Projects, opinions and updates from a UK independent
A wet-weather tour of the library boards, laundrette corkboards, village hall pinboards and café windows that still organise British local life — and why a curled A5 flyer with tear-off tabs teaches small publishers more about trust than any hyperlocal app.
One small project of mine has made almost nothing and still earns its keep. A practical, slightly awkward case for tracking trust, introductions and useful connections alongside revenue — without pretending that goodwill pays the electricity bill.
From this month I’m publishing a short weekly work log on russellfutcher.com — not a highlight reel, but a plain record of drafts, admin, fixes and stalls. Here’s why ordinary progress is worth documenting, what I’ll include, and how I’ll stop it becoming another performance.
A short tour of independent British sites that feel like people rather than content machines — and one practical lesson from each that you can borrow for your own corner of the web. No growth hacks, no 47-step funnel, just good manners and useful archives.
A practical, affectionate field guide to using UK public libraries as free workspaces, from wifi and desk realities to booking meeting rooms and why the silent reference section can beat any café for focused work.
Build in public has become the default setting for UK independents, but the habit can turn early ideas into content before they are ready. Here’s the case for working privately, protecting the messy middle, and publishing once you have something worth sharing.
Running a personal site like a media brand looks tidy from the outside. In practice, it quietly turns one person into publisher, accountant and compliance officer. Here’s my 2026 audit — and the three boundaries that stopped the whole thing eating my week.
A personal listening list of six UK independent podcasts that reframed audience-building for me in 2026 — less broadcast, more conversation. Includes the episodes that stuck and why they matter for freelancers.
A polite 'yes' can cost more than a rude 'no'. Here is how British niceness drains solo creators, plus the scripts I use in 2026 to protect my week without turning into a monster.
Five modest experiments, one crowded spare-room desk and a pile of notes that a flashy launch could never have taught me. This is my honest 2026 audit, plus a simple framework you can use on your own ideas.