When I reached up to get another angle for a shot of these kids on a merry go round (I sometimes envy the tall photographers) and saw my shadow was going to be in the frame, I decided to take this selfie anyway to use for this little announcement.
As soon as I was furloughed back in March I knew exactly what I was going to do. I was going to get up the next morning and go to work. Too dumb to take a hint I guess. I was fortunate to figure out unemployment quickly, find health insurance I could manage through the Affordable Care Act, and have old personal equipment I could dust off and relearn to use.
So I did.
I published my first stories a couple days later on this website and then just kept going.
This week I learned my furlough will be extended into next year. I didn't ask any questions and won't at this point. Though I'm very concerned for my newspaper, I need to focus on me.
Yes, I still call it my newspaper. I love The Derrick and The News-Herald. I even still call The Meadville Tribune my newspaper because for 18 years they took care of me. I fear for The Derrick that it may not continue, or be bought up by a corporation. The latter may be better, but only marginally since corporations gut newspapers and as a result, we have far fewer quality journalists working today.
I want to help them survive, but I can't just sit and wait to be called back. Not that long. I need to start planning like I may never be called back.
So this week I will be sitting down and deciding a few things that will determine my future. I have options.
I could:
Hit a very bad job market for my profession and hope? Surely that will mean a move. Not ideal. Plus not many jobs, and the ones I see out there don't fit me well and pay crap.
Get out of the business entirely and get a real job? I may have thrown up in my mouth a little typing that last sentence.
Restart a photo portrait type of business? I was building one up a few years back but it nearly killed me partialy because I was still working at the Trib and teaching at Allegheny College. I may not have a love for portrait photography so doing it exclusively could become a bit like having a real job. A real job? No thank you. haha.
Look to teach again? I love this idea but I'm not interested in teaching art or photography online at the moment even if a job was available. COVID-19 is making online classes look like its a possibility for the upcoming year.
Run away and live in my car until my retirement and 401(k) runs out? (I would have to cash them out and suffer all the penalties - wait isn't it my money?) This options has some great appeal to me until I remember I really like to shower every day.
Freelance? There are so many of my professional friends already doing this that I'm not sure what kind of market I might be entering.
Or continue doing what I do and begin the process of letting Eight & 322 be my living? Perhaps turn this free blog into a weekly newspaper that is supported through ad sales or sponsorships. I'd love for it to be free to read if I can figure that out. Information and our community are too important to miss because no one wants to pay for it. And something solid to hold and read helps us absorb information much better than the fleeting internet, even though the internet will be key to this idea having any success at all.
I may be employing a combination of the above list but putting some real sweat equity into the last item. At least I'll try to figure out if this will even be feasible. Let me know your thoughts! Thanks for reading along with me on this forward journey.
As soon as I was furloughed back in March I knew exactly what I was going to do. I was going to get up the next morning and go to work. Too dumb to take a hint I guess. I was fortunate to figure out unemployment quickly, find health insurance I could manage through the Affordable Care Act, and have old personal equipment I could dust off and relearn to use.
So I did.
I published my first stories a couple days later on this website and then just kept going.
This week I learned my furlough will be extended into next year. I didn't ask any questions and won't at this point. Though I'm very concerned for my newspaper, I need to focus on me.
Yes, I still call it my newspaper. I love The Derrick and The News-Herald. I even still call The Meadville Tribune my newspaper because for 18 years they took care of me. I fear for The Derrick that it may not continue, or be bought up by a corporation. The latter may be better, but only marginally since corporations gut newspapers and as a result, we have far fewer quality journalists working today.
I want to help them survive, but I can't just sit and wait to be called back. Not that long. I need to start planning like I may never be called back.
So this week I will be sitting down and deciding a few things that will determine my future. I have options.
I could:
Hit a very bad job market for my profession and hope? Surely that will mean a move. Not ideal. Plus not many jobs, and the ones I see out there don't fit me well and pay crap.
Get out of the business entirely and get a real job? I may have thrown up in my mouth a little typing that last sentence.
Restart a photo portrait type of business? I was building one up a few years back but it nearly killed me partialy because I was still working at the Trib and teaching at Allegheny College. I may not have a love for portrait photography so doing it exclusively could become a bit like having a real job. A real job? No thank you. haha.
Look to teach again? I love this idea but I'm not interested in teaching art or photography online at the moment even if a job was available. COVID-19 is making online classes look like its a possibility for the upcoming year.
Run away and live in my car until my retirement and 401(k) runs out? (I would have to cash them out and suffer all the penalties - wait isn't it my money?) This options has some great appeal to me until I remember I really like to shower every day.
Freelance? There are so many of my professional friends already doing this that I'm not sure what kind of market I might be entering.
Or continue doing what I do and begin the process of letting Eight & 322 be my living? Perhaps turn this free blog into a weekly newspaper that is supported through ad sales or sponsorships. I'd love for it to be free to read if I can figure that out. Information and our community are too important to miss because no one wants to pay for it. And something solid to hold and read helps us absorb information much better than the fleeting internet, even though the internet will be key to this idea having any success at all.
I may be employing a combination of the above list but putting some real sweat equity into the last item. At least I'll try to figure out if this will even be feasible. Let me know your thoughts! Thanks for reading along with me on this forward journey.
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