For 6 weeks, give or take, I haven’t been working. The contract that I had, for one reason or another, came to an unexpectedly early end and there has been nothing that suits my income-earning skillset available since then.
I am another statistic on the list of victims of these trying economic times.
My skills are particularly niche which they weren’t ten years ago. I have my own theories as to why this is so which conflict with that of most of the companies who have moved away from the software I develop. Most of my theories revolve around the central notion that those companies are all a bunch of idiots who are talking out of their arses. It doesn’t help my situation any though. o get another contract doing what I do at the moment, I’d probably have to move to the US. Or Aberdeen.
Or Belgium.
So I’ve been retraining and setting up a small, freelance web development business which has had a steady trickle of work coming in although not quite enough to cover our household expenses. In the meantime, I’ve been applying for all sorts of jobs, both contract and permanent as has Mrs D. Her prospects, it turns out, are far better than mine.
In some ways, now is the perfect time to think about concentrating on other areas like doing more writing or finding a way into film by whatever means necessary. I’ve already applied for a trainee position via the combined might of Skillset and Screen South although I don’t expect it to come to much and, frankly, what they’ll be paying won’t be anywhere near enough to cover our monthly outgoings. But it’s an opportunity and I’d be foolish to pass it up at this stage.
Once again, I’ve neglected this blog. Once again I’m in the middle of deciding what to do with it. The title, Tabula Rasa, has never been more apt as I stand on the threshold of a new, albeit unexpected, adventure. This is a chance to wipe the slate clean. It might mean putting this blog to bed and starting from scratch (possibly rehashing some of the content here) with a new focus, new direction and a new purpose. Part of that purpose will be making money. I hope you understand the reasons why.
So expect a slew of blog posts in the next couple of days – as ever when I say “don’t know if I’m going to blog here”, I know I’ll end up blogging loads. Might also start twitterittering again but baby steps, hey?
