Reflections after one full year of work independence

“There is an insightful difference between those who suggest to be who they are and those who decide to be who they are.”

After a long tenure, I left a really good full-time job to become an independent contractor and to focus more on my creative side.

Here are a few honest takeaways after one full year of work independence.

Freedom of schedule means come up with a rigid schedule

Here, it’s a good exercise of discipline and work ethic to build a strong routine from scratch. When you are independent, each day is yours to build as you see fit. Ironically, this freedom has resulted in reliable structure and consistent effort. Others would see my day-to-day as boring, but I love my routine.

The who?

It is ok - recommended, even - to mix work life with personal life, when appropriate and to a certain degree.

The best business relationships are sometimes also friendships, where we can be rely on each other to be open and honest and to work for the greater good.

If not, that’s ok too. But working with cool people is much, much better than working where there’s friction. You have more control over this when you’re independent.

Work and play

This has been the most fun part for me, personally - Building time into my routine to blend business experience with creative endeavors. It’s technically work, but it doesn’t feel like work. It feels like playing a fun video game with different levels that can be approached in a number of ways.

I’m always writing or working on sharing writing. It used to feel scary and dreadful. Now it’s just a part of my life that I’m growing, like a garden in the backyard of a lovely home.

I don’t get paid much for this creative “work” yet. But, I know from experience that, so long as I stay consistent, continue to improve the process and produce good work that offers value to its audience, I will eventually earn a living from my creative endeavors.

This is true for you as well.

Each of you have something valuable to offer that you love, that no one else can offer. Figuring out what that is and then pursuing it is the equivalent of being able to work and play at the same time.

Nothing days

Not to be had often, but to be had with full commitment when needed.

I wrote about this elsewhere, but allow for a “do nothing day” when you can. The Nothing Day then contradicts itself by gaining purpose, which is to rest, recalibrate and to better prepare for the next Something Day.

Money is not as important

Of course, income is necessary. But I don’t work for a paycheck anymore. I work to offer high value to others, and to continue to explore new and expansive ways to offer that value.

Be authentic, be consistent, work hard for the right reasons. The money comes as a byproduct of this.

For those who are also independent - what’s an important lesson you’ve learned?

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Related Poetry

Go

From Air & Water: A ThoughPose Poetry Collection | 3/19/2019

Look out far
Find a spot
Grab a map
Trace the path
Get your shoes
Take a step

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Ways and means

From Fire & Earth: A ThoughPose Poetry Collection | 6/10/2019

I’ve got a dull edge
And a broken hand
Where the handle used to be

You’ve got bad vision,
Holding a sign that sort of
Looks like a bullseye from here

We’ve got a decent shot
Shoddy means,
But an end in sight, it seems

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“So long, and make it a good day”

“Reputations are not built on what a person intends to do.”

My Grandfather was a news anchor for a local channel back in the day. He used to end every show with a closing thought and the same slogan, “So long, and make it a good day.”

How simple, yet profound and impactful. He was also a writer and a poet. For those who are also writers, you understand the level of detail and effort that goes into finding just the right words to capture an intended meaning, moment and/or emotion.

The subtle choice to say “make it” vs. “have” when suggesting a good day; The simplicity of that line, yet the depth that it carries - it’s brilliant writing. All writers strive to say more with less.

Take a moment to reflect on your recent days as well as the days ahead. How have they been? Are you letting the days happen? Or are you happening to the days?

My Grandfather understood that good days, while some may end up that way by chance, are earned. They’re earned through being honest, well-intentioned and through focused effort. We each have that power, to make life good. Every day when you wake up - and this is especially true for the days you’re not looking forward to, or the days within a tough stretch when things aren’t going well and haven’t been for a while. What are you going to do to make it better?

We all have the same 24 hours. Some choose to let the day pass by. Some choose to dwell and wallow in spite of the new day afforded to them. Some just don’t care to take advantage of the time they have on Earth.

Some people wake up knowing that this day, like every other, is a gift full of opportunities to utilize and wonders to explore.

What kind of day are you going to have today?

So long -

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Related Poetry

The Once-Shiny Nickel

From Air & Water: A ThoughtPose Poetry Collection | 4/3/2019

Saved for later
Spent, forgotten

The wish you tossed
The jangle when there's more
The 50/50 chance of luck

The change you need
To make a dollar

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Please, stop saying these words…

“Be bound to your word, and speak it profoundly.”

Shoulda / coulda / woulda - knock it off with using these words? Will ya?

It should… wait… It will never be the case that something doesn’t get done, simply because you thought you should or could or would, but then still chose not to. Right?

Alas, as demonstrated above, how easy it is to fall into that trap?

I’ve talked about this before, but of course you won’t be perfect at this, and sometimes the opportunity to correct a shoulda/woulda/coulda will have passed.

But every time you think “I should [insert thing you think you should to]”, just go do the thing. Prioritize it, as your intuition suggests.

A small way to practice this every day is to respond as quickly as possible to everyone that reaches out to you - whether it’s a colleague or an old friend or even someone you don’t like. Whether it’s an email or a text or a call. Pick up. Respond. Be available. This is better than thinking in your head (for hours, sometimes days) that you should get back to that person.

This practice applies to tasks as small as cleaning your room, to goals as large as changing your career. It’s obvious, but still bears repeating that if you practice this on the small things, you will become better at WILLING yourself forward through the big things.

Hope that helps. Now, I shall get back to storyboarding this next project…

Love to all -

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Related Poetry

Ways and means

From Fire & Earth: A ThoughPose Poetry Collection | 6/10/2019

I’ve got a dull edge

And a broken hand

Where the handle used to be

You’ve got bad vision,

Holding a sign that sort of

Looks like a bullseye from here

We’ve got a decent shot

Shoddy means,

But an end in sight, it seems

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Loose Change

A short reflection on changing, for good.

A good lesson my wife taught me: stop using the word “should”.

There’s a mission-critical practice in trying to DO the thing you know you SHOULD do, as often as you can.

So, “Do the right thing.” How hard can that be?

Well… who’s to say what’s right and what’s wrong? It’s not just black and white. There are decisions, big and small, where it seems like there is no right answer. Plus sometimes the gray is more fun, anyway (in moderation, of course).

But for the most part, you know what you should be doing. At the very least, you can come up with a cohesive list of what NOT to do.

This gets back to tuning your intuition radio, getting good at deciding to do what you know to be best.

Start with the small things, as appropriate. Not judging here - maybe you think you should clean up after yourself, or stretch more often, or start walking in the mornings, or spend less time on your phone (I try to make these quick, so then you can get the hell out of here and get back to the real world). Or maybe you think you should take a break.

The next few times you think to yourself, “I should [insert small-to-medium-sized task]” - Just go and knock it out. See how many times you can turn a shoulda/woulda/coulda into a checkmark.

These well-intentioned decisions will accumulate, and you’ll start getting it “right” more often. Won’t be perfect. Won’t be all at once. Small changes, for good.

Right?

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Related Poetry

Snake Skin

From Fire & Earth: A ThoughPose Poetry Collection | 11/23/2023

Deconstructing,

Though more destructive

But slow and in layers

Similar to an old snake

Shedding skin

For the fifth or sixth time,

Flaky and then slick

With fresh, breathing oil

Painted anew,

Detached from old

Yet with the same exact patterns -

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Sand

From Air & Water: A ThoughtPose Poetry Collection | 7/2/2019

sand in the glass
a time with limits
the moment of pause

sand in the ocean
a shore with edges
the horizon of _________

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"Alliteration's Allegory" - A Poem in Hindsight of a Great and Terrible Year

“It is the task of the enlightened not only to ascend to learning and to see the good but to be willing to descend again to those prisoners and to share their troubles and their honors, whether they are worth having or not. And this they must do, even with the prospect of death.”
― Plato, The Allegory of the Cave

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Angel’s advocate -

Amidst best bets, crediting

Cool, calm, collected debts

Devil’s deal -

Digging dirty ditches

Entering exodus... emptiness

Embellishment-etched,

Embezzlement-esque

Fine fonts flaunting fairness,

Fronting for fostered,

Forceful face-fuck fests

Façade freedom gatherings

God’s gift -

Growing generational governance,

Garnering half-hating, half-hailing

Impressionistic Incessancy

In in-cre-ments,

Insisting it invites

Independence, isn’t its

Inside joblessness

Jesus’ jobe -

Jabbing, “just-joshing” jokes

Kinda kidding, kinda killing laughter

Listening less, lapsing life’s lessons

Letting love lose,

Leveraging loathsome laments

Mocking moments,

Missing memories

Making more

Mortal’s mission -

Noble’s Nemeses

Necromancing "new normals",

Neglecting old obligations, often

Offering opportunistic options -

Positions, power, protection, pardons... politics.

Prophecy's pressure -

Pro quids, questioning quos

Queued quests quoting qi - quitting quips

Queen's quarrel -

Remedies? Rest, reality, reflection, reset, retur...

Recess! Silly. Same swan song, shaking/still

Searching such selfish souls

Slaves shoveling shit superiors stole

Saint’s secret -

Some say, "So?", sometimes sans "sorry", so...

Time's tenet -

Truth trying to tell tall tales,

This then that,

Tit/tat, tisk tisk table-top taps,

"Touch This" traps, touchless

Tongue-tipped, though usually

Uttering undone “ummms” under voiceless

Vader-y ventilations, vibing via vindicated violence

Virgin's view -

Washed, wavelengths wishing without

Wondering, “Why?” Well, why would we?

Whatever.

Warrior’s womb -

Xenic xebecs xeriscaping

Xenophobic xenodiagnoses

Yielding, yet yearning, your yesterdays - yikes!

Yelling (yelping) your yesses - yawn

Zealous zen zones/zombie zoos - Zzz...

Zigzag zeitgesits zeroing zodiacs (zillions) - zing!

Zion’s zenith -

012620211932

"I can honestly say that art has saved my life."

"Melting Emotion" by Brittany Robinson

Available for purchase in the shop

"Out of this World" by Brittany Robinson

Available for purchase in the shop

"Planets" by Brittany Robinson

Available for purchase in the shop

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A story by artist Brittany Robinson

This past year has been one of the toughest I’ve gone through. A DWI and other financial burdens, along with severe depression and generalized anxiety can take a toll on anyone. And for me, it absolutely did. For months, I subjected myself to escapism, using alcohol, opioids, or marijuana to cope with the pain. I chose to isolate myself from the outside world, and drown myself in chemicals that would only ever mask the pain (or occasionally make it worse). I didn’t know how to get myself out of this slump. My life became mundane and predictable - I would wake up, go to work, come home, drink/smoke until I was fucked up, then going to bed only to repeat the same thing the next day. I was wasting my life, because I thought I was a waste of life.

Amongst all of this pain, I really felt like something was missing. I couldn’t explain it. There were plenty of things in my life that could’ve used a change. I kept asking myself, “What do I need?” And to be honest, I didn’t know the answer. Maybe it was the prospect of a new job? Maybe I needed to start dating again? Whatever it was, I knew I needed to socialize and put myself out there somehow.

I needed to break the chain of predictability. I needed to break the chain of my mediocre life. But how would I do it?

Then one day, something clicked. Months prior, I had bought a small easel and a few canvases to paint, but they sat in my room untouched for the longest time. Before I moved to Austin, I would spend a lot of time painting in my room, but I’d never let anyone other than family see what I came up with. I’d just hang them around my room.

I actually found myself intimidated at the idea of getting back into painting. But I gave it a shot. My first attempt at it was a meditating man with the color of the seven chakras going through his body. It didn’t come out the way I wanted it to, so I repainted it a few times with different themes. It took months to finally complete but, during that time, I discovered something.

Art and expression were missing from my life. Being able to create something - a picture, an emotion - has become so fulfilling to me. Sometimes I have trouble expressing my true feelings verbally, so what better way than to show them visually? Whenever I paint, my negative thoughts disappear. I can let go and do what I want. I’m finally in control.

When you suffer with depression and anxiety, you understand how tough it is to feel like you’re in control of anything. Art has become me taking control of myself. Taking control of my depression and fighting my anxiety when I was too scared to show anyone my work. I even took a major leap by submitting a painting into my first ever art show.

Since that show, I’ve been painting on a regular basis. My small studio apartment is slowly overflowing with paintings I’ve created and, quite frankly, I love it. I’m still hard on myself and my work. I always feel like there’s room for improvement, and there always will be as long as I keep working toward bettering myself as an artist.

I have great people in my life that encourage me everyday to keep striving. I can honestly say that art has saved my life. I was born to create, to express, and to live the best life possible. And, as long as art is a part of my life, I’ll never feel like a waste again.

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Each of Brittany's brilliant paintings, displayed above, are now available for purchase in the shop.

Here's What 43 People Want to Change about Life

"WaterCloudWater"

"Share One Thing You Plan to Change"

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I have this recurring dream about us all working together toward something big. It's always the same.

I picture two people sitting across from one another at a kitchen table. They're having an open, honest conversation. The ratio between speaking and listening remains mutually equal throughout the exchange. They eventually form a common understanding. They smirk, clink their coffee mugs together, and become friends.

The dream always ends there. It's fucking sweet.

Anyway, I like poetry, so I wrote one about what that conversation could be, if we all could somehow have it together:

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WaterCloudWater 1105172100

Observation engages thought

Thought formulates reason

Reason illuminates meaning

Meaning establishes purpose

Purpose inspires action

Action creates change

Change invites observation

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I thought the poem came out ok, so I decided to show it at a local art show. It was an interactive piece so, along with the poem itself, I made a request to the audience:

Share one thing you plan to change.

Here are the responses I got from that request:

• Save all the damn dogs
• The way people with mental illnesses are perceived & treated
• My gender
• Level of openness to new energy
• My life
• Societal expectations
• My passion
• This
• My mental health. I have manic depression.
• FTW DON'T ASK ME 4 SHYT!
• Lives
• Bold action only
• Deep gratitude practice for all beings every day xoxo
• Sum bitch
• Job
• 💘
• My attitude about work
• Perspective
• Tha system
• Fake democracy
• I  ❤️  Dick
• Tell me how you feel. I won't be mad.
• Sarah's sassiness
• Perception is everything
• Work ethic
• 💘  (different one)
• To thine own self be true
• Don't wanna change a thing, really... right now.
• Our comfort zone! Push the limits
• My self care
• The way that people interact with art!
• My inability to be vulnerable
• I want to make handmade, quality goods cool again
• Eat better
• Love myself more
• My underwear
• Habit
• Lose more control
• I am changing the way I view myself
• My mind
• Focus on myself and not compare myself to others
• Job
• Go Astros! 11-1-17

So regarding this conversation - the one at the kitchen table that I dream about - it seems to still remain internal for most.