Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Babbles of a Fan Girl - What I've Learned in the "Real World"
You may have not noticed because I'm so subtle about it, but I haven't been happy with the direction my career has gone post college. The other day I was scanning through my old blogs, trying to get some inspiration for future articles and I stumbled upon this adorable, little gem as seen here. Could three years really have changed and bittered my perspective on the real world so much? Since that article I have worked two jobs: one in promotions/marketing and the other in sales/event planning. And what have I learned? Well let's dive into that.
All That Glitters is Not Gold
It's pretty simple and I don't think this lesson needs much fleshing out. If a job seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. Oh! And do NOT, I repeat DO NOT ever work somewhere you appreciated as a child. Chances are you will run into a place that crushes you image of what you thought that business to be like when you were a child. It will make you angry and resentful and you will spend a few years wishing you could make it better only to realize it was a ship sinking long before you ever got on it. It sucks. Speaking of when things suck....
If Your Work Life Suck, Improve Your Personal Life
After wedding wrapped up I knew I needed to get back into blog writer ASAP. Why? Because I needed a task to make me feel fulfilled in the way work never could. I try to focus on writing, reading, and just enjoying the internet. I have a dog and a husband that I will spend many a night with cooking dinner and watching shows on the couch. I have friends (yeah, who would have guessed that!) and I see them often on the weekend. In short, I have a kickass personal life and that helps balance things out. If you don't feel good about your day job, do yourself a favor and figure out what you need to make your life at home grand. Which brings me to my next point:
Get A Hobby
You know how so many cranky, old people below, "GET A JOB!"? Well I do the same thing with hobbies. If you are feeling crappy because you come home from a draining job and just stare at the wall, dreading going to work the next day, it's time to get a hobby. Ask my husband if you need help coming up with an activity to do. The man collect hobbies like some people collect bobble heads, and he's damn good at every hobby he undertakes. Do you know why? Because he treats every hobby with precision and dedication. The same precision and dedication you would apply to a day job. If work has you down and feeling like your brain is turning to the green mush from Troll 2, it's time to get passionate about something!
You Probably Won't Make Money from Your Hobbies....and That's Okay!
I used to think that my blog and youtube channel would one day make me famous enough that I wouldn't have to ever do anything but the two for the rest of my life. That really is my ultimate dream, to make my art for a living. I often stop and remind myself though that that is a privilege that few people get. It requires a raw talent, determination, and dash of dumb luck that very few get. Plus you can't be lazy. You can't come home from work and just mindlessly type for a few hours and hit "post". It requires turning your hobby from a hobby to a part-time job. Not that there is anything wrong with trying to turn something like this blog into a business, but not at the point that your creation process suffers. There was a point where I wasn't writing because I thought the topics I wanted to cover weren't "marketable" enough. And that's just dumb. I had some people reading and that was more than enough. It I start worrying about every schmuck that comes here to read I will probably have an aneurism. So maybe you will manage to make your hobby turn into a business and maybe you won't. Just don't let your hobbies suffer because you put a paycheck like and asterisk next to it. Remember why you started that hobby, because you like it, because it keeps you sane, because it's an escape from that pesky job you've been trying not to think about all morning. So that's what I've learned. Work can suck, work can shatter your perception on the real world but it can lead you to doing great things. Just don't let those escapes turn into another job you resent and dread.
Here's to hoping that something good is around the bend!
Tootles!
Xoxo
 |
| I wanted to put a minion here, so I did. |
It's pretty simple and I don't think this lesson needs much fleshing out. If a job seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. Oh! And do NOT, I repeat DO NOT ever work somewhere you appreciated as a child. Chances are you will run into a place that crushes you image of what you thought that business to be like when you were a child. It will make you angry and resentful and you will spend a few years wishing you could make it better only to realize it was a ship sinking long before you ever got on it. It sucks. Speaking of when things suck....
 |
| NO! Not THAT! (PS: NEVER Google "sexy vacuum") |
After wedding wrapped up I knew I needed to get back into blog writer ASAP. Why? Because I needed a task to make me feel fulfilled in the way work never could. I try to focus on writing, reading, and just enjoying the internet. I have a dog and a husband that I will spend many a night with cooking dinner and watching shows on the couch. I have friends (yeah, who would have guessed that!) and I see them often on the weekend. In short, I have a kickass personal life and that helps balance things out. If you don't feel good about your day job, do yourself a favor and figure out what you need to make your life at home grand. Which brings me to my next point:
Get A Hobby
You know how so many cranky, old people below, "GET A JOB!"? Well I do the same thing with hobbies. If you are feeling crappy because you come home from a draining job and just stare at the wall, dreading going to work the next day, it's time to get a hobby. Ask my husband if you need help coming up with an activity to do. The man collect hobbies like some people collect bobble heads, and he's damn good at every hobby he undertakes. Do you know why? Because he treats every hobby with precision and dedication. The same precision and dedication you would apply to a day job. If work has you down and feeling like your brain is turning to the green mush from Troll 2, it's time to get passionate about something!
 |
| Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste. |
I used to think that my blog and youtube channel would one day make me famous enough that I wouldn't have to ever do anything but the two for the rest of my life. That really is my ultimate dream, to make my art for a living. I often stop and remind myself though that that is a privilege that few people get. It requires a raw talent, determination, and dash of dumb luck that very few get. Plus you can't be lazy. You can't come home from work and just mindlessly type for a few hours and hit "post". It requires turning your hobby from a hobby to a part-time job. Not that there is anything wrong with trying to turn something like this blog into a business, but not at the point that your creation process suffers. There was a point where I wasn't writing because I thought the topics I wanted to cover weren't "marketable" enough. And that's just dumb. I had some people reading and that was more than enough. It I start worrying about every schmuck that comes here to read I will probably have an aneurism. So maybe you will manage to make your hobby turn into a business and maybe you won't. Just don't let your hobbies suffer because you put a paycheck like and asterisk next to it. Remember why you started that hobby, because you like it, because it keeps you sane, because it's an escape from that pesky job you've been trying not to think about all morning. So that's what I've learned. Work can suck, work can shatter your perception on the real world but it can lead you to doing great things. Just don't let those escapes turn into another job you resent and dread.
Here's to hoping that something good is around the bend!
 |
| My inner Disney Princess is still hoping |
Xoxo
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Is Being a Nerd a Hobby or Lifestyle?
It's that magical time of the year, E3, where countless video game news becomes known to the general public. A few years ago, I would have been glued to my computer screen, gleefully watching the announcements in real time. Now, I have a 9 to 5 job and the best I can manage is to read news articles or (better yet!) watch my Twitter feed for others reactions. This has left me feeling pretty bummed. It's no surprise that I kinda, sorta, really hate my job and missing out on E3 is just the icing on the cake. I know what you're thinking, why am I not catching up or watching coverage after work. Well, I have run into and interesting situation that I hope to further discuss today.
Picture this, I come home after a long day of being nagged on the phone by people I will probably never meet in real life. I'm tried. I kick off my flats, feed my dog, and settle on the couch to check Facebook. Some nights I then proceed to make dinner. Other nights I help my husband cook. We finish making our meal and settle on the couch again to catch up on whatever series we are watching. We either are sucked into shows to the rest of the night or then try to get things related to our hobbies done, but keep in mind, we are both very tired. Some nights I need to clean. Mounds of laundry, begging to be folded are calling to me as I type this very sentence. There is vacuuming and dishes and scrubbing and sweeping. There is a pup that needs play time. There is my tired mind that just wants to sit down, turn off, and watch youtube for a few hours. I've been musing over why a lot of my nerdy hobbies have fallen to the side. Am I getting lazy? Yes, yes I am. Am I sick of being a nerd? No, never...it's just....
I feel like I don't have the time to be a nerd anymore.
When I first had this thought I then thought I was being ridiculous! I should always have time to be who I am! I am a nerd! But then, as my over active mind usually does, I had another thought. Is being a nerd my hobby or is it my lifestyle? I can say that right now I am not doing the normal nerdy activities I usually would be doing. Does that make me stop being a nerd? Have I lost touch with my roots if I'd rather read "Gone Girl" right now instead of the Game of Thrones books?
Do I need to cash in my nerd card if I've dedicated the last year of my life to my wedding instead of writing the next great American novel?
I continued this panic for sometime. Maybe it was time to close up shop, start watching the Bachelorette like so many of my coworkers, and get some highlights. Luckily, I'm getting better at calming my personal panic. Yes, the last year of my life I have put many of my normal passions in the backseat. Writing, reading, my crafts, they are all hobbies, but they are all part of who I am. Being a nerd, just like those activities, isn't something I do just for fun. Well, yes, I do research and learn nerdy things because I think it's fun, but it goes so much deeper than that. Being a nerd is a culture. It is being a part of a community of likeminded individuals. It is a form of express. It is a passion. I am a nerd not because it passes the time, I am a nerd because it gives me a place where I belong. My focus has been elsewhere but I am happy to settle back into my routine. A year or so of routine change will take a while to adjust. Also, I have a life beyond being a nerd. Being a nerd is just one patch that makes up me. It's a big patch, I am happy to say!
What do you think? Are you a nerd because it's a hobby? Do you see it as a lifestyle? Or is it something more? Let me know!
It's good to be back!
Tootles!
Picture this, I come home after a long day of being nagged on the phone by people I will probably never meet in real life. I'm tried. I kick off my flats, feed my dog, and settle on the couch to check Facebook. Some nights I then proceed to make dinner. Other nights I help my husband cook. We finish making our meal and settle on the couch again to catch up on whatever series we are watching. We either are sucked into shows to the rest of the night or then try to get things related to our hobbies done, but keep in mind, we are both very tired. Some nights I need to clean. Mounds of laundry, begging to be folded are calling to me as I type this very sentence. There is vacuuming and dishes and scrubbing and sweeping. There is a pup that needs play time. There is my tired mind that just wants to sit down, turn off, and watch youtube for a few hours. I've been musing over why a lot of my nerdy hobbies have fallen to the side. Am I getting lazy? Yes, yes I am. Am I sick of being a nerd? No, never...it's just....
I feel like I don't have the time to be a nerd anymore.
When I first had this thought I then thought I was being ridiculous! I should always have time to be who I am! I am a nerd! But then, as my over active mind usually does, I had another thought. Is being a nerd my hobby or is it my lifestyle? I can say that right now I am not doing the normal nerdy activities I usually would be doing. Does that make me stop being a nerd? Have I lost touch with my roots if I'd rather read "Gone Girl" right now instead of the Game of Thrones books?
 |
| In my defense I think Flynn and Martin might be cousins |
I continued this panic for sometime. Maybe it was time to close up shop, start watching the Bachelorette like so many of my coworkers, and get some highlights. Luckily, I'm getting better at calming my personal panic. Yes, the last year of my life I have put many of my normal passions in the backseat. Writing, reading, my crafts, they are all hobbies, but they are all part of who I am. Being a nerd, just like those activities, isn't something I do just for fun. Well, yes, I do research and learn nerdy things because I think it's fun, but it goes so much deeper than that. Being a nerd is a culture. It is being a part of a community of likeminded individuals. It is a form of express. It is a passion. I am a nerd not because it passes the time, I am a nerd because it gives me a place where I belong. My focus has been elsewhere but I am happy to settle back into my routine. A year or so of routine change will take a while to adjust. Also, I have a life beyond being a nerd. Being a nerd is just one patch that makes up me. It's a big patch, I am happy to say!
What do you think? Are you a nerd because it's a hobby? Do you see it as a lifestyle? Or is it something more? Let me know!
It's good to be back!
Tootles!
Monday, June 8, 2015
A Fresh Start
I am officially a married woman. Well, I was over a week ago, but it doesn't strike me to update all forms of social media with the details the same way is does many other people my age. So long story short, I am married and it was a perfect, perfect day. I couldn't have asked for a better day or a better husband. My little life is getting so wonderful!
I've been reading "Gone Girl" a story that shows the exact opposite of marital bliss. Normally a book like this would make me panic. "How long until our relationship is this horrible?" or "When is everything going to go wrong?" but no. I am learning to just let myself be happy.
Now if I only had the day job to match my personal life.
Now that wedding planning is done, I'm realizing how much I need writing again. I can't wake up and comb wedding blogs for creative ideas. In fact, I have been avoiding wedding blogs for fear that I will never let go of them. So what do I do now? Besides clean my horror of house, that is. Writing! I can finally write again! I have the energy. I have a writers group I have been a part of for some time now, so I have people pushing me (and boy Alex does that too). I have FREETIME! But yet again, here is another introspective post with nothing to do with the content I've promised for this blog. Am I never going to be a nerd again?!?
No, I'm almost fully past that phase. I like being a nerd. I love writing about nerd stuff. Am I always going to talk about it? Maybe not. I am going to branch out! I still don't have a clear idea of where I am going, but I have a few experiments up my sleeves!
So let's start fresh. My name is Patchwork (or Alex). I am 24 years old and I am married to the love of my life (he is also named Alex). We have a pup named Willie who sleeps like a donut. My favorite video game is Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and I danced to Zelda's Lullaby with my father at my wedding. I am very short, perky, and creative. I want to change the world with my writing. Is that a lot to ask for? I hope you will stick around.
For now tootles!
xoxo!
I've been reading "Gone Girl" a story that shows the exact opposite of marital bliss. Normally a book like this would make me panic. "How long until our relationship is this horrible?" or "When is everything going to go wrong?" but no. I am learning to just let myself be happy.
Now if I only had the day job to match my personal life.
Now that wedding planning is done, I'm realizing how much I need writing again. I can't wake up and comb wedding blogs for creative ideas. In fact, I have been avoiding wedding blogs for fear that I will never let go of them. So what do I do now? Besides clean my horror of house, that is. Writing! I can finally write again! I have the energy. I have a writers group I have been a part of for some time now, so I have people pushing me (and boy Alex does that too). I have FREETIME! But yet again, here is another introspective post with nothing to do with the content I've promised for this blog. Am I never going to be a nerd again?!?
No, I'm almost fully past that phase. I like being a nerd. I love writing about nerd stuff. Am I always going to talk about it? Maybe not. I am going to branch out! I still don't have a clear idea of where I am going, but I have a few experiments up my sleeves!
So let's start fresh. My name is Patchwork (or Alex). I am 24 years old and I am married to the love of my life (he is also named Alex). We have a pup named Willie who sleeps like a donut. My favorite video game is Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and I danced to Zelda's Lullaby with my father at my wedding. I am very short, perky, and creative. I want to change the world with my writing. Is that a lot to ask for? I hope you will stick around.
For now tootles!
xoxo!
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