Alex, everything about this post is epically good. The fact you can muster up the courage to write it is no surprise to me. The fact you can highlight your near miss with your first 'new job', your fears and failures and farts with your 'newer' new job and still promote your BAT newsletter and Sublime at the same time? Ya Alex. I think you got this. Congratulations and a special shout out to Lauren who is the real brains in the operation no doubt? Don't go spinning away... You've got some too. The world needs all kinds of people. Including crazy BAT-heads, which is pretty much all of us!
1. I was going to say I was never able to do this, since I started really writing once I retired, but the truth is that I had written the first draft of first book right before I got the full-time job, and did two things that made me believe I was in fact an author fro the next 20 years. 1) I took out that manuscript and tweaked it during summer, even going to conventions, talking to agents, etc occasionally, 2) was active in a writers group where a significant number of members did get published, which helped hone my editing skills, gave me experience in the business, and had a lot to do with my decision to go indie rather than traditional route when I retired. I think that whether I was actively writing my fiction or not, thinking of myself as a fiction author all that time was important. In addition, I also referred to myself as a "story teller," to connect what I did when I was "telling the story of our history" in my classes and telling similar stories in my fiction (but without the need of footnotes!) All this helped me integrate day job and me being an artist.
2.Just this weekend, I asked someone getting anxious over a job interview, "What is the worst that can happen?" so I think that I've always applied Lauren's approach all my life.
4. Share with my husband, always. Then with good friends. Always helps.
hmmmm i'm starting to plan a new album and trying to find a workspace to store all my inspirations/youtube videos/images/song lryics in one place so don't tempt me!!!
i am very much of the camp that silence = deep resentment. maybe 'cause... hmm.. when I'm pissed off with people or don't know how to tell them what I want I go silent lol. ooh look who it is, taste of my own medicine! i know that it's supposed to be reassuring that life is bigger than me and people are quite often wrapped up in their own shit, but I have Taylor Swift levels of imagination when it comes to this stuff.
anyway good luck with the big move!!! can't wait to see the brand new 'Both are Moo: Dispatches from the Dobrenko Farm'
So, oh my goodness, you just described me at my last job and litterally (not litterally) everything you said to Sari / boss and Lauren / partner, I did the same!! and oof did it feel better to. I can’t thank you enough for the experience of reading this and feeling so “hey, me too!!!”. I may need to send this to said old boss, cause he would understand. I found your newsletter via Sublime (agree it’s the best!) and it’s also been so sweet to see its Slack bumpin’ since your join!
Congrats and Mazel on the new job and move. You will love the east coast and your kids will thank you for raising them there. My 27 year olds have thanked me and hubby for leaving LA and raising them in a Boston suburb.
I'm part of the Employed Entrepreneur club. I can't be one of those people that jumps ship to focus full time on the side biz without a financial net. But it's taking me a longer because 1) lack of marketing motivation and 2) being a co-caregiver to a parent with advanced dementia. My side biz requires me to work without distractions and I can't do that while I live with my parents. I'll be getting my own place after living with them for two years and I'm wondering how I can do that while working. And sharing co-caregiving duties with my sister.
You've raised a lot of good points! I'm glad you have support.
As for the prompt, I have a day job. For my not day job, over the past year and some odd, I've written enough to fill a novel or two. It doesn't matter if it's good. Putting it up justifies the effort. Though, no-one else gets to see the unpublished half in my drafts folder.
Holy shit Alex, your posts are so good for my soul. That voice! That courage. The humour and depth. It all speaks directly to me and leaves me touched, inspired and lighter, and stays with me. Big gratitude!
Love this post. Oh anxiety. Sigh, sigh, sigh... I appreciate you writing this. I'm working on a substack post rn about this very topic - and how I'm feeling blocked "creatively" bc of the onslaught of negative thoughts and conspiracies my mind generates. The fact that this kind of self-loathing is "narcism in disguise" (as you so aptly mentioned) IS THE THING that stops me from sharing about this struggle. How do you reconcile that?? More humour, more modesty? ... Thank-you for your bravery!! - From one anxious creative to another
LMFAO as an born and raised Arizonan I am dying at the Tempe lies
Alex, everything about this post is epically good. The fact you can muster up the courage to write it is no surprise to me. The fact you can highlight your near miss with your first 'new job', your fears and failures and farts with your 'newer' new job and still promote your BAT newsletter and Sublime at the same time? Ya Alex. I think you got this. Congratulations and a special shout out to Lauren who is the real brains in the operation no doubt? Don't go spinning away... You've got some too. The world needs all kinds of people. Including crazy BAT-heads, which is pretty much all of us!
Great, now you have me thinking about paying for Sublime AND becoming a paid subscriber. Who’s brainwashing who?!??
Why am I crying?!! Meet me at the farm?? Oh my god 💔💔💔 also, big congrats on the job!!
1. I was going to say I was never able to do this, since I started really writing once I retired, but the truth is that I had written the first draft of first book right before I got the full-time job, and did two things that made me believe I was in fact an author fro the next 20 years. 1) I took out that manuscript and tweaked it during summer, even going to conventions, talking to agents, etc occasionally, 2) was active in a writers group where a significant number of members did get published, which helped hone my editing skills, gave me experience in the business, and had a lot to do with my decision to go indie rather than traditional route when I retired. I think that whether I was actively writing my fiction or not, thinking of myself as a fiction author all that time was important. In addition, I also referred to myself as a "story teller," to connect what I did when I was "telling the story of our history" in my classes and telling similar stories in my fiction (but without the need of footnotes!) All this helped me integrate day job and me being an artist.
2.Just this weekend, I asked someone getting anxious over a job interview, "What is the worst that can happen?" so I think that I've always applied Lauren's approach all my life.
4. Share with my husband, always. Then with good friends. Always helps.
Congrats on the new job! Curious, the photo in the bathroom mirror has two toilet paper holders???
Winona in Beetlejuice = iconic shot
hmmmm i'm starting to plan a new album and trying to find a workspace to store all my inspirations/youtube videos/images/song lryics in one place so don't tempt me!!!
i am very much of the camp that silence = deep resentment. maybe 'cause... hmm.. when I'm pissed off with people or don't know how to tell them what I want I go silent lol. ooh look who it is, taste of my own medicine! i know that it's supposed to be reassuring that life is bigger than me and people are quite often wrapped up in their own shit, but I have Taylor Swift levels of imagination when it comes to this stuff.
anyway good luck with the big move!!! can't wait to see the brand new 'Both are Moo: Dispatches from the Dobrenko Farm'
So, oh my goodness, you just described me at my last job and litterally (not litterally) everything you said to Sari / boss and Lauren / partner, I did the same!! and oof did it feel better to. I can’t thank you enough for the experience of reading this and feeling so “hey, me too!!!”. I may need to send this to said old boss, cause he would understand. I found your newsletter via Sublime (agree it’s the best!) and it’s also been so sweet to see its Slack bumpin’ since your join!
Congrats and Mazel on the new job and move. You will love the east coast and your kids will thank you for raising them there. My 27 year olds have thanked me and hubby for leaving LA and raising them in a Boston suburb.
I don’t understand. Leaving LA? There’s nothing else out there?
Plot twist: you are moving to Tempe, AZ!?
I'm part of the Employed Entrepreneur club. I can't be one of those people that jumps ship to focus full time on the side biz without a financial net. But it's taking me a longer because 1) lack of marketing motivation and 2) being a co-caregiver to a parent with advanced dementia. My side biz requires me to work without distractions and I can't do that while I live with my parents. I'll be getting my own place after living with them for two years and I'm wondering how I can do that while working. And sharing co-caregiving duties with my sister.
You've raised a lot of good points! I'm glad you have support.
As for the prompt, I have a day job. For my not day job, over the past year and some odd, I've written enough to fill a novel or two. It doesn't matter if it's good. Putting it up justifies the effort. Though, no-one else gets to see the unpublished half in my drafts folder.
Holy shit Alex, your posts are so good for my soul. That voice! That courage. The humour and depth. It all speaks directly to me and leaves me touched, inspired and lighter, and stays with me. Big gratitude!
Love this post. Oh anxiety. Sigh, sigh, sigh... I appreciate you writing this. I'm working on a substack post rn about this very topic - and how I'm feeling blocked "creatively" bc of the onslaught of negative thoughts and conspiracies my mind generates. The fact that this kind of self-loathing is "narcism in disguise" (as you so aptly mentioned) IS THE THING that stops me from sharing about this struggle. How do you reconcile that?? More humour, more modesty? ... Thank-you for your bravery!! - From one anxious creative to another