I’m pretty lucky to have fallen into my current (awesome) job where I get to write & be creative for a living, but it took a couple years to get my real career started. Are you stuck? Or do you want to make yourself more valuable to [...]]]>

Unemployment is no game (except in this case).

I’m pretty lucky to have fallen into my current (awesome) job where I get to write & be creative for a living, but it took a couple years to get my real career started. Are you stuck? Or do you want to make yourself more valuable to your company? Here are some ideas!

♠ Keep up with developments in your field. Read blogs & subscribe to news feeds related to your areas of expertise.

♠ Stay educated. Take a class in SEO or Excel or any programs/technology/new tools you’re not familiar with. You can find some tutorials on YouTube for programs, but there are lots of classes available. I’m starting a 5 week course in how to be a better freelance writer and market myself to major magazines.

♠ Network. Make close connections with people in all departments of your office environment. I was offered my current job because two coworkers I interacted with last year and on a freelance basis recommended me for it! Also go to mixers & events. Talk to people in every field (I manage content for an amusement park. Awesome!). You really never know who has some obscure connection that could help you out.

♠ Keep your LinkedIn & Visual CVs current. If employers are looking into prospects, you want to look as shiny as you can! People often visit my site from my LinkedIn profile. I’ve even been offered a couple jobs and freelance gigs.

♠ Don’t be lazy. Stay busy. Work hard. Take on as many projects as you can handle without overwhelming yourself. Employers love dependable employees willing to go the extra mile, work the extra hour or run out to pick up lunch. Make yourself useful & you won’t be forgettable!

♠ Oh no! The cupcakes have dried out. They’re rock hard! Sad party. Slip a couple slices of bread with [...]]]> I’m no Martha Stewart, macaroons. I’m not even an Amy Sedaris. However, I have learned a thing or two that has impressed a guy, saved the day or at least made my life a little easier.

♠ Oh no! The cupcakes have dried out. They’re rock hard! Sad party. Slip a couple slices of bread with the cake into a sealed tupperware. The bread will harden & your cupcakes will be just as delicious as they should be. Is that baked good cannibalism?

♠ Class up any chocolate or caramel dessert with a touch of sea salt. Trust me!

♠ Kiehl’s. Pick a flavor & slather this on every morning & every night for the most kissable gorgeous lips in existence. Pear is my favorite.

♠ Carry a Swiss Army knife. You never know when you might need a toothpick, a screwdriver, tweezers or a can opener. These can troubleshoot 99% of anything that needs fixing in a single day.

♠ Learn to reboot your heater, plaster holes in the wall & fix a running toilet. In fact, learn to replace the plug system in the toilet for when the chain inevitably breaks.

♠ Roasting a chicken is easy: Grind fresh pepper onto the bird & sprinkle it with a little salt. Massage it all over with olive oil & stuff with fresh herbs & a quartered lemon. Roast in an oven set to 325 for about 60 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165.

♠ Buy as many Sharpie colors as you can find. When the heels on your shoes start to wear (or the dog chews one of them, match the color with a Sharpie for a quick fix.

I’m not sure why these are called Chinese Portraits, but the concept is simple. Draw a portrait of yourself in words by answering a series of questions painting yourself as different objects or ideas. I think it’s a fun way to learn a little about yourself & share with others.

If I [...]]]>

Image via Apricot Cafe

I’m not sure why these are called Chinese Portraits, but the concept is simple. Draw a portrait of yourself in words by answering a series of questions painting yourself as different objects or ideas. I think it’s a fun way to learn a little about yourself & share with others.

If I were a quality… I would be persistence. Or perhaps stubbornness. I guess I have a problem discerning the two. Trying to & fighting for blend together once you’ve been at it for so long.

If I were a flaw… I would be a hideous scar- symbolic of struggle, of survival but not without sacrifice. I would build character, but keep people away.

If I were a work of art… I think I would be a Lichtenstein- comic & composed of many tiny things which make me whole. I think maybe though that I’m one of Koon’s Balloon Dogs- frivolous, fun & childlike in many ways, shiny & kind of ridiculous.

If I were a sound… I would be a thud. I would be sure & definite & cause people to say, “what was that?”

If I were a song/music… I’d like to be this song or something that says “travel” & “adventure.”

If I were a word… I would be an adjective. Observant. A descriptor constantly changing and adapting to the situation.

If I were a book… I would be an anthology of poems, short stories, photographs & other collected works.

If I were a motto/a quotation… “Drink life as it comes; straight, no chaser.”

If I were a movie… I’d be a dark cult film, probably a tragicomedy directed by Tarantino.

If I were a time period… I’d be the Victorian Era- Decadent & reserved at the same time. I’d be demure & wear huge gold trimmed dresses & constantly fling myself onto fainting sofas.

If I were a personage of fiction… I would probably be Ariel. Yes, The Little Mermaid. I can just relate. Except the love of my life is a place.

If I were an animal… I’d be a bird of prey. An Osprey, probably. Beautiful, but fierce & dangerously graceful.

If I were a mythological creature… I’d be a centaur. I’d like archery and running through the woods, I think. I would date Minotaurs.

What are your answers? Answer them all or just pick a few!

I’m borderline anemic & don’t like milk (it’s for baby cows! Not people! Gross.) Needless to say, there are probably a lot of other essential supplies my body isn’t getting. I started taking a daily multi vitamin on the 1st of the year & immediately learned a valuable lesson- always take [...]]]>

Theme song!

I’m borderline anemic & don’t like milk (it’s for baby cows! Not people! Gross.) Needless to say, there are probably a lot of other essential supplies my body isn’t getting. I started taking a daily multi vitamin on the 1st of the year & immediately learned a valuable lesson- always take vitamins with some form of food! Taking vitamins on an empty stomach leads to a painful bile vomiting session. Now I take them after breakfast. Here’s to a healthier self!

It's like a vitamin for creativity!

I grabbed an Extra Small Daily Moleskine Planner (in dark pink!) & my goal is to draw or write something every single day. The teeny tiny size means it’s easy to fill a page & therefore not so intimidating. So far, I’ve been illustrating a “thought of the day” (like vomming vitamins), but it can be anything. I’m trying not to self edit or put pressure on myself to make something brilliant. It’s healthy to just let your brain be goofy sometimes. A lot of my most fun little writing projects come from doing things like this.

I did not win the lottery on Tuesday.

I love craft beers. I love discovering new beers to try & it’s going to be hard to give up my favorite Rogue ales, but it’s so high in calories & makes me feel so bloated & sluggish. I’m sticking to wine & low sugar mixed drinks. That means no soda, sour mix & probably no cranberry juice. I’m going to have to learn to love tonic water!

I’ve started pruning the dead branches from my facebook friends list. Some people post messages that are mean, whiny, gossipy & just oozing negative energy… every day (multiple times!). I was reading this stuff in my feed & I could feel the oozy blackness seeping into me. It’s a gross feeling. Now, my facebook is growing from being overrun by a  random mishmosh of acquaintances I felt badly not accepting to a thriving feed of interesting, creative friends & colleagues. I get inspiration. I get feedback on my own work. I feel good about my internet “life!”

Likewise, there are people in my life who I’m not sure why I hang on to. I’m making new friends to hang out with who are intelligent & cultured & who hunger for new knowledge & experiences. Why waste any time on people who hold me back or have no desire to progress?

I have an old iPod & a Bose speaker where it can be permanently docked. I’m much more productive & happier on days when I turn off the TV & turn on the iPod. I wrote about my productivity playlist ages ago & I’m curious to experiment with new music to find out what will optimize my mood, performance & productivity for 2011.

I found an amazing collaboration between Apocalyptica & Gavin Rossdale, who has been an inspiration to me since I was about 12. It seems like whenever I need a little guidance or help, Gavin puts out an album or a new song. It’s strange, but the universe works in strange ways. I feel like this is a good sign for the year to come.

I feel really good about this year. It’s started out with a strong momentum & I’m going to keep it rolling so get out of my way! I’m going to tell it like it is, be strong in my convictions & let myself be weird without worry. No one is going to stifle my happiness.

I miss the energy I had when I was working out. Even when I was working insane hours all summer on my feet for 15 hours at a time, it felt good to keep moving. My days lately are much less active & that needs to change. On Monday, I triumphantly return to the gym! I’m looking forward to trying some new classes. Zumba & kickboxing look like a lot of fun & I’ve wanted to work on my upper body strength for a long time.

You know what’s sad? I can’t remember the last time I ate a piece of fruit. Fruit is delicious. So what am I eating? I don’t know, but it’s not enough fresh fruit & vegetables. I had the most delicious veggie sandwich at Lenny’s & that needs to happen much more often in my own kitchen.

This is not to be confused with “Going on a Diet.” I’m adjusting the diet I have to include more delicious & natural elements (& less microwave popcorn, maybe. Probably not.).

Pies, that is. I spent a couple years making cupcakes & now I want to make these amazing little dessert sandwiches. I want to serve them with milkshake shooters in the spring & summer & fall. I want to create & mix/match flavors all night long, baby! They’re my official dessert of 2011 so be ready for lots of recipes.

image via Lick My Spoon

In 8th grade, I took Spanish at the high school before my regular school day began (because I’m super smart & a complete dork). Until then, I knew I was going to be a writer someday, but I hadn’t really been formally introduced to poetry yet. In Spanish, we read poems by Federico Garcia Lorca. I can still recite Cancion del Jinete. I still get chills when I read Cancion del Naranjo Seco & Romance Sonambulo. Is it strange that my love of poetry has its roots in another language? I loved Garcia Lorca & Pablo Neruda before I ever read a poem in English.

Other than Haikuesday!, I haven’t really written any poems since I left New York. I got my Master’s in Poetry Writing… & I’m not even writing poetry? This is a problem. To help kick start my poetry motor, I’m going to read the poets who inspired my best work. I’ll start with Federico Garcia Lorca, Jane Kenyon, Mark Strand & Elizabeth Bishop. I also want to read a lot of James Tate, e. e. cummings (who I somehow never really gave a chance) & Hart Crane.

It’s not just poetry. I want to rejuvenate my imagination with some Neil Gaiman stories, study form & function through a critical eye with books from the Poets on Poetry series & even read some plays (Cinders by Janusz Glowacki had a lingering effect on me when I saw it performed in college & I’ve read the play a few times since then).

In my opinion, the more widely you read, the better a writer you become. That’s why I read plays, fiction, creative non-fiction, essays, interviews, blogs, the backs of cereal boxes & garment washing instructions on clothing tags.

Ugh. I hate that word. “Period.” As if your life has to stop like a sentence whenever it shows up. I always call it my “friend” & feminine products are “things” or “plugs.” Sexy, huh? Whatever you call it,  Here are my tips to feel human while [...]]]>

Sometimes, I wish my uterus would just LEAVE!

Ugh. I hate that word. “Period.” As if your life has to stop like a sentence whenever it shows up. I always call it my “friend” & feminine products are “things” or “plugs.” Sexy, huh? Whatever you call it,  Here are my tips to feel human while your uterus is trying to claw its way out of your body.

1) Chocolate is not news to any female, macaroons. However, once I discovered Lindt’s Touch of Sea Salt Dark Chocolate bars, there has been no going back to Hershey or Mars. The salt is just present enough in the rich dark chocolate that 2 square will satisfy your sweet & salty craving so you avoid the cycle of eating something sweet-something salty-something sweet-something salty all day long.

2) Tea. It doesn’t really matter what kind. A hot, light beverage soothes cramps & will help you relax.

3) Bubble Bath! Take the opportunity to throw a cold compress over your eyes & breathe deeply.

4) If you take a shot of vinegar, it will stop your “friend” for about an hour. However, your mouth will taste like a potato chip.

5) I (try to) turn all my irritability into some kind of productive energy. This could mean anything from writing screenplays for uterus torture cult films to getting some goddamn housework done!

6) If that doesn’t work, scream at your s/o until he leaves the room & then cry your face off to your regime of sappy crappy movies and/or Food Network.

7) Before bed, take an Advil & drink a full glass of water. You’ll wake up in the am feeling great.

8) Sleep on your stomach. It seems to frustrate the uterus’ escape plan so it tends to calm down & go back to the drawing board for a while.

It gets overwhelming when you’re unhappy with almost every aspect of your life, macaroons. Sometimes life sticks you in the waiting room & all you can do is thumb through a magazine while the frustration mounts. Unfortunately, this economy has put many of us in less than awesome [...]]]>

Now helping yourself. Paging number you!

It gets overwhelming when you’re unhappy with almost every aspect of your life, macaroons. Sometimes life sticks you in the waiting room & all you can do is thumb through a magazine while the frustration mounts. Unfortunately, this economy has put many of us in less than awesome situations whether you’ve had to take a job you’re highly overqualified for or you’re unable to find a job altogether with your shiny new degree.  What are you doing when all you can do is wait?

Remove all things negative from your life! If you have a friend who does nothing but create drama & stress, it’s time to cut her loose. Why drag out any unhealthy relationship? Don’t justify staying in a relationship that’s anything less than happy & fulfilling. Waiting for things to change or a better situation only adds weight to your current situation- the one you’re trying to get out of, remember?

Work on the one thing you can always change: Yourself! Start here & the rest will come. Build your confidence & you will shine on job interviews or during a big presentation. Start cooking meals at home. You will save money. Cooking makes it easier to eat healthier & if you start an exercise program (Comcast offers some workout options OnDemand or everything I use at Boot Camp (resistance bands, Bosu balls, medicine balls & free weights) can be found at FiveBelow! Improve your body image & your whole outlook can change.

Smooth seas don't come easy

Isolate one problem & work on finding solutions. From unemployment to living with your parents to crappy jobs that work you like an animal for pennies or poor relationships…you’ll get buried if you try to tackle them all at once. Pick one, outline possible solutions & put a plan into action.

Never stop looking forward. If you’re slicing your way through the job hunt jungle, apply for everything remotely relevant. You never know! Tailor your resume to every job opening. A great method is to make a basic resume on jobspice.com & save it. Then add or remove skills, references, publications, etc as relevant. A lot of job sites mess up the formatting of your resume.doc, but jobspice lets you download a pdf version that holds its formatting & looks alive & professional!

Move one day at a time, macaroons. Don’t forget how far you’ve come & how much you’ve achieved. There’s still a long way to go & much more to gain. Keep plugging away. As Conan O’Brien said, “work hard & be kind; amazing things will happen.”

Believe it.

It’s a shoddy economy. You can’t get a job without experience & can’t get experience without a job (not that there are many jobs anyway). It’s a vicious cycle & it’s easier than ever to become run down, frustrated & defeated. Chin up, macaroons!

Don’t give up on your [...]]]>

The only way to go...is up!

It’s a shoddy economy. You can’t get a job without experience & can’t get experience without a job (not that there are many jobs anyway). It’s a vicious cycle & it’s easier than ever to become run down, frustrated & defeated. Chin up, macaroons!

Don’t give up on your dreams. Realize that no magical force is going to plop your dream job, apartment, wedding whathaveyou into your waiting lap. Don’t rely on Fate. I have learned well that Fate can only take you so far, macaroons, & the rest is up to you. Every baby step you make now will only lead you closer to achieving your goals.

♠ Take on an internship in a relevant field. Wait tables on the side if it’s unpaid until you’ve added enough bulk to your resume to put in for something entry level. You might even luck out and get hired off your internship!

♠ Take a class that will make you more marketable. Does every job description demand InDesign proficency? Photography skills a plus? Knowledge of the German language? CSS? HTML? RSS? WTF? A lot of community colleges offer really affordable classes in computer software, languages (spoken & computer), arts & sciences. Not only will you be more marketable, you’ll feel pretty good about yourself for learning something new!

♠ Start a blog about your obsessions. Set deadlines for yourself & hold yourself to them. You’ll stay focused on your goals & through researching your interests, you’ll learn more about them. Extra knowledge about your specialty is never a bad thing.

♠ Open your own business! Whether it’s a coffee shop or an etsy store, it will be a huge opportunity to test yourself. More new businesses have opened around here in the past 3 months than ever & no one I’ve talked to has had any complaints. The only way to go is up!

♠ Design your own business cards. Hand them out to anyone who mentions anything halfway related to what you’re looking for. Looking for a great apartment and someone at a party mentions their friend is looking for a roommate? Give them a card. Seated at a restaurant next to a table full of editors? Bam. Now you’re on their mind & in their pockets! Keep your cards simple- Name, brief title (writer, dogwalker, apartment hunter), email & website/blog or whatever if most relevant. Just make sure they have a way to contact you and can tell what you’re about from your card.

Keep plugging away, macaroons. What are you doing to stay focused?