New Job, New Outlook

This week I started a new job at a nonprofit near where I live.  It’s also near where I used to work–the place-that-will-not-be named that created an ugliness in me that I don’t want ever want to revisit.  I used to have a blog on another system that was private where I would unleash all the uglies about That Job and try to get it out of my system so I could just cope with going in to work another day.  I recently read through some entries and am glad that I kept the hope that one day I could/would transition to what I really wanted to do and hold fast to that despite all evidence that it would be a difficult and a long process. 

From March to May, I went on various interviews with companies that had to meet my Pink Book qualifications.  The Pink Book was where I outlined the type of job I wanted, my "happy" skills, the types of people I wanted to work with, the type of boss I wanted, the work environment, etc.  I was coached through this process with the book, "Life’s a Bitch and Then You Change Careers: 9 Steps to Get Out of Your Funk and On to Your Future" by Andrea Kay. (She’s also got a podcast on iTunes).  If you’re in a career rut, I highly recommend you read this.  Stick with her advice and you’ll get what you want…eventually.  I think part of it is believing and knowing you will get it despite all evidence to the contrary.  When I was freelancing and not making a lot of money during my job search, I was tempted many times to take whatever offer was on the table.  I even considered doing the work I had been doing all along (public relations/communications)and abandoning my desire to go into Web producing.  I came really close to giving up and I’m glad I didn’t.  I went back to the Pink Book and said, "This is what’s in my heart and I owe it to myself to keep going down this path."  Besides, if I wrote another news release or made another media call, I was gonna hurl.

Now I can say that I’m in a good space.  I started this new job June 23.  So far so good.  I expected it would be because it hit all the Pink Book standards when I first saw it posted on CareerBuilder (or was washingtonpost.com?).

I have no need to post about work anymore…at least not in this space.  And hopefully not in the other space.  I have no delusions that there’ll be days here when I won’t want to throttle someone.  My company has quiet rooms that you can use for those moments, however.  I’m glad they know that everyone needs a moment at some point in the work day.  I am confident I won’t have as many here as I’ve had in other places.

Some other career advice sources that helped me and could help you:

Shifting Careers blog by Marci Alboher, author of “One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success”

Brazen Careerist blog by Penelope Trunk.  She’s also got a book.  I don’t agree with everything she says but I do believe you have to be intentional and brazen about your career and she’s a big proponent of that.

Do You

Do you.

This is not a question as in "Do you ever….?"

It’s a statement…Do you.  Do what you are.  Be what you are.  Or as the old (very old) Hall and Oates song said, "Do what you wanna do, be what you are."

In scrapbooking, it’s very easy to be intimidated by the "designers" and "design teams" who spend hours upon hours crafting the perfect scrapbook layout or card.  I meet many scrapbookers who say, "I’ll never be able to make a layout like [insert scrapbook design celeb]."  And I tell them, "You’re right."

I used to want to be a scrapbook designer so I submitted to the mags and the design calls.  Finally I gave up.  Not because I thought I wasn’t any good, but because I had to ask myself, why did I want to be judged on things that were personal to me?  Everyone has their own aesthetic so how can you really judge who’s good and who’s not?

I find it amusing that on some of the scrapbooking bulletin boards there are places where you can critique each other’s work.  I mean, what…I should’ve placed the journaling block on the right instead of the left?  I should’ve used purple instead of green?  I don’t get it and I think it makes people get stressed out over a hobby that’s supposed to be fun.

When I teach my classes, I tell my students that the sample is just a guide and to make the project to suit their own tastes.  As we work through the project, the students ignore this and do it exactly as I’ve made it.  They’re very concerned that it look "right." Then after a while, one person decides to use a stamp instead of a sticker and then when I point it out to everyone and say, "isn’t this a great idea," everyone else slowly loosens up and that’s when the fun begins.  I start seeing all kinds of interpretations.  Everyone begins sharing with each other and teaching each other.  And it’s great!

The other day I had to remind myself of this.  I was working on a project for Crop Chic.  It’s such a cute project that came from Close to My Heart corporate–"here’s a nifty project to share with your customers" type o’ thing.  I started making it exactly as I saw it and I couldn’t get it together.  I stopped and started so many times I was ready to throw it across the room.  Finally I said, I’m doing it my way.  And do you know after I made that decision, things started flowing?  It wasn’t going to work any other way unless I put my own spin on it.  Isn’t it cute?

Next time you get stressed about your layouts or cards or whatever, remember that scrapbooking is an expression of who you are and all that is.  Remember that and I guarantee the joy and creativity will flow and the stress will dissipate.  And you will not give a flying fig whether the journaling block is on the left or the right because you did it your way.  You did you.

Down but not out

Last week was a crappy week at work.  I won’t go into here because I got all that out in the blog that I keep private.  Usually when it’s crappy at work, I come home, get in the bed and feel sorry for myself.  This time, I took a nap, got up and decided to scrapbook.  In fact, I forced myself to do it so I would feel better.  And it worked!

With the help of Page Maps, I was able to create three pages.  If you’re not familiar with Page Maps, they’re like Becky Higgins Sketches and they help those of us who are layout challenged.  I also ordered a new trimmer from Making Memories and some acrylic stamps and paper from Close to My Heart.

This is my goddaughter.  She’s a ham.

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned paper: (Cherish) Creative Memories; Accents: (chipboard circle), Bazzill Basics, (sticker) Creative Memories, (bling) Total Crafts stores, (ribbon) Michael’s stores; Dies: (asterisk/flowers, Vixen and CK Typewriter) Quikutz; Chalk Ink (Chestnut Roan) Colorbox; Chalk: Close to My Heart

My cat Kramer prefers to drink from the bathroom sink instead of his water dish.  He uses the water dish to wash his face.

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned paper: (Jitterbug) Cosmo Cricket; Rubber stamps: (dotted circle from Seredipity set) Close to My Heart, (flourish from Flourishes v. 1) Autumn Leaves, (zig zag stitches from Hanging by a Thread) Technique Tuesday; Ink (Basic Black, Close to Cocoa) Stampin’ Up!; Accents: (chipboard scroll) Fancy Pants, (buttons) SEI; Fibers: Making Memories; Font: Central Perk; Dies: (Maddie Anne) Quikutz

I had fun and felt better.  Lesson learned: don’t let the crud of the day prevent you from experiencing the joy you feel when you craft.          

Cre8

So here we go.  I’m finally posting something real on this blog.  I’ve been delayed because my mind has been preoccupied with work-related things.  You know how that goes.  Actually I’m trying to change the kind of work I do.  I’ve done some soul searching and I’ve come to the conclusion that my job should also entail some sort of creativity.  This has been a difficult process as it entails a slight redirect of what I do for a living.  Not completely out of the field, but a tad different skill set that I haven’t been using in my day-to-day work now.  I have in the past and I realized I missed that kind of work.  Searching for a job is a tedious, ego-testing process.  I hope to get something in February that’s aligned with my personal goals.  Speaking of which, you didn’t come here to read about my career stuff, but my creative stuff.

I came up with some Creativity Goals for 2008:

1. Continue to blog on my personal blog that’s private and serves as a place to vent all the uglies.  I would love to share that with you, but it may incriminate me in the other area of my life (the one that provides a paycheck and I’m not ready to give that up until I get some better).
2. Begin blogging creativity projects on Gotta Be Me.  That would be this spot.  I want to include some photography, scrapbooking (paper and digital) layouts and perhaps some video.  I’ve had this video camera for a few years and I may as well put it to use, right?
3. Paper scrapbook at least twice a week and digital scrapbook at least once a week.
4. Incorporate more stamping into my srapbooking.  I’ve started doing this and I’ve met up with some Close to My Heart and StampinUp! consultants.  (Find a consultant near you!)
5. Learn to knit and finish some crochet blankets in various stages of progress.
6. Lose weight to create the new me by next year when I turn Four-O.
7. Sell some stuff on Etsy.  I can’t do eBay anymore and besides, I’d rather sell in a place devoted to crafters.
8. Read other creativity blogs to stay inspired!

Next week I’ll be at my company’s convention working so I’ll have to pick up in February.  ‘Til then!

P.S. – What are your creativity goals for 2008?