Sunday 20 May 2012

Work

Well, I have started working - working, as they say, 'for myself'. There's one substantial editing job beginning to come in, with other, smaller things in the offing and lots of business and office set-up work still to do. Work that I needed and yet dreaded, still feeling pretty tired and crazy and floating now in this new, open, frightening context.

Work - great relief - feels good: a competent and reassuring rhythm regained. Familiar and yet unfamiliar too, since there's a whole new challenge to approach things differently, more carefully and spaciously, though not without a realistic sense of time and efficiency.

With country, continent and world in frightening chaos, perhaps the worst in my lifetime, attempting to control and improve the structure of an individual life feels foolish and presumptuous. But what else is there to do? Despair and apathy, for sure, can only contribute to the chaos, while individual hope and creativity might just, a million times multiplied, be a bit helpful.

One piece at a time, I guess, like piling fruit into a giant bowl.

11 comments:

marja-leena said...

Good to hear you have work, Jean. Work that is creative, to me, is so important to one's feelings of self-worth and even happiness. Even your writing and photos are part of it. Wishing you well!

Sandra Davies said...

Good thought, that last one, and it must be less frustrating to be more in control of your own destiny in such turbulent times than at the mercy of employers.
The photo is a sort of captured sunshine - we could do with sme up here.

Dale said...

xo

Yeah, there's no safety in patrons and subordination, in turbulent times, much as they'd like us to think so! Things that look solid collapse like dreams, and what holds on is the supposed gossamer of friendship and affection.

Lucy said...

'attempting to control and improve the structure of an individual life feels foolish and presumptuous'

No. It's all the more important, and it's what people have always done.

Good luck, and take care.

PB said...

rooting for you, as one who has had to reinvent her working life up from the ashes...

Fire Bird said...

sorry... confusingly that was me...now have to contend with WV all over again!!

Jean said...

Ah, you are PB (there was a comment on a previous post)!

Rachel Fox said...

Good luck at being your own boss! Getting the balance right between working hard and taking your breaks is important...
x

Anonymous said...

Really glad you're doing this. Enjoy!

Jan x

Les said...

Nice to take a break from my own work and see those bright sunny lemons (making lemonade out of those lemons?) and to hear that you're starting work. I found it a joy to work for clients when I was self-employed last time (still reorienting myself this go round, but beginning to enjoy it again) - I hope you will, too, Jean.

Anonymous said...

Work is good! that's wonderful to hear. When I'm overwhelmed by the problems in the world, I remind myself that they're not in my control, there isn't anything I can do about that. What is mine is my life.