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The State of the Blogunion

This post should more aptly be titled, The State of My Life Union, but I’m to lazy and to busy to redo the artwork now that I realize it doesn’t really relate to a “blog state of the union.”

Alas . . .

I’ve been keeping a lot of things under the wrap lately. Partly because I’ve been so incredibly busy that I haven’t had time to blog about it. And partly because things are only just now starting to take shape with a few different things.

For those of you who know . . . I launched Red Cowboy about 2 years ago. I fully intended for it to just be a bit of a side/transition deal until I fell back into a regular job at a church. A lot has changed since then, and while I still wouldn’t rule that out for my future, I don’t ever think I could be a paid full time guy anymore. It would have to be in a “bi-vocational” or non-vocational role. And it would have to be with some good friends that I really trust. At the same time, I also have realized that sitting behind a computer all day, every day is not my most favorite activity. While I treasure the free time and the flexibility I’ve been able to enjoy over the past couple of years, it’s not where my heart is or where I feel like I’m gifted. As much as I think people can be real jack-asses sometimes (myself included) I still think of myself as a very relational person. And over the last 2 years I’ve noticed a slow change in my personality towards a more introverted, cynical, and inward person. Some of this is good in the area of being “inward”. But in other ways it’s not such a nice thing to constantly be writing people off in my head before I even shake their hand.

I also realize that as much as I enjoy being creative, I don’t necessarily enjoy the back-end of a creative business with tasks like bookkeeping, customer service, bills, etc.

I also realize that in many ways I’m doing the same thing that I quit my job at the church for . . . in that I end up working on projects and with people that I don’t necessarily agree with or support. And while that may make me sound terribly arrogant, I just think life is way to short to spend it reinforcing systems and values that go against who you are.

That either makes me sound arrogant, rude, or idealistic. And I’m desperately hoping that idealism is what comes across and in some small ways helps myself and others remember what the world was like when idealism was an important thing.

So with all of these things in mind . . . I decided at the beginning of the year that I was going to get more social. So I went to a conference all by myself and made some new friends. I decided to work on a farm and really get outside of my comfort zone. And I’ve decided to take a job working for Apple for a shift or two on the weekend. I’ll be working in the retail store as a Mac Specialist with the hopes of moving into a Mac Creative role (the teacher people) doing podcast and design training in a couple of months. Right now, I’ll only be working 1 shift on Sundays. Hopefully, getting me out of the house, out of my comfort zone, out from behind my computer, and into the lives of other people.

I’m also helping my parents launch a “coastal living” magazine down on the Eastern Shore. I’m really excited about it and our first edition just went off to print today. It’s basically going to be a high-end design magazine with a focus on local, small business and the economy. No corporate stuff. No big business stuff. I’ll post a pdf up at some point and link to the website once I get some time to update it.

And then I’ve got another project I’m getting ready to help launch/run. I have a meeting tomorrow to go over some final details, sign the contract, etc. So I’ll update you once that is a little more finalized.

All this will hopefully help me to “diversify” my job. Not only for the social reasons. But just let me move away from some of the things that I don’t enjoy doing (working with bad clients) and do other things that I do enjoy.

So that’s that. Just wanted to give everybody an update as to why I haven’t posted in forever. And why I haven’t been returning phone calls and emails. Things will hopefully be slowing down soon. And I’ll get back to my slow groove. Wish me luck.

I’ll also be posting the next step in the Indian Taxi Fund stuff soon.

© 2008 IAmJoshBrown.