Thursday, August 20, 2009

You could get whiplash...


trying to keep up with my mood swings.

Seriously, one day I am just fine and dandy - logging in hours behind the cash register at the bookstore, reading chapters in textbooks or study guides and taking notes, tackling home repair projects, sending out application letters and resumes, and brainstorming ideas and making plans for the future - getting things done. 

Then the next day I am curled up in bed bawling my eyes out, thinking that quitting work to go back to school and get my degree was the biggest mistake ever, terrified and panicking that I won't be able to find a job and/or support myself in this town and will have to leave the place I love, so the choice I made that was supposed to improve my life has actually destroyed it. (Sound crazy? Hey, I never said it was rational.)

Unfortunately lately there's been more of the latter than the former. So while yeah, I guess I could use a bit of a pep talk, there's something else I could use even more.

Income ideas. Online options. Freelance work suggestions.  Something, probably multiple somethings, that I can do to bring in money after I complete my degree in December and if, just IF, none of the current leads I'm pursuing pan out and I do not have a full-time job. 

Here's my current list of ideas:
  • Brush up my graphic design skills and open a Cafe Press shop.
  • Dust off my old jewelry-making hobby and sell stuff on Etsy.
  • Go back to school and train to be a manicurist. (No kidding - a friend owns a salon and thinks I should give this a shot.)
  • Advertise myself as home and pet-sitter.
So - whaddaya think? Got any more thoughts? If you want to help but feel like you don't know me well enough, I'll even send you a copy of my resume so you can see what I've done in the past. At this point, I'm open to considering almost anything!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about all of the above? Well, except for the manicure thing because I can't even walk by those places without the fumes being too much. Anyway, it seems as though if you have a laptop you could combine the house/pet sitting with the design work. Good luck! Berta

Michelle said...

Ditto on the all of the above, that way you have income coming from different sources.

Anonymous said...

Now see.. I think the manicure thing is pretty cool.. I always thought it would be fun, creative and talkin' to everybody. But whatever is meant for you is going to show itself.

And as one who knows.. it's ok to have good days and bad.. the trick is to not fight either. Just go with what is and do not blame yourself.

I think education is the best thing you can do for yourself and that you have the tenacity and perserverance to keep on says a lot about you girl.

Allow yourself some icecream this weekend. And sleep in late. And use the GOOD bubble bath just 'cuz.

::hug::

mia
ps, my word verif is "sneeke" I'm gonna laugh about that all night :)

Sheepish Annie said...

I like all of those ideas. They are flexible enough to let you pursue other options once your degree is done and will bring in a bit of income in the interim.

I don't suppose there is a temp agency on the island? Probably not. But that might be something worth pursuing. Or how about caretaking of summer homes? That's a fairly big business in some areas around here with a summer population.

pocketsize said...

Something involving transcripts? I have heard about people typing things up that are originally recorded or handwritten, but I can't offer you more of a lead than that.

Anonymous said...

Agree with an all of the above approach. I'd let the manicure thing be last though, since you don't already have the skillset, you'd have to take time away from those things that you do know to learn it.

Sooooo, you make jewellery eh? Do you make shiny silvery beady jewellery? I need some blingful swingy chandelier earrings for an Indian wedding on September 12th. I'd love to pay a friend to make them rather than a stranger! LOL.

Pat said...

Take a deep breath every time you feel panicky. Think about what would make you happy right now, this minute. I usually fantasize about total improbable stuff and right about the time I've convinced myself that a hot air balloon concession would be the perfect career move- someone offers me a real job.