The recession, benefits, the safety net, and the learning curve

Max_Headroom_3

Well blog fans and friends, just a quick announcement.

Da da DA!!!

As of today, the blog is up to date! :j

So everything you read from now on is in real time. :cool:

Come and enjoy the ride with me live from now on.

Phirefly

About time too. It was wreaking havoc with my inner time-space continuum.

Although its bittersweet in as much as I, like FC, can't help but yearn for the happy ending and while we were in a lag as it were, there was always the possibility that the utopia had been acheived, we just weren't party to it yet...

Max_Headroom_3

Well the blog has been running exactly a whole month today!! :T

Quite amazing really, I wondered whether I'd have enough material to last a fortnight but it seems to keep coming.

I'm really enjoying writing it, I think today's entry, in terms of style and content, is my best ever and I spent hours last night tweaking and tuning it until I was finally happy with it, which contrasts hugely with the normal 20 mins or so a day I spend putting something together and publishing it on-line.

So I just wanted to say a massive thank you to Charlies Angels (you know who you are) for all the help and encouragement you've given me.

Lets see what the next month brings! :beer:

fc123

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Well the blog has been running exactly a whole month today!! :T

Quite amazing really, I wondered whether I'd have enough material to last a fortnight but it seems to keep coming.

I'm really enjoying writing it, I think today's entry, in terms of style and content, is my best ever and I spent hours last night tweaking and tuning it until I was finally happy with it, which contrasts hugely with the normal 20 mins or so a day I spend putting something together and publishing it on-line.

So I just wanted to say a massive thank you to Charlies Angels (you know who you are) for all the help and encouragement you've given me.

Lets see what the next month brings! :beer:

Todays episode threw me a bit as it was so unexpected.....finding out you're a dad stopped me posting an idea (I know I know......full of ideas for a strrrrangers life ) as I figured, being mortage and family free, you would have more ''freedom'' to pursue other things during this time.

Except you have offspring to fund....so getting a job is priority rather than re-training. Dam. I had a plan.

I was thinking about the difference between being self employed and freelance. I know Phirefly is freelance but don't know exactly how it works for her.
I just make what I want (no-one elses brief but my own) then put the work out there. It either sells or doesn't.

Some years ago, I used to provide clothing for a stylist and photographer. They would book a newbie model who needed shots for her book, did a shoot and then just sent out the pics to fashion editors on spec.
They weren't ever booked by anyone unlike a freelance
stylist/photographer team.

Their shoots would get accepted into Telegraph, Mirror etc weekend colour supplements though they weren't paid much if anything, however, this built them a fantastic portfolio (and I had some great free press) and got them known. Both went on to F/T jobs eventually.

Some writers just write whatever they want then send it out and cross fingers....whether to local rag or daily. Local papers are desp for free work. Maybe a review of a local event?

Sorry for rambling but I was thinking about it today but it didn't seem appropriate to post on todays blog entry.



PS; I couldn't PM the article as it's not online.

Phirefly

fc123 wrote: »

I just make what I want (no-one elses brief but my own)

Sounds heaven.

I work to set briefs where there is little scope for creative input. In my field, we're selected for our 'handwriting' which is suitable for a particular product/client or not. I get a design brief, I complete it and get paid per hour whether the design goes into production or not.

Most creatives start out by building a self-directed portfolio which eventually (hopefully) gets them into paid work, like FC's anecdotal stylist and photographer. Ever the pragmatist, I never did that bit, I just identified the most direct route to paying the bills and went straight into the commercial sector. Albeit after a good year or so of undertaking unpaid placements.

This is all coming to a head for me right now as I've been working in this way for about 7 years now and my entire portfolio is commercially driven, and sometimes I feel its holding me back. I have not had time to do any lovely self-indulgent, self-directed work. I'm gagging to create a body of personal work which could open new doors, and thought that when I lost the Big One I'd have more time to do this but every time I think 'hmm next weeks looking quiet, time to pick up the paintbrush', I get a new commercial project (fortunately - Tha Wharf isn't going to pay for itself).

I think the suggestion of just getting work out there is a good one.

carolt

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Well the blog has been running exactly a whole month today!! :T

Quite amazing really, I wondered whether I'd have enough material to last a fortnight but it seems to keep coming.

I'm really enjoying writing it, I think today's entry, in terms of style and content, is my best ever and I spent hours last night tweaking and tuning it until I was finally happy with it, which contrasts hugely with the normal 20 mins or so a day I spend putting something together and publishing it on-line.

So I just wanted to say a massive thank you to Charlies Angels (you know who you are) for all the help and encouragement you've given me.

Lets see what the next month brings! :beer:

You're going to really hate me for saying this, Max - it's the teacher in me - but whilst the content was good, your punctuation in today's piece was all over the place. I mention it only because I think you see the blog as potentially an entree into paid writing; whilst paid writing will be proofread (one hopes!) before publication, I think it's worth checking it yourself before you self-publish if you want to create the right impression.

Sorry if that sounds v teacher-ish; I admit that punctuation and spelling errors are my personal bugbears (don't think there was anything wrong with your spelling, BTW), but I may not be the only one.

Out of interest, what is your 'column'? Sorry if mentioned previously - not read far enough back to find out...

Max_Headroom_3

fc123 wrote: »

Todays episode threw me a bit as it was so unexpected.....finding out you're a dad stopped me posting an idea (I know I know......full of ideas for a strrrrangers life ) as I figured, being mortage and family free, you would have more ''freedom'' to pursue other things during this time.

Except you have offspring to fund....so getting a job is priority rather than re-training. Dam. I had a plan.

I was thinking about the difference between being self employed and freelance. I know Phirefly is freelance but don't know exactly how it works for her.
I just make what I want (no-one elses brief but my own) then put the work out there. It either sells or doesn't.

Some years ago, I used to provide clothing for a stylist and photographer. They would book a newbie model who needed shots for her book, did a shoot and then just sent out the pics to fashion editors on spec.
They weren't ever booked by anyone unlike a freelance
stylist/photographer team.

Their shoots would get accepted into Telegraph, Mirror etc weekend colour supplements though they weren't paid much if anything, however, this built them a fantastic portfolio (and I had some great free press) and got them known. Both went on to F/T jobs eventually.

Some writers just write whatever they want then send it out and cross fingers....whether to local rag or daily. Local papers are desp for free work. Maybe a review of a local event?

Sorry for rambling but I was thinking about it today but it didn't seem appropriate to post on todays blog entry.



PS; I couldn't PM the article as it's not online.

Some good ideas there FC, thank you.

Max_Headroom_3

carolt wrote: »

You're going to really hate me for saying this, Max - it's the teacher in me - but whilst the content was good, your punctuation in today's piece was all over the place. I mention it only because I think you see the blog as potentially an entree into paid writing; whilst paid writing will be proofread (one hopes!) before publication, I think it's worth checking it yourself before you self-publish if you want to create the right impression.

Sorry if that sounds v teacher-ish; I admit that punctuation and spelling errors are my personal bugbears (don't think there was anything wrong with your spelling, BTW), but I may not be the only one.

I don't hate you at all for saying it Carol, quite the reverse. The blog is very much a learning curve, a tool for gaining writing experience in the absence of anything else, so teach away.

Too, many, commas?

carolt

Max_Headroom wrote: »

I don't hate you at all for saying it Carol, quite the reverse. The blog is very much a learning curve, a tool for gaining writing experience in the absence of anything else, so teach away.

Too, many, commas?

Phew, thanks, didn't want to offend - I remember on my first 'meeting' with fc, I insulted her grammar, and it took months for her to forgive me.

Actually, you need more commas, and watch out for apostrophes.

I found today's content sad - you might be better off (a) trying word of mouth, (b) asking at shops/restaurants/pubs esp where you see signs and (c) looking at your local university website - even if you never went to uni there, I've found them to be quite good at having a range of varied local jobs.

Above all, don't despair - August is the WORST month for casual job searches, as you're competing with millions of brand-new graduates yet to start graduate jobs, plus other students on holiday, plus lots of potential employers on holiday and therefore nobody's recuiting till September.

It happens every year; it's probably more extreme this year due to the recession, but I'm sure - provided you can afford to live frugally for a month, you'll find much more out there in a month or so.

Why not try a spot of entrepeneurialism?

Sell ice creams or cold drinks?

Host a visiting foreign student?

Try making money out of a hobby (like me and my card-making, or PN and her mythical candles). Do you have an area of expertise you could buy cheap at car boots, say, or the internet, and sell on ebay? Vintage clothes, books, records, etc.....

Lots of ways to make money.......

PasturesNew

carolt wrote: »

(a) trying word of mouth, (b) asking at shops/restaurants/pubs esp where you see signs and (c) looking at your local university website - even if you never went to uni there, I've found them to be quite good at having a range of varied local jobs.

Worth a try, but where Max lives it's seasonal/tourism work mostly, so he's competing with all the students and backpackers, with a lower rate of pay.
Local Unis are still 25-40 miles away.

carolt wrote: »

Above all, don't despair - August is the WORST month for casual job searches, as you're competing with millions of brand-new graduates yet to start graduate jobs, plus other students on holiday, plus lots of potential employers on holiday and therefore nobody's recuiting till September.

Very true.

carolt wrote: »

Why not try a spot of entrepeneurialism?

He could even try spelling it correctly

carolt wrote: »

Sell ice creams or cold drinks?

Host a visiting foreign student?

He'd probably need a license to sell ice creams (need a freezer too) or drinks. Lots of competition where he is too.

Host organisations don't usually consider single males for hosting. I have done some host organising and it's couples and single women.

carolt wrote: »

Try making money out of a hobby (like me and my card-making, or PN and her mythical candles).

Or just writing stuff online. I hadn't realised that Max did so much other writing, which I have learnt about from his blog.

Now he's cut his teeth on the blog, maybe the best way forward with that is to get more paid writing work, I have lists for that kind of stuff.