One Year

I’ve been home for nearly a year. I’ve moved twice, finally settling into my own version of new and normal. I’ve finished my last year of school. I’ve completed projects, papers, and other work that I’m utterly proud of. I’ve graduated. I’ve done more than just survive. A lot more, in fact. In short, I’ve done what seemed, one year ago, daunting and nearly impossible.

And, whether I like it or not, I’m now faced with the next phase of my life. As much as I try not to dwell on the past or pine for the future, I must ask (and hopefully answer) the question: What now?

My fellow graduates and I are faced with a less than ideal economic climate; in some ways school was a bit of a safe-haven that no longer exists for us. I think many feel as if they’ve now been thrown to the wolves—and are just waiting to be chewed up and spit out by the “real world.” [Note that I hate that term. Real world. In my humble perspective, every day, every place, every thought, every action, every emotion—it’s all part of the real world. LIFE is the real world.]

Given this “difficult” situation, I feel that there is only one option: to view the lack of jobs as an opportunity, rather than an obstacle. Obviously we all have to find ways to make money and survive…but on the flip side…the non-existent reality of a 9-5 desk job (thank f’ing god!!) sort of forces us to create work for ourselves and express our creativity in other ways.

It is my intention to do just that. Many genius ideas are born out of situations like these; necessity is the mother of invention, right? So while I have no way of knowing if any of the work I make for myself will actually become relevant or not, I have to give it a whirl! So whirl I will…