Job alternatives.

Better to be hooked on blogging than many bad habits. Though the only interesting thing I did today was already posted previously, I have a little time before I aim to go to bed relatively early. When I'm at my grandma's and there's nothing on the TV (literally tonight as it packed up and we had the radio on instead) I plan my entry in advance. I had no new ideas tonight though, except clarifying for myself how since 1991 each time I looked for a job I got less than I aimed for, full time got me three days a week, part time got me part time which lasted a week, and everything since got me diddly-squat, but allowed both my creative side to build a fair portfolio, and the chance to study from home to optimise my qualifications. None was as planned, and though I don't fit in with conventional opinions I have been able to get far more from my true nature than spend most of the time working for someone else, helping them to get more money and create sod all of value in the process.

Instead I have still paid my bills, but been able to study and create as much as I possibly could despite hundreds of recorded job applications I was always prepared and happy to take. If any of these then lead to paid work I'm sure in a year it would pay more than all the last 8 years I didn't have a regular job, besides the rare client or two. The major point I gained from this was it was impossible to plan ahead. Everyone besides the desperate filter jobs they see advertised, but usually get one in the end as even I did eventually. But since losing the last one in 2000 (hardly one I'd include as regular though) I basically changed direction and looking back gained far more in the last 5 years though most narrow minded people are disgusted with me and my type for apparently dropping out. Well I never chose to drop out, no one actually chose to offer me anything. As a result my creative side was let free to bloom and having spent most of this year building up writing, paintings and other media work, hope next year sees one or more of these areas bearing fruit in the way of payment. And once you've been used once you're part of the establishment, I'd be a freelance whatever it is that hooks the employer, and no longer officially unemployed. And few areas relate directly to any of my qualifications, but my practice of actually creating things. Only my writing is indirectly supported by therapy qualifications, but as I don't intend to write on that for the bigger media even that will be based purely on ability as I won't be writing on anything professional unless specifically asked to for them.

So, though someone I'll call 'Aunty Gladys', along with others, was my main critic and used to comment to anyone who knew me things like 'You know he doesn't work' etc., and represents the standard view of probably 98% of humanity except the few remaining hippies and anarchists, not doing paid work does not equate to doing nothing, and it was never through lack of looking. And if my creative work does pay results the Aunty Gladyses of the world (mainly north London) will say 'hasn't he done well!', not thinking it was only the years of apparently fallow time that allowed me to build up the ability and portfolio in the first place.

No one looking at a great work of art or literature (not talking about me now, but generally) would ever consider how many hours a week the artist worked, and looking at Van Gogh the poor sod never got a thing from his paintings during his lifetime besides a few bits and pieces in exchange for the occasional one. The alternative for most people is to wait till they're retired before their creative side comes out, and how long and great will your career be in your 60s when most people would rather slow down than run around doing book signings or gallery openings. I'm 45 and that's late enough to start such a career, I wouldn't have wanted it to wait much longer.