opportunities, cabins & patches.
Working through a return to freelancing and creative projects
Currently living in a strange point between freedom (+happiness) and despair: otherwise known as freelancing.
(Ha. Sorry, OK I’m being dramatic. But,)
After years of constant full-time employment, (which I am sure you are all aware oftentimes means burying our ‘real’ thoughts and feelings a bit, going along with the grind, and being at the mercy of someone else who gets to decide whether we are allowed to have a day off or not…),
it is strange to have all the freedom now, and yet none of the everyday interaction with people. To be able to follow all of the projects I always wanted to, yet finding myself overthinking or stuck.
This feeling is slowly passing though. I think I needed a little bit of time to adapt post-thesis, post-graduation.
It’s a strange transition to make:
full time work for years, suddenly a student again, intense study, then finished. Then trying to at once have the ‘stability’ and routine of a regular job, yet not wanting to return to what I did before exactly. Trying to side-step/transition in my career at the same time as getting back into the workforce, while also secretly still wanting to explore a bunch of creative projects and freelance things, but also being out of the habit, and needing to ‘get my hand back in’. Wondering if I ever ‘had my hand in’ in the first place. But also thinking: yes but I used to earn X amount, maybe I should try to go back to that if I want to have a [insert large milestone purchase]. And then also realising that sometimes a huge salary didn’t make me happy, or I would spend it on stuff that didn’t make me happy. And then worrying that even if I wanted to return to what I did before, that I wouldn’t actually even be able to get the job now… (and the overthinking continues)
Things have also changed since I did my film degree, changed since I did my first jobs out of uni (social media was just starting out for example, and it seemed the millennials were the only ones in the office that had any idea what a tweet was).
I am taking this slowly, and I think I need to slightly hibernate this Autumn/Winter.
Apologies for the slightly ‘emo’ post (by the way - did you all see that they’ve opened a museum about emo culture of the 00s?)
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This week I was in London for a film/anthropology project. Next week I am going to Poland for a workshop/project on media and inclusivity.
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On this newsletter
Personally, I’ll only rarely open an ‘interesting’ email (read: arty articles, ‘culture’ etc) - usually I have to be in the right mood.
Mostly I only open emails if they are specifically for me, offer a list of opportunities, are an event I am interested in going to, or offer some kind of discount or promotion.
Is it just me?
So that said, other than just functioning a bit like a small arts zine, I wanted to share some opportunities or events each time if I can.
So that there’s something else in it for you.
Opportunities & Events
This week just a few things based in the UK, will be expanding this section in future editions…
UK - Leicester
Gal-dem exhibition - was really upset when this magazine shut down (2015-2023), and this exhibition looks set to be a super interesting look at what they achieved during that time. It’s free and runs until January.
UK - London
Emo culture exhibition - weird, but I am strangely fascinated by this. Please do let me know if you end up going.
Podcasts
Particularly liked Is Travel Broken?; The Fate of the Finance Bro; Sally Rooney’s Beautiful Descriptions; and The Trap of the Trad Wife.
I also really enjoyed her (video) interview about her home design with Corston Architectural Detail.
YouTube/video
I’m sure a lot of you know or have seen the short videos from Cecilia Blomdahl who lives on Svalbard, and if you haven’t, you’re missing out. I’m very into living vicariously through her life living in the middle of nowhere with essentially only polar bears for company.
Products
These are embroidered patches which sort of resemble Scout badges. The idea is to counter the feeling of hopelessness about the climate emergency by being productive. You ‘earn’ (ie. give yourself or a friend) these patches once you have taken an action which corresponds with the patch ie. write to a politician, take a practical eco action etc. I think it’s a great project and really hope that it expands. The corresponding Instagram page for them is here.
Stuff I’ve been to / seen
Ambienti exhibition at Rome’s Maxxi Gallery (runs until early Nov)
Saw ‘Inside Out 2’ (was cute)
A free (big) music gig/concert featuring some big Italian artists (which was promoting a new train service)
Finished the book ‘10 minutes and 38 seconds in this Strange World’ by Elif Shafak.
Stuff I’m looking forward to
Film: The Outrun
Book: Intermezzo (of course)
Until next time,
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