Biggest Concerns of the Moment

Some of my biggest concerns of the moment are income and entertainment. Ideally both go hand in hand. Life is too short to be miserable. I have always enjoyed hobbies that earn some income. I am a cellist and have gotten paid as a studio musician on CD's of bands such as Glint and The Milling Gowns, and as a wedding and event musician. I haven't gotten involved in the (surprisingly) thriving music scene on the rock yet as my cello just arrived a few weeks ago. I need to get back into practicing and meet some musicians.

GOAL: practice cello, meet musicians, play music.

I also am an avid artisan. I have dabbled in many forms of arts and crafts over the years (since as far as my memory goes back) and have always sought ways to make a meager income from my creative efforts. In the past several years I have focused my creativity on textile arts and jewelry making. I have a small business, YazBerry Fashion which supports itself and that is about it. Nice to have a hobby that breaks even. Right now since I am between postal codes, my handmade purses and vintage purses are for sale on Etsy, and my handmade jewelry is available on facebook and in a few local craft and gift shops on the rock.  I am slowly starting to meet other artisans and I would love to host skill share gatherings at my home or another venue. I would also like to be able to more than break even with my artistic talents.

GOAL: meet more artists, host skill shares, maybe even teach classes for small fee, get my jewelry into more shops around the rock. One artist I have met has a simple goal of having his work in 100 stores. If he sells just $20 of product per store per day that is $2000 in a day! A simple thought but it could produce amazing results!

I am constantly seeking internet based opportunities to make some income. I just stumbled across this music review website on craigslist today, slicethepie and it seems you can earn on average $0.16 per song review. I haven't tried withdrawing yet but the website seems legit and since I listen to music almost constantly, and LOVE to hunt down new music, I figure might as well get paid to do something I enjoy!

Two month update: I never put in enough time to see if this actually pays out. Conclusion: not worth my time right now. 

GOAL: continue seeking online opportunities to earn income. I would like to seek editing and writing gigs specifically. Have an opportunity for me? Any tips? Anything you do or can recommend? Let us know!  

Welcome! Here's to Survival!

Thanks for stopping by, it has been awfully quiet here this week. The neighbors keep to themselves and magically appear only when you run out of clothes line after washing 20 tablecloths...and offer you theirs. You know they are watching you; fumbling with the giant cloths in the high winds here on "the rock"; your inexperience with hanging clothes on the line - a meager effort to assimilate. If you don't go to the pub this week you may not actually have a conversation with anyone but your husband. Who is very tired most of the time and prefers to watch TV.

Here is where the survival piece kicks in. Having grown up in the woods with only a few kids my age in the neighborhood, I have become accustomed to keeping myself entertained. Since a child I have been able to spend hours on arts and crafts. Time consuming activities that give you some sort of product to look at and love as a result of your efforts. I have had to revert to this method of thinking.

My late teens and twenties were spent living in big cities and gallivanting around the world. I stumbled upon my husband in one of these cities and am now married to a foreigner...which brings me to "the rock". I am now the immigrant and am waiting for my residency to go through and cannot work at this time. Not to tire you with the details but basically I ended up in this small town because it was easier to come this direction and is cheap to live here on 1 low income.

Words that come to mind when I think about our situation: isolation, loneliness, quiet, desolate, windy, cold, unfriendly, distant, remote, undeveloped, lacking, without. Rough train of thought for newlyweds. This has me fighting with deep bouts of depression and anxiety. Rock on! (or on rock in my case).

Every day is a strange battle to stay away from the blues. To feel fulfilled in my efforts that day. To be entertained and amused. To feel worthwhile, and that there is some point to this suffering. In writing this blog my good friend Megs and I hope to focus on what we are doing to survive; whether or not it is working.

Disclaimer: while this post is rather blue, it was necessary to paint the picture of where I am; some background to shed light on future posts. I hope to bring a more positive spin on some of the activity posts - informative, educational, entertaining, hopeful. Those are the words I would like to have come to mind.