The Project

By now, most of you know that I’ve left my full-time job in favor of a part-time position with a different company. The reduced responsibilities and corresponding reduction of stress will hopefully allow me to do some things that are important to me. I didn’t leave Grand Rapids to be a frazzled e-commerce specialist or part-time team member at a supermarket. I came home to be an encouragement to my family, to support them as we all go through a difficult time of transition, and to hopefully find myself in the process. Those objectives were not possible while I was overwhelmed by my job.

Perhaps it’s because I’m male, but I wrap up most of my identity in how I earn my paycheck. In college, I wasn’t a student, I was a snow crew worker. Since college I’ve written a novel, published a novella, and seen one of my short screenplays produced. But they didn’t pay much, if anything, so I’ve continued to think of myself as a bookstore assistant manager, library shelver, switchboard operator, and so on.

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I’ll be honest, I live for instant gratification. It’s not that I’m lazy; I’ll put my whole heart into whatever is expected of me (sometimes to my detriment). But that level of commitment only shows up if I know I’m getting paid for showing up. There are no financial guarantees when we follow our dreams. But if we don’t try, we’ll never know.  

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’ve always wanted to make my living through my words. Realistically, the odds of getting stuck by lightning are better. Doesn’t matter. “Making a living” can mean more than getting money. I’ll pay my bills working in retail if I must, but I’d rather get my living in through my writing.

To that end, you should see more activity on my blog. Drawing inspiration from other bloggers, I’ll try to post two or three times a week. Tuesdays I’ll talk about a book, movie, TV show, or album I’m particularly enjoying. Thursdays I’ll write about my journey into better nutrition and bodyweight fitness. As the creative juices get flowing, I’ll probably tweak the content on the site, updating more often or adding a new topic.

How long will this go on? As long as I know people are enjoying my work.