updates are just the beginning of a burgeoning public desire for immediacy. Consumers can expect a tidal flow of applications that only increase the ability to share now. (And don’t forget real-time collaboration, either. The Google Wave phenomenon is just beginning.)

Cloud Computing

2009 made cloud computing a buzzword, but expect to see it around even more in 2010. The ability to use virtual servers available over the Internet to make data accessible from anywhere will continue to fuel collaborative projects around the world. Cashmore says we can also expect the cloud trend to see “a major leap forward in the first half of 2010 with the launch of “Office Web Apps,” free online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote released in tandem with Microsoft Office 2010.”

Social Networking, Marketing Edition

Sure, social networking isn’t just coming, it’s here. But, Stuart Parkinson of VCCP  says that 2010 will be the “the year that people get to grips with marketing on social networks.” This past year, we’ve seen companies using Facebook and Twitter campaigns to enormous success (and also several that are completely fumbling with it.) Expect businesses to start mastering social media –for better or worse– in the upcoming year.

The new trends in 2010 haven’t just appeared out of nowhere; they’ve been building over time. Have you seen it all coming? If you’re the kind of person who keeps their eyes in the future, welcome to Oozil. We’re going to get along just fine.

What trends do you see making an impact in 2010? Share your ideas in the comment section.

by Elizabeth Kelly