01.07.2006...

Happens to be a very significant date in my life and creative practice.  That date is the very first day I woke up as a self employed person, with no guaranteed income and a mortgage that had 29 years and 9 months to pay off.  Did I have rocks in my head?  No, I had them on my bench and I had to make it work.

In another life I worked at one of the big 4 banks beginning as a Fraud Analyst before moving a little further up that proverbial ladder.  I was paid well in exchange for the use of my brain and my time.  I was working in Melbourne CBD, wearing a suit and heels to work each day and catching the tram for my 8km commute that took almost an hour.  Life was fun, full and, while I didn't love my job, it wasn't terrible and I worked with lovely humans.  It could've been worse.

Working for one of the big 4 wasn't for me long term.  That I knew, but I didn't know where I'd land next.  An interstate move was on the cards for me, so I resigned, backed up my share house bedroom and packed my 1999 WRX full to the brim to drive north.  On the last day of working for one of the big 4, I went to a beading shop and bought a jewellery kit (I still have it).  I knew I didn't yet have a job and I had enough savings to have 2 months off comfortably, 3 months conservatively and though this would be a nice way to occupy my time until another desk job found me. 

The interstate move meant registering with a temp agency before I left so they could hopefully line something up for me for when I landed.  One of the recruitment officers told me my aptitude test results for Excel and touch typing were too high and they'd have trouble finding a job to "keep you (me) engaged".  They found me a temp role, they were correct in the keeping me engaged department and I was rarely challenged and, subsequently, my mind wandered and all I could think about was getting home and getting back to making earrings.  I was making them after work, listing them on ebay in the evenings and making about $100 a week in sales less than I was earning at my 38 hour a week role.  I still have the pros and cons list we wrote before I handed in my resignation. It took me 7 years to replace my big 4 salary, but the happy head and hands didn't mind the wait.

So, as you know now, I did quit and I did keep making.  Today is one week after my 18th year anniversary of being self employed and I'm going to the studio now to begin my 4 hour work day.  I'll maybe write about the 4 hour work day a little down the track.