Why, when I make things for people as a gift, do they offer to pay me…

I mean, I just don’t get it. 4 years ago

thats just one stop on my path to success. I have so many loves that i would spend a life time endulging in success. I am just a creative being and I want my abundance to come from that. 4 years ago

My fingers are filled with hot air. I’ve been told I have a fertile imagination. I’m a relatively fast typer. I’d like to bank on all of this, so I’ve been digging through my closet for all my past college textbooks regarding Reading and English classes.

Hell, even if I’m writing half cocked paperback porneia, it’s better to my personal psychological makeup than some of the things I’ve done in the past. 5 years ago

I have many loves in life, but I think the most satisfying is gardening. In the new year I intend to grow many plants from seed and cuttings to sell. My ultimate goal is to have a garden centre of my own :D 5 years ago

In order for me to be paid for what I love I first have to accept it. I often have to stop myself from putting the cart before the horse. Let me accept and love what makes my heart sing. 6 years ago

This is starting to feel like a bad joke… 6 years ago

I got half of what I asked for.

This is not abundance.

Then again, this is my day job, and not the thing I love most... 6 years ago

Do what you love, even if no one is willing to pay you abundantly yet. I think my brain is stuck in a little rut looking for my perfect dream job (um, not that I know what that is yet). I need to remember that no one can stop me from doing what I love—except me. If I am waiting to see a job description that reads like this

Wanted Someone to do what Flash loves
and nothing else. No experience necessary. Salary: exorbitant.

before I start doing it, I may never get anywhere.

Instead, I need to follow this maxim: “Do what you love, and the money will follow.” 6 years ago

Well, this dovetails nicely with another goal of mine.

Turns out the boss, who is notorious for not answering emails and not giving raises, cheating his employees out of as much money as possible and lying his face off at every opportunity, actually has a legitimate excuse this time. Very legitimate. Apparently, over the holidays, he was involved in a hideous skiing accident. Shattered both his legs and crushed a couple vertebrae in his lower back. He’s had two operations and nearly died.

Gee, I certainly don’t feel crappy for bad mouthing him.

What do you do when a real jerk has something awful happen to him? You can’t even dislike him properly anymore. Then again, he was probably drunk… How sorry can/do I have to feel for someone like this?

added later: Oh, stupid question. He’s exists. I feel bad for him. Nobody deserves awful things. I’m rotten at disliking people. 7 years ago

Sent him a final email, the gist of which was give me a raise or I’m outta here. I’m the reason he’s gotten a lot of his recent contracts. What a shyster! What a two-bit operation! Even if he says yes, I should start looking for another job. Just the idea that my slave labour is funding another of his spa vacations when I can’t even afford a haircut—AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!! 7 years ago

No, he hasn’t actually gotten back to me about this now mythic bid for a raise—nothing as unbelievable as that! The development is more along the lines of increased information obtained from the frustrated secretary.

The punchline is that he doesn’t even live in this country anymore! (That would certainly explain his excessive absences.) So he is commuting between two countries—three days here, four days there. That must be costing him a fortune. The fortune he should be paying his staff. Well, unless a miracle happens, it looks like I might be forced to get a new job. (Ugh!) This guy is obviously never going to get his act together. 7 years ago

Still trying to squeeze that raise out of the boss. It’s like pulling teeth via the wrong end of the horse. 7 years ago

Negotiatiating for a raise is exhausting. I think he’s trying to drag it out until I retire. (30 years from now)

You’d think I was asking for a million dollars instead of 3 (per hour.) And I’m only part-time. This is mere pocket change for Mr. Spa!

Three is hardly abundant, but where I’m at, it will make a considerable difference. 7 years ago

The negotiation may take a little while… I hope I end up with a reasonable amount. I’m so tired of always struggling to pay the bills. Ugh.

If the raise thing doesn’t work, I still have some good plans for the new year. 7 years ago

Asked my boss for a raise. By email, since he panics if you try to talk to him in person. So far, the silence of the tomb.

If nothing amazing happens in this department – as in: “Please take €400 more an hour and paid vacation.” – I have many plans for this goal. 7 years ago

After my move, I am going to devote some time to visioning and dreaming and meditating on what this would look like. Maybe then I can make some more concrete goals around it by the end of the month. 7 years ago

I realized today that I have set my sights so low that this will never happen without a major attitude adjustment on my part. I have a real mental block about it.

Some part of me doesn’t think I can have a job I love at all (let alone be well paid for it). Once I let go of loving my job and tell myself that I’m not going to love my job no matter what I do, then it’s just about the money. “I might as well be well paid,” I tell myself, and set about looking for something that will pay better than what I make now. Wrong approach!

I guess I should start with the loving part, and pursue that with all my heart—even if it’s unpaid at first. 7 years ago

I think it’s time to just let it take care of itself for a while, and come back to it with a new perspective later. 7 years ago

... instead of like I’m trying to get fired! (which some subconscious part of my brain probably is). 7 years ago

My work itself is challenging, but the workloads and deadlines are do-able and there is lots of cooperative support from the rest of my team. We all work together at a high energy level and find the challenges energizing but not stressful.

My work has a performance aspect, bringing me in regular contact with the public. I work to solve problems using my creativity, my interpersonal skills and my knowledge of technology. (My workplace uses all the coolest cutting-edge technology!)

We are all working together to make the world a better place in some way. When I tell people about my work, I feel a sense of pride to be involved in this endeavor.

My coworkers are a varied bunch, and I enjoy their company both at work and socially. The workplace culture is liberal, feminist, green, lgbt-friendly and sex-positive. The company is structured as a non-heirarchical cooperative.

My coworkers appreciate the skills and energy I bring, and often look to me for leadership. But I learn something new from them every day, too. I also have a workplace mentor who is interested in helping me grow and develop my skills.

The work environment is casual, in a sunny space where I can play music and dress as I wish. We know that creative work is not always linear, so we have a convenient playroom in which to go shake things up when necessary.

My work is located within walking/biking distance of my home, on a convenient bus route. There is also convenient parking for those blizzardy days when I don’t feel like biking. The hours are somewhat flexible, and it is easy to balance work with other responsibilities.

Of course it pays well (let’s just say $45K no longer feels like a fortune to me like it did before I got this job) and has excellent benefits, including health, dental, retirement and lots of paid vacation time!

If anybody has seen my perfect job, please send her my way! 8 years ago

1. Re-write my resume in a very compelling and innovative way, incorporating my new title (Creative Director!) and responsibilities.

2. Finish redesigning my resume to really wow them with my design genius

3. Buy a new portfolio and update the contents. (Ugh, I am really dreading this one…)

4. Look at job listings (even though I don’t feel totally 100% ready to apply) just to get a feel for the market. And who knows, maybe I’ll see something good that will motivate me to finish the other stuff faster. 8 years ago

This morning I brainstormed a list of small practical steps I can take towards this goal. I will keep it handy so I can do one each day and report about it here! 8 years ago