Good morning, my Tuesday. Oh how I would love to gym- but no time, like none at all.There's packing and much work to do.
I was thinking last night about how much I love being a freelancer- for my whole career I have dreamt about having a job that allows me to explore everything I'm interested in, and the list is long. I tried many things in my career- photo repping, trendspotting, art buying, PR, and a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. At times I worried that I was a bit of a Jill of all trades (let's leave out the master of none bit, shall we?) and a person who simply couldn't commit when it came to one path. And I used to make fun of people that had what I am now calling the "slash effect" in their title- whether it was model/actress or writer/producer- in olden days the slash effect made people seem all over the place, non-specialized, and too general.
And then I had the fortune to work at an agency that was run by someone who celebrated the notion of being a generalist- that in today's world, it's important to know how to do a little bit of everything. And though Mr. Bogusky believed that, I'm not sure agency life is suited for someone like me- I was a bit of a square peg and couldn't settle into one thing there- though I loved producing, I wanted more- I wanted a chance to write, to think, to strategize, and maybe even do some things in between that defied a title or a department or a discipline. And that's why I went out on my own.
I went rogue because I like to dip my toes. In familiar waters and those uncharted. Call me a bit of a career agnostic- why settle for one thing if you want so much more and can offer so much more?
Tonight I will fly to LA to produce a photo shoot for some dear friends who I can't wait to see and work with again, yet I'm also doing some writing for another client and loving every minute of that too. Apparently not all of us want to only do one thing for the rest of our lives, and there's reason for that. I think we've entered an era in our history where we're constantly redefining "value"- not just in terms of the essential things we need for a happy life, but in terms of what all of us can contribute., and how we can be more valuable to employers and potential career partners- the more we know how to do, the better. And with little job security these days and the notion of spending a lifetime at a company and getting a gold watch when we retire (Retire? Job security? Not anymore), it's a pretty wonderful time to be a generalist, and I'm beyond enjoying exploring all the avenues that are streteched wide in front of me. My message to those of you who are feeling like it's time to explore, or maybe you're just at the beginning of your career journey and wondering why you keep jumping around, looking for that career that makes you feel transcendent, recalibrate and realize that there is nothing wrong with checking stuff out- how many of us are only good at one thing, really? Or love one thing enough to only do that? My interests and thirst for days filled with interesting projects that challenge my skills are boundless- I'm a frequent toe dipper and looking forward to many slashes in my title, or better still, not having one.
I feel lucky that enough people have noticed what I have to offer, and am grateful for those considering me for work and taking this journey of generalist with me. And if you're looking for someone that can sell, promote, produce, and turn a phrase, I may just be your girl. And all of these items are available a la carte, or all at once. That's just how mavens do.
I am excited to move back to New York and keep moving forward. I may know how to do a lot of things, but one thing is a common thread- I simply want to do good work that inspires me, with smart people, regardless of what skill set I'm employing on the daily. And yea, I'm not grandiose enough to think I can do anything math or science related, and I'm probably not going to be a chef or Broadway dancer anytime soon, but you never know. I could always dip a toe and see how the water feels...I highly recommend trying out the slash effect or freelance life for a while- "free" being the operative word- free to explore all those things you just know you can do but were too tied down to think about. And I may end up full time again somehwere, someday, but right here, right now I can't wait to keep doing what I'm doing, and it's been a long time since I've felt like that.
Go forth and dip that toe. The water's nice in here. And that, THAT, is what's up this mixed bag maveny Tuesday in the MIA. Celebrate your wide net today. It'll do ya right. XO