I've Been a Blogger Without a Day Job for 3 Months Now

British Customs Guy:  You’re a full-time blogger? 

Me: Yup.

Him: I’ve never heard of that.  You make any money?

Me: No.

Yup, I’m still a blogger without a day job.  For the most part, I’ve found this time in my life to be rather good.  I have more time for going to the gym, reading and walking.  I look ten years younger.  I feel more creative and my passion for online media has increased.

My amazing boyfriend as well as friends and family have been wonderfully supportive, but the real saving grace has been my blog.  When I started it 5 months ago, it was mostly with the intention of putting my money where my mouth was.  That is to say I wanted to finally become a part of the conversation. 

Not only has blogging kept my brain from going mushy, but by making me a part of the online community, it’s kept me from feeling invisible.  I’ve ranted and raved, met people from around the world, learned about their businesses and hopefully, inspired a few mainstream media execs to think differently about their strategies.  I even appeared on the home page of paidcontent.org.

When not blogging I’ve traveled to London and Banff, done some consulting work, knitted a sweater for my sister’s imminently arriving baby, cleaned out all my closets and have even started to learn Spanish.

I can’t say it’s all been easy.  Every once in a while, it hits me “Oh my God.  I don’t have a job!”.  I can see how it would be easy to slip into self-pity and bitterness.  I’ve had my moments.  But I keep thinking about a woman I used to work with whose father and sister died in the same year she herself was diagnosed with breast cancer.  When most of us would have trouble getting out of bed everyday, she did so elegantly and courageously.  Her secret was simple.  “You can get up everyday and you can laugh, or you can cry.  I laugh.”

So there you have it. Must keep getting up and laughing.

Truth is, my greatest fear isn’t that I won’t find another job, it’s that I’ll waste this unique time in my life.  (Well, wasting this time and never having occasion to wear my collection of magnificent 4 inch heals again.  God, I’ve been in flats for 3 months!)

So, next month, we’re off to Chile - Santiago, Easter Island and hiking in the Atacama dessert.  I’ve never been to the Southern hemisphere and I really want to see water go down the drain in the opposite direction.

When else am I going to have time to do that?

Comments

[Dennis Robaugh]

I came upon your blog a few months ago. Your ideas are intriguing, your passion for journalism evident, your recommendations for what old-line media execs should do ought to open up some minds. Alas, people with such ideas are in short supply in traditional newsrooms. It sounds like you've embraced this time in your life and career with the right attitude and mindset. Good luck. And keep blogging.

[Catharine Tunnacliffe]

I hate to burst your bubble before your trip, but Southern hemisphere only causes water to flow the opposite way on TV shows like The Simpsons. In physics, this is known as the Coriolis Effect, and it's been extensively studied -- unfortunately debunking the idea that water in toilets and bathtubs rotates differently around a drain on different parts of the planet. The Coriolis Effect only applies to phenomena occuring on a massive scale, such as hurricanes.

Signed,
Yes, I Was A Mathlete In High School

ps...There are plenty of other great reasons to go to the Southern hemisphere, though, so enjoy your trip.

[Christopher Ming Ryan]

May I ask how you are supporting yourself? 'Cause I'd like to blog all day too!