Let’s Do This

2009 July 21
tags:
by Kim Werker

Email from 16 February 2009

Hi Betsy,

About those tweets. I’m so tempted to say, “Let’s do this!” but then I keep reminding myself we don’t know what “this” is.

Freelancing = teh suck sometimes. Many of us are in the same boat, and have the same considerations: Do I take that job? Even though I’m not very interested in it? Even though I’m totally interested but it doesn’t pay much? Even though it might go on and on but I want to keep myself flexible enough to do other things? Even though what I really want to do is start something totally new?

Or, um: Where can I find a damn job? That I’m interested in? That’s in line with what I want to accomplish? That pays well? That will still allow me to start that totally new something I really want to do?

It’s the intersection between lofty goals and mundane daily life maintenance, and when things aren’t working out, it’s about the worst feeling ever.

I say we give it a go, talking about it in public—the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful. I know a ton of crafters and other creative types who are trying to make a go of their business (full-time or not) and think they might not only relate, but might like to hear more about what other people are doing. Sometimes just talking about things creates solutions (or, rather, it allows us to create our own solutions).

Hm. A couple of months ago I registered thecreativelife.net, and though I’ve toyed with doing a few different things with it I’ve sort of been letting it fester in the back of my mind until it feels right.

Or, screw that. We could do any number of things. Let’s do it how we want to do it and if we love it, then we can make it bigger. We could write blog posts to each other about what’s on our minds re: the freelance life. Or we could do a podcast. Something that’s us, in our own way, and that’s just honest and allows us to dream, and then inspires us to live those dreams.

Oh dear. I think I’ve slipped *into* a dream. Must be the source of the rambly ramblings.

What do you think? (No holds barred—tell me this idea blows and I’ll be cool. But I might need a hug.)

Cheers,
Kim

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from → Planning the Blog

  • Opening the lines of communication by bringing your conversations to the light is genius. Some days I get so many ideas for projects I can't string them all into place. Having someone or somewhere to bounce ideas off of is an excellent start.
  • I'm a ping-pong ball with too many ideas, too! :) Even my lists have
    little sublists and indexes. So many ideas, so many cool things to do!
  • R.M. Koske
    I'm looking forward to watching this site develop. I'm at exactly the point so many people have been at in the past - I want to move into my creative work as a business, but don't really know where to start. Sharing the uncertainty, watching how others overcome it, is something that I could really use right now.
  • That limbo of being in between is tough. Ultimately you do have to
    step into the void and take a leap, whether large or small. Have you
    thought about where you'd like to be eventually with your creative
    work? I often find that working backwards is best in those sorts of
    situations.

    Kudos to you for getting to that limbo point, it takes a lot of sweat
    and joy and tears to get to that point!
  • Wow, you gals are speaking my language... All of it--- the churning in my stomach when I think about walking away from that nice paycheck.... the simultaneous elation and fear at hearing my mouth say "I'll be leaving (the company) by September first"..... the daily heart palpatations when I calculate how much my new, crazy idea is going to cost me.... but knowing that deep deep down this is what I MUST do. Fail or not, I am compelled by my entrepreneurial--- dare I say--- "disease"? to press on. Good to know I'm not alone!!
  • yes. exactly. :)
  • The whole idea of full time or part time, freelance or a fulfulling job really popped out at me reading this post. The period between when I first gave up one of my two part time jobs (the most HATED one) and now has still been one of uncertainty at times and absolute joy at others. Lots of worrying and wondering if I should take a crappy part time job just so I have some bloody money for a bit, when really I know that not only is it not what I want to be doing but that it will hinder my creative process. But then...is it the more responsible thing to do to take the money? Short term versus long term is tricky, especially when you don't actually know what the long term will be or if it will happen!

    Argh, I fear I'm rambling, but one of the reasons I'm really excited about the dialogue this blog is fostering is that we will get to hear about a range of realities. Knowing that working 9-5 comfortably or giving up everything to freelance by the skin of your teeth aren't the only two options, but that we all mix and match what works for us and hopefully in a way that we can find fulfilling.

    Sorry for the long comment, but I guess you tapped into something I was thinking about!
  • Bring on the long comments! No, really. Our whole goal here is to converse
    and discuss, so don't hold back.

    I agree that learning about the balances different people strike is
    fascinating, comforting, and inspiring. Pretty much overnight, my day's
    highlight has become reading people's comments here, and watching the
    conversation start to grow.
  • It's a tricky dichotomy to work around...Which path should I take,
    damnit?! And you want one to jump out and leap at you...but that
    doesn't always happen.

    So what are you doing now? Or are you making a leap in either
    direction or creating a mix of both of them?
  • Totally, why is it never just written in the sky like I want!

    Right now I'm doing a mixture, a bit of part time 'real work' while my husband and I get going on our crafty stuff and I start my doula business. The tricky part with being a doula is that you obviously have to be really flexible with your time and so in some ways I'm kind of forced to remain out of full time work so that I'm even able to make a go of doula stuff. Thankfully I have a really supportive partner (who comes with great extended medical, haha) and while we're both scraping by we're excited about what we're doing.
  • I am looking forward to this developing and expanding because these are all my fears and my concerns and not knowing where to go and look. My situation is different I have been forced to find work from home. I have no idea where to start cause I get so over loaded with my ideas and lists of things I want to create I feel like I do not have enough time in a day to do all the things I want
    So I am excited to see someone else express these issues
  • Robin,
    "forced" to work at home could turn out to be WONDERFUL for you... I know I can never go back to the dress code, gossip, obligatory parties and fundraising purchases from everyone's children.... (I sound like a fun cubicle mate eh?)

    I've been struggling with a lot of cyclical ideas as well and not knowing which path to choose. A good business consultant of mine said to just pick a few that your gut tells you to pursue and then do something every day to make progress on those two. Find a supportive person to PUSH you and inspire you and you'll get there.
  • This is such a fabulous idea! I couldn't resist adding this great new blog to our link luv roundup. Come take a peek:

    http://www.luvinthemommyhood.com/2009/07/link-l...

    I'll definitely be back to join in on the conversation. Thanks for giving us a place to discuss these kinds of topics. You ladies rock!
  • What a joy to find all of you on the same journey as my own! Like many others, I am transitioning from a "stable" administrative position to reliance on my artistic ability to live. Since leaving my desk job, I have come to understand the degree to which I was sinking into an abyss of mind-numbing predictability. Every day is now ripe with opportunity, but knowing that you are solely responsible can be a crazy burden sometimes ("Is this beautiful -- or is it crap?") I guess the creative process benefits most from encouraging ourselves (and each other) to stop getting in our own way. My good friend sent me a card when I embarked on this journey -- "Don't look at your feet to see if you're doing it right. Just dance."
  • What a fabulous card! Such good advice.
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