Taking Care of Business

Something has clicked in my brain. It has been almost a full year since I finished school and I feel like I have my footing in the ‘real’ world. (I use ‘real’ very loosely here since I am still supported by my parents and work in the arts)

The reason I haven’t been posting lately is because I’ve been working two jobs. In addition to my usual day job as a production assistant, I’ve also been editing the thesis film of a friend of mine. While I will not pretend that it has been easy, it has been so rewarding.

Being paid to do what I’ve been trained to do feels fantastic. Every moment working on this project has been a validation that all the time, money and effort spent in my training was worth it. This editing job has made me realize how much I’ve missed the practical application of 'my art'. (Again the term is used loosely, because I still have trouble considering myself an artist). I am now looking for more opportunities to take side projects and jobs to keep my skills up to snuff, and to expand my knowledge and experience base.

I feel like for so long so many parts of my life have been on hold. This job has really shown me that they don't have to be. I can be working towards getting days of work for the union. I can be moving forward, networking, and learning NOW. Obviously all this was true two weeks ago, but something about experiencing editing again, (and knowing I can survive two jobs at once for short spurts of time) has really my perspective. I am actively trying to figure out how to accelerate my career so that I can make the practical side of editing my full time job. For the first time I can see possibilities for my future as an editor, what steps I need to take and how I can get there.

Basically I'm pumped for the future. Bring it on!

~Claire Out.

Impulse Control

Warning: This particular post is off theme. It isn't about new experiences, or expanding my horizons. It's about shopping.

I hate shopping for clothes. Hate it. I don't know what looks good on my body, I don't know what size I am, and about 90% of shopping trips end with no new clothes and a huge blow to my ego. However, I have friends that love it. If they have a free afternoon - BAM they are shopping. Digging through vintage shops, looking for bargans, and taking joy in finding awesome pieces or accessories. It is a past time, a hobby, a love affair with the act of shopping.

I can relate. Not about clothes, but there are some stores that I walk into and instantly want to look at every item in the shop and buy as much as I can afford. Hardware stores, book shops, and outdoor/adventure stores are so much fun to browse around in. It is like walking around in a museum of things you can buy. Each object represents some potential future project/ story / adventure. It's like when you are in these stores you are surrounded by possibilities.

Just to defend my materialistic rant for a moment. It isn't important to buy anything. In fact, "as much as I can afford" is often nothing. Just looking in these shops is a good time, just like hunting for clothes is fun for some friends of mine.

So, dear reader, what stores do you enjoy going to even if you don't buy a thing?

April Rules

I know my my last set of monthly challenges was a little underwhelming. To be honset, I was starting a new job and wanted to make sure that I didn't set the bar too high. Now that we've hit April, I'm ready to get back to a serious challenge.

I had to think long and hard about an overindulgence for this month. I kept thinking to myself, I've already done all of my major bad habits. So it has come to this: sleep.

I LOVE sleeping. I am the queen of naps. I get really cranky when I don't get enough sleep. So I'm going to help myself out by establishing a consistant sleep schedule that doesn't tempt me to overindulge.

First thing, I'm not going to hit the snooze alarm. (I have been known to hit the snooze four or five times. AKA through all the time I was supposed to be at the gym. Note: my alarm clock is on the other side of the room from my bed, so every eight minutes I get out of bed and hit the snooze. That doesn't make for good sleep OR a good workout.) So this month, when I set my alarm is when I get up.

Secondly I am going to try to stick to a bed time during the work week. In bed, lights out, beckoning sleep by eleven pm. Wake up at six am every week day. (Even when I don't go to the gym.) That gives me a full seven hours of sleep. So I should be good to go during the day and be tired again when it's time for bed. (Keeping an eye on my caffeine intake is also going to be key.)

The weekends will be the tricky part. I know better than to put strict rules on those sleeping hours, since I'm such a rebel, but hopefully I will not get too far off track. Wish me luck.

My new positive habit this month? Reading the news. I'm sick and tired of not knowing what is going on in the world. (Example: They're shutting down the U.S. government? WTF?) If I am going to have the positive impact on the planet that I want to, I really need to be better informed. (Everything I know about the rebellions in Egypt and Libia I've learned from friend's tweets.) So, those early mornings that I don't go to the gym, my time before work will be spent reading the news of the day. I haven't decided between CNN.com or BBC.com yet. Any suggestions for a good free news source? I also subscribed to the Sunday edition of the L.A. Times, which I plan to tackle on the weekends. Hopefully reading the news three days a week will at least get me a preliminary understanding of current events.

What do you think of these new goals?

Also, in case you were curious. My reaction to my Goals for March:

I started taking vitamins. I didn't find a noticeable improvement in my health. However, though three of my office mates got sick, I remained healthy as can be. Possibly a coincidence, but it is comforting to know my cells are getting the nutrients they need.

I also survived my media diet. There were some dark times. I found a new show (Downton Abbey in casse you care) and instead of watching it in one sitting as I wanted to, I had to spread it out. But it was good to recognize I can survive with no tv in the evenings.

~Claire Out.

The Other Side of New

Most of the time on this blog I write about the fun side of new. The new places, people and experiences that broaden my horizons and create more possibilities. Today is not one of those days.

Earlier this week I found out that a childhood friend of mine had died.

I didn't know if I wanted to write about this in my blog. Discussing the new experience of dealing with the death of a peer seemed disrespectful, but so did ignoring the situation and writing about the mundane. So, instead of writing about myself, I'm going to talk about Evan.

One of my most vivid childhood memories was of Evan climbing nearly to the top of a massive pine tree in my front yard. I remember being impressed and terrified. To this day I've never seen a child climb higher.

He was a 'good' kid without being a suck up or tattle tale. As the only boy in our carpool he had to put up with a ton of crap from the girls. I recall he put up with our teasing more gracefully than a fourth grader really has a right to. No outbursts of anger or tears. Just good natured acceptance. I think some parent or other once compared him to Kermit the Frog. The one sane guy surrounded by crazy muppets. Subjected to their wacky schemes, but still (somehow) managing to enjoy himself.

I admired him. It breaks my heart to think of all of his potential left unfulfilled. My prayers go out to his family. I hope they can take some comfort in the fact that he was loved, admired and made a change for the better in the lives of those around him. He made a difference in mine.

~Claire Out.