Not totally out of work, I always had a little work but I was most of the way out of work most of the time.  This makes me either a good person to talk to about finding a job or a horrible one. If I am a good source of advice, it’s because I tried a lot of things that didn’t work.  I have first-hand experience with a lot of failed attempts at getting a job, and practical knowledge of how looking for a job can lead to loss of motivation, damaged ego and malaise.  If I am horrible on this it’s because till recently I didn’t have any success worth talking about.

But, good or bad, my advice is this: if you’re having trouble finding a job, try to find some meaningful work.

It might sound as if I’m putting the cart before the horse.  If you’re having trouble finding a job, how are you going to find work that is meaningful?  I think people (including me) get confused by vocabulary here and forget that there is a difference between having a job and having work.

Right now it is tough to find a job.  10% of the population is unemployed, more are underemployed (working less than they’d like) yet more have given up looking for work are counted as “retired.”  It may be cold comfort but if you are unemployed/underemployed/on furlough/forced into retirement, you are in good company.  That’s the bad news.

The good news is there’s plenty of work.  Even in the best of times, companies, schools and governments have work that they can’t get to, that can’t be made a priority or that they just don’t have enough staff for.  There is always work to do.  Now, in a recession, when companies are laying off people and asking fewer people to take care of more responsibilities there is more work than usual.  Companies can try all they want to work more efficiently but, somewhere along the line, there’s work not getting done.

This is where poor schlubs like me (and at some point probably you, too) come in.

The unemployed, underemployed, etc. do the boring repetitive, unrewarding and thankless work of trying to find a job for free.  They are/I was stuck doing that work for free until I could find some job that would pay me to work for money. Unless.. They make their own work by looking for something meaningful to do, whether or not it pays.

This idea was introduced to me by Brooke Allen, the man who started a newsletter called “No Shortage of Work.”  His ideas helped me in two different and important ways.  First, it gave me  something to do with my time besides pining for jobs I didn’t really want and waiting for rejections that felt inevitable.   The importance of this cannot be understated.  People who are out of work often report depression, say that they spend less than two hours a day actually looking for jobs and end up beating themselves up about the work they are not doing.  Second, it helped me in a more concrete way, by finding meaningful work I was able to gain experience, expand my connections and learn new skills.

There are a lot of ways to approach the search for meaningful work.  I didn’t figure out how I wanted to do it right away, but one of the first things I did was start devoting more time to this blog.  I was often asked if I was blogging to make money but, after a little time dealing with ads and reading a lot of material from pro blogging gurus, it didn’t seem to be a feasible option for me.  Even when it was dealing with things like graffiti or emerald mines, I felt this blog was helping me professionally.

Whatever I blogged, I was always learning about:

• Writing
• Learning To build and manage a website
• Making Connections with bloggers, readers and interviewees

It also lead me to meaningful work elsewhere: writing for Site Sketch, lecturing on social media, and creating media for others (like Try for Dry and the box project you will see in an upcoming post)

But I also worked for free elsewhere when I could.  Fundraising for the Neofuturists, and working on social media promotion for Marketing to Moms.  And this does not include the people I tried to work for where it didn’t work out or I couldn’t spare the time ( like the Witzig Group or enie Marketing)

Anyway, for a lazy bum with no job I actually worked a lot.  Sometimes, it was for a little money but usually for no money.  But not for nothing, because meaningful work is valuable. Experience means learning skills and honing talents, having colleagues means your connections and professional network is growing even if you’re not a schmoozer.

It took me some time to get the hang of working for free and more time to get good at it, but once I stated I found myself happier, more engaged, making more money (though still not very much) and eventually choosing between multiple offers for full-time employment.

The job I have now is a place where I originally worked for free.

It is important to note, I am not at a happy ending. I am too young and scattered to be thinking about endings. But, in the 6 months after my conversation with Brook Allen I started on a path toward meaningful work that has been a happy beginning.

I got the job by working for free (with these fine people) but that is tomorrow’s post.

This checks a big one off my to do list.  I have been under employed for a long time, longer than I ever wanted to be, and a regular pay check is a welcome change. Sadly, this shifts my priorities and I will not be able to attend to this blog the way I once did. Still, I love this blog, I remember the goals I set and I have no wish to let it starve to death from in attention.  I know that no post is more boring than an apology for not posting more often (the irony of complaining about return to blogging posts in a return to blogging post is not beyond me).

There will be a post tomorrow.  North and Clark lives on.

I suggested that he start a writer’s journal. I used to keep one when I was
in a creative writing class in high school. I liked it
and it was helpful at the time, so I told him he ought to do the same.  The
point of the journal is to hold onto interesting thoughts
or observations that a writer might use later.  My friend is thinking
of writing a novel but I thought the idea ought to be useful to me as a
blogger.

Things that should go in to a writer¹s journal include, but are not limited
to:

• Metaphors and similes
• Pretty turns of phrase
• A starting idea for a creative project
• Half-formed ideas
• Observations (especially weird things people are doing on the bus)
• Things that make you laugh
• Anything that could go in a post, article or story somewhere down the line

The good news is I like my writer’s journal. I like feeling that
observations and ideas are not lost.  The bad news is, so far I haven’t
used anything from my writers journal in my own writing. Maybe I need
to get in the groove, maybe it is not going to be useful to me in the
short term but I can’t let these ideas go to waste.  So I’m dumping
‘em off on you.  I figure my audience includes a lot of writers bloggers and
all around creatives. Maybe something here can be grist for
your mill.

Either way they are yours, use them as you see fit:

• A sliding door made out of glass is called a “doorwall” in Wisconsin
• It would be funny if a consultant had to advise in somewhere absurd: Hell, A child¹s imagination, the mind of a dog.
• Trains are associated with Christmas even thought they have nothing to do with Christmas
• Bad Acting can often be seen in: School Plays, Pornography, Action
• Movies and Infomercials
• The Loudness of Dress shoes
• Small man, big hair, wide eyes (some dude at my buddies apt)
• Women sitting alone in the window of a Thai restaurant is a visual story.  No date. Wine glass has one sip left in it. Typing away at her smart phone.

There you go world, if you can use ‘em you can have ‘em.

But, commitment can also be a source of success pride and fulfillment. Think of your greatest accomplishments, would they have been possible without what you have committed to? It is hard to adjust to unemployment, retirement, or single life, not only because we miss some financial support or companionship, but also because we are partly defined by what it is we commit to.

I am enthusiastic about the idea of identity and the notion that who you are should be fluid. But some responsibilities limit the expression of identity. There are some clothes that are not appropriate for jobs. Some attitudes that are unhelpful in the presence of family. We have to in conforming to any responsibility suppress some part of ourselves, and its only natural that we should look for a healthy opportunity to let that out. It was with this in mind that I embarked upon a mustache weekend.

I wouldn’t wear a mustache to an interview. I am no mustache man. My uncle Chris might be, I am not. But, for a break on a weekend its nice to look different, to be different then the person you are most of the time. It’s not dishonest it’s a break and a new approach, I enjoyed it.

But, tomorrow I’ll be happy to be clean shaven again.

Music is not an object

For years music has been made into an object.  There was a time when we wanted music to be an object–like a CD.  Some people still do want that.  But music is not an object and that makes it hard to make a living from it.

There was a time before anyone had this wrong-headed idea that music was an object.   “(In the past) You couldn’t take it home, copy it, sell it as a commodity (except as sheet music, but that’s not music), or even hear it again. Music was an experience” (David Byrne).

The record, CD or tape have had their day, and while they continue to exist, their importance is going to shrink and shrink. “The object is not the thing people pay attention to, it’s the actual underlying music that they pay attention to.” (Roger Faxon).

Where does that leave the Record Industry and Music Business

The digital download has yet to save the music industry and I don’t think it will.  The record industries profits are still 80% from CDs 20% downloads and everything else.  But, that 80% is coming out of a smaller and smaller pie.

The problem is that if we can access music digitally, and often for free, why buy it?  “Any music that I want to listen to I can listen to at any time, (or at least that is the perception) and that makes me less likely to buy it.” (Roger Faxon)

Maybe there are other ways for record companies to make money, maybe there aren’t.  But, there is a need for what record companies did and still do.

“Somebody has to shine the spotlight on somebody” (Roger Faxon).

To some extent, new media fills that void.  People exchange information through social media and learn so much about the media they consume online.  My friends often discover music through sites like Lala, Spotify or Pandora. These avenues did not exist a couple of years ago.  That said, blogs, myspace and a couple of music sites cannot stand in for what a record label does, any more than iTunes can stand in for record stores.  They might help but they aren’t a complete solution to the problem of marketing a band.

I don’t have a solution either, but if you want me to feature your band on this site your welcome to write me an email.

Good News for the Artists

Many of the costs associated with making music have gone down.  Digital distribution is essentially free and recording costs have come down in recent years.

This is not without problems. While these pieces of music-making have been liberated for individual artists,  the artist’s responsibilities have swelled.  Deciding how to distribute music was the responsibility of a label.  Now, it’s up to the artist how much to partner with outside entities to produce, and distribute music.

The Better News

The music industry is no more music, than music is an object.  Though the industry struggles, it doesn’t mean that artists must do the same.  Musicians may have supported themselves by selling records, but that isn’t all they do.

The music listener isn’t going down with the ship either.  While we may lose permanence and tangibility in the form of a record, that doesn’t mean that there is less music or less engagement with music.  The history of listening to music didn’t end with the record, or the download, and it won’t end here.

An International Soccer Primer for the U. S. Sports Fan

In the U.S. we are used to a one sport one league system.  For Basketball there is the NBA, for baseball there is the MLB, for Football there is the NFL, the list goes on.  There are other leagues that play these sports both foreign and domestic but they are little brothers — minor, or development leagues.  There may be players in European basketball leagues or Japanese baseball leagues who could play in the principle American league now or will one day play in that league but the leagues taken as a whole do not have the same talent as the major leagues.

Soccer operates under a different paradigm in soccer there are so many different countries with the desire to watch and a history of supporting club teams that rather than form into one organization like the NBA each country has its own league.  While players may come from all over the world to play each country has its own league with its own championship. Just as the Cubs players are not all from the U.S. many player on Manchester United are not from the U.K. Internally these leagues function similarly to American leagues the difference is in their cooperation.

Club teams in European soccer leagues (and soccer leagues around the world) compete against each other every year in tournaments. These games are not exhibition games but actual championships with prestige and serious monetary consequences for the football clubs.  In Europe where the best talent is divided between many leagues the clubs find a way to have the best compete with the best.

Now Let’s Turn Our attention to Mixed Martial Arts

In its history there have been a number of different promotion agencies associated with mixed martial arts.  They have had different rules different fighters and covered different parts of the world.  Right now the dominant league (in terms of reputation, number of fighters and quality of product) is the UFC. Still, many Mixed Martial Arts fighters are not under contract with the UFC and fight for different promotion agency.  Notably Fedor Emelianenko (considered one of the best fighters in the history of the sport) fights with M-1 Strikeforce.

Many fight fans hope that the UFC will gain such dominance of the sport that they will become like the NFL and rival leagues will be unsuccessful, or simply become feeder leagues. The league has hosted a number of great fights, and is developing a good reputation by putting together regular and high quality events.  For now, however, the UFC lacks a monopoly on Mixed Martial Arts, and in some cases the best don’t all belong to the UFC.  For the fan this means the best don’t always fight the best.

The European Solution

Why not host a tournament of Champions?

To me this solution seems like it is tailor made for MMA and it has a precedent in the world of mixed martial arts. Take eight fighters from as many weight classes as you like and seed them to compete in a two day tournament.  These fighters wouldn’t have to sign with the UFC, Strikeforce, Dream or anyone else they would just be invited to participate in an event where they would be able to fight the very best in the world.

This Tournament like the UEFA Champions League would be overseen by representatives from each of the organizations involved.  It would not effect the title or championships of the respective leagues, it would only give them another bigger better stage to compete on. In Europe clubs dream of the chance to compete against the best in the UEFA Cup there is no reason that a similar tournament couldn’t entice fighters. Its heartbreaking the Fedor doesn’t fight the best heavey weights in the world.  Its also a shame that many of the greatest fighters in Japan never get to face off against their counterparts in the states. This tournament could fix that.

The Ugly Truth

Unlike European Club soccer leagues MMA leagues are young.  They are probably too new and too unsure of their own product and long term viability to host something like a Champion’s League.  But, if they do I will be the first one to tune in…

Especially if it’s not on pay-per-view…

And that’s another thing…

Maybe at this point in the post it would be appropriate to say, part of me can’t believe I just wrote the title of this post.  What a stupid and easy thing it is to go and get a haircut.  But, I got a trick.

On the list of the many things in this world that I do not know or care about I would include the following things:

1. What side do I part my hair on?
2. Would I like my hair to be over my ears?
3. Which Sex and The City Character am I most like?
4. How long do I want my sideburns?

These are all things I have been asked or made a decision on at some point, but they are not important enough for me to remember them all the time, or even every time I get a haircut.  If this makes me an ogre or a slovenly man then I freely admit to being an ogre.

But, I don’t have to think about any of these questions anymore!  Here’s the trick:

1. At some point get a haircut that you like. (It could be that you need to do this now and not use my trick until four months from now when you go back, but this first step is crucial.  If you have ever gotten a good hair cut and a picture of that hair cut even if it was a decade a go, as long as you still have the same amount of hair you are eligible for this trick.)
2. Get a Picture of that haircut.
3. Remember vaguely what the back looked like. (this may be wrong, but I think of the back of a haircut the way I think of the trunk of a car, important but ultimately very simple)
4. Show that picture to the hairdresser, describe the back.
5. Reap the fruits of your labor.

The End

——————————————————————————————————————————-

Maybe, you can tell that I am holding out on you.  Maybe, you know that even though I just told you how to get an awesome haircut every time I still have a more convenient more awesome trick that I have saved for myself.  Alright fine I do.  But this one takes planning, and the inability to legally operate an automobile or lack of proper photo identification of some sort.

So for you, gentle readers and true believers, I present step 2a. (this step is to be taken in place of step 2 in the rare cases that it is possible):

2a. Go get your driver’s license

If you can correctly carry out step 2a and after step 1 the world is your oyster.

There are two main advantages, first you have a reference point for what a good hair cut for you look like, and second, that reference point is in your pocket all the time. Enjoy your haircut readers, I do, every time.

Site Sketch:

• 3 Reasons a Small Business Should Blog
• Fight Writer’s Block: Creativity on Command
• 5 Reasons to Pay Attention to the Little Guys

I maintain a monthly column at Site Sketch 101 so my stuff is up there fairly regularly.

Incomes International:

• Ten Essential Tips for Engaging Interviews

Sustainable Electronics Initiative:

• (E)-Waste Not, Want Not: A Consumer’s Perspective

I also maintain the social media pages for Marketing to Moms Coalition this is their Facebook page.

She said these words as if they were poison in her mouth.  But I love the idea of a holiday when one wears a disguise, for a couple of reasons.

Be Someone Else

We are often told by television and the culture to “be ourselves” as though
there was some authentic person that we could all just default to.  I don’t
know that being “yourself” is always possible.  The self is dynamic.  My
12-year-old self could not have written this post and my 30-minutes-from-now
self will be tired and disappointed in the ideas that are fresh in this post
now.

You can’t be the same thing everyday. Why not have at least one day out of
the year to be someone else.

Fewer Rules Mean Greater Freedom

It¹s true that men and women often dress in a more sexual way on Halloween
than on other days.

Great! I think if people are dressing differently on a holiday it is because
there is a desire in the culture to have a time and place where a more frank
kind of dress is appropriate.  Some will argue that those who dress sexually
do so because societal forces push them in that direction not because they
actually desire to express themselves in a more sexual way, I have trouble
agreeing.

We may find some costumes tawdry or in poor taste, but I think having a
culturally accepted day when people can dress absurdly whether it is sexual
mineral or vegetable is a good thing. I don¹t want to tear down all the
social rules and have an anarchy, but I think a few fewer rules once in a
while is more than healthy.

Clothes Have Power Beyond There Appearance

As a swimmer I can tell you that I felt ready to work out as soon as I had
my suit on, in a business suit I feel the same way about another kind of
work, and in a suit of armor or some other ridiculous costume I can feel
ready to work on something different.

Think about the expression “how you see yourself.” The face value meaning is
about how one perceives their own person but what we are literally talking
about is the visual act of seeing yourself.  So tomorrow, I suggest you get
a costume (from Wal-mart or whereever you want) and try and see yourself as
something else.

It is the nice thing about the self you can change it.

That’s why I love the idea of a “Just For Fun Version.” I’ll give you an example:

I love writing songs for my band, but getting a song from the melody in my head to a fully realized composition with bridges, parts for all the instruments, harmonies and the practice it takes to get the song sounding decent can feel like a sisyphean task. I love putting together those songs and I take pride in the final product, but it can be hard to motivate myself and the band to get from soup to nuts on a new song.

On the other hand, when a friend of mine is making a movie and he needs some lyrics written for a joke song.  Its such a joy.  The pressure of collaborating and practicing is completely lifted.  Because its a joke song I don’t have to mess with the tone or feeling. But the real difference, is how low the stakes are. When someone asks me to do this on a lark I can relax and let loose. Without having to fulfill expectations from others, but more importantly without having to overcome my own personal censor.

I love to create for this blog, for my band, in brewing beer, and in any number of other arenas. The main thing that keeps me from doing more is not external criticism but my own self censor.

If I get stuck thinking of what I do as the thing I am going to be judged by I can get lost in my own insecurities. If I can convince myself that what I am doing is first and foremost to please myself, I end up making things I would be happy to be judged for.