The New Year

Generally, I loathe new year's resolutions. My personal feeling has been to try to make changes when I notice they need to be made, not wait 'til some arbitrary culturally dictated time to decide to alter myself.

Yet this change of the calendar seems to be cast lately in a more positive light as far as my perceptions, as it's causing me to reflect on where I'm at in my professional development.

Where exactly do I want to be? Is the road I'm on bringing me there? These are questions that have often crossed my mind, but since beginning to work for pay steadily since last March, honestly, the thoughts have been far and few between; I have a semblance of security, I have things, and a schedule (well, sort of). I say it with some reservation, as technically I'm still only an on-call employee, and will literally be jobless in six months if all things remain the same.

So actually, I do have every reason in the world to be concerned about this, and I am. Or at least it's in the back of my mind, and the closer I approach next July, the more it will recurr in my consciousness. Hence the timely change of attitude toward an actual new year resolution this year.

So far, I still know what I want: I want to produce/direct feature film content as an everyday job. How do I do this? Truthfully, only God knows. But I have noticed that where I live can have a great deal to do with increasing the likelihood of this happening. Also, getting experience and meeting people in the biz has a lot to do with it as well. I think it's high time for a resume review:

Currently I'm a reliable, fast and think-outside-the-box editor with a decent amount of professional experience. I have some producing and directing under my belt, and would jump at the chance to do more. I have a love for collaboration, and would do well with a team of talented people to draw from.

I need more producing experience, and working with increasingly larger budgets. It's pretty realistic to anticipate the next six months doing this for me if I stay on the track I'm in and continue doing my best.

If I move to CA, I need to do a better job of reaching out and integrating myself into the right circles. That I haven't done the best job of in years past. But I think it's time for me to go back and make a better attempt than the last time. I need to dive in with both feet, not walk around and wade in the shallows.

If things are the same in six months as they are right now, this will be the direction I take.

My options overall: work part-time and get gigs on the side so as to create a stable yearly income, or work full-time and move at the end of the six month period. I definitely lean towards the later. As my blog title suggests, as long as I'm a bachelor, I much prefer the transient lifestyle.

Maybe I'll look into moving somewhere more drastic. Like Europe or something. I'm sure I could find a gig as an editor or something in some remote corner of the world. And why not? Nothing's holding me here. And with six months preparation, I could realistically plan it.

That, or get full-time employment offer sometime between now and then. But that would need to be in the biz, and if it's not for my current employer, there's absolutely no chance it will be in UT (okay, maybe one in ten million). AND even then, if I'm honest with myself, I need to remember my ultimate professional goal, and not lose sight of that aka. it would end up being temporary (I know myself and what motivates me).

The grim occupational reality is I'm in a desert of sorts for my business, or in a very small oasis in the middle of a vast desert, to be more accurate. Living in UT without my current gig is THE dealbreaker.

I've enjoyed the time reconnecting with friends and family, and feeling a little (note: very little; during one visit to buy Christmas presents on campus last weekend) sentiment re: my college years, but I think it's gonna be time I move on to where I'm headed: Forward.