I will be announcing a Blue Lollipop Road project next week that is a big one and I am very, very excited about. The most exciting part is that it will involve all of you!
I’m off to Vermont for several reasons, this project being one. The only place I could kick it off properly.
Will you join me for some collaboration?
Yay LivingSocial deal for today! Get a $20 Amazon.com gift card today for $10. Click here. Super deal, You can get that special someone a good book to curl up in during this cold winter weather or get them a box of blue lollipops. Everybody likes boxes of blue lollipops 🙂
Just kidding. I am heading to a different frigid part of the country.
Sundance Film Festival starts this Thursday and I will be there in spirit while in another snowy location. I was lucky enough to be see a slew of incredible flicks in 2002 when I was there. I worked at the Olympics in Salt Lake City so the arrival in Utah for both those events coincided perfectly. We watched movie shorts and documentaries, foreign films and silent films. We saw these in various places from retail spaces, to independent theaters and even got to meet the makers and ask them questions. It was an extraordinary event to be a part of.
This year I have caught wind of a couple films that I can’t wait to see, as soon as I have access. One is Pariah that I wrote about a short time ago here. The other is called Race To Nowhere. This movie looks at Americas achievement culture. You know, those overworked kids who don’t even know what grass-stained play clothes or a kickball game means. I’m looking forward to following Sundance this year and hearing reactions on these two films and others. It amazes me how many talented and dedicated people are out there. Especially the ones who somehow create pieces of art with little or no budget, and manage to keep massive amounts of heart and faith until they finish.
Cheers to the artists of the world and Congratulations to all the Sundance Films!
This is the same as me suggesting you journal every night before bed. Why don’t people seem to do that anymore? Remember when we all used to have diaries and journals and took them everywhere we went so we could babble about things going on in our lives every night?
When I first started traveling years ago, I remember people excitedly asking me if I wrote or kept a journal which I told them yes of course. The replies would always be the positive “Good for you’s” and “You’ll be thankful someday that you have a log of what you have done.” I couldn’t agree more. Flash forward a bunch of years and for some reason when people catch wind that you have a blog, the eyes roll and they often mumble “Oh jesus, everyone has a blog these days.” (At least this seems to be the response I often get.) Perhaps those people don’t understand that blog is short for web-log, and that the only difference between a paper-log and a web-log is a pencil and the option to either keep it to yourself of share with the world. I choose to share my journal with the world.
I know a bunch of folks who have blogs that no one knows about. I never started writing Blue Lollipop Road because I wanted to be rich and famous or have gazillions of people reading. I started writing this because I was busting at the seams to share information and stories about my adventures. After that 90th delicious sandwich somewhere in state X, or amazing photo I captured somewhere, I wanted a place to share my life. I had also started becoming the human Google for friends and family: “Where should we got eat here, and what’s cool to check out there?” would be the subject of many of my conversations. Nothing made me happier than passing on inside scoop about neat stuff to eat, check out. I always kept a hand-written journal, on personal thoughts, feelings and travel information, but I moved around a bunch and started collecting piles of those paper journals that would just sit in boxes. I thought a bunch of dusty books needed to become something more, so one day in 2008 I was driving along the beach in NC and Blue Lollipop Road popped in my head out of nowhere. I would start a blog. The rest is history. Today is post #840 and my little BLR has taken on a life of it’s own that I never expected.
I am sharing all this because during my several months of sending resumes, attempting to connect with companies I think are great, discussions with unemployed friends or those who are looking for a career change, and more, the subject of this blog has come up consistently. In brainstorming back and forth ideas: How do we perfect a resume? What sets us apart from the rest of the stack of eggshell white slips of paper on someone’s desk that are supposedly going to give our next potential employer insight to what we have worked our butts off doing over the past 20 years? Funny enough, nearly every single program or company I have contacted about potential work/collaboration, has written back and commented on this blog and not even mentioned my resume. 37 Signals wrote about conventional resumes being “dead’ in their book REWORK. They are right. If you want to get in front of someone and shine, you need to show the brand of YOU far beyond just a resume.
That leads me to my suggesting that if you don’t have a blog, start one. Whether anyone will ever see it or not, it can become an optional feather in your cap or your one up on the competition.
Buy a domain name at Go Daddy (I can send a promo code that will get you a discount if you email me: diane(AT)bluelollipoproad(DOT)com. Choose something you thing fits you, your first and last name, a name of a hobby you like, a business name you’ve always daydreamed of, etc.) Choose a blog template that’s free through Blogger, WordPress, or Tumblr, and start posting. Call Go Daddy if you have ANY questions about your domain name, how to use it, or how to set up your free email address you get with domain purchase. (It’s all less than $10- anyone can afford that.) When you dial the Go Daddy number, an actual person answers and they are amazing. They will walk you through anything you need. You are interesting and have plenty to post about. No you do not need to know anything about coding or some complicated web-building tool, it’s all dummy-proof, and I am an example of that. I know zero about building a custom site. You poke around a figure it out. You don’t have to babble on and on for hundreds of posts or become a professional writer. Just post a couple lines on your thoughts, maybe a link to a website you like, a book you read, some article you thought was funny. Put up a photo of your dog, your favorite shoes, the bottle of beer you drank last night, or that time you hiked Mount Everest. Simple as that. Do that every day. Then, either add your new blog (domain name www.blahblah.com) to the “Activities and Interests” portion of your resume or include it in your email/cover letter to whatever company you are applying to work with.
Doing something like blogging consistently, in the pile of your other massive talents, showcases the brand of YOU. What you do, read, think about, and who you are (whether it’s winning a knitting championship, playing with bugs, or being an ultra-marathoner) will make you shine a little brighter in that stack of horribly boring and antiquated resumes. Remember to always write and publish things that are AUTHENTICALLY YOU. How you would speak conversationally. Be relatable. No bull that you think will make you cool, fancy or score some perfect job. That’s not the point, you are simply making a practice of doing something consistently that keeps your mind engaged and holds you accountable to your own personal goals. Companies love that. People appreciate authenticity, and will see through a fake. They will always side to buy into someone they’re comfortable they’re getting the real deal with. Share things. Show the world who you are and why they should trust and buy into you.
If you need help, have questions, or would like to brainstorm, comment here or shoot me an email. We can have a phone chat. I’d love to help anytime.
Now go get your blog on!
It’s Golden Globes night baby! Boy do I love awards show season. Fashion, fashion, fashion. I reserve the TV those few times a year, for way too many hours to watch pre-show, actual show and post-show. I just can’t get enough of the interviews, the dresses, the speeches and of course tomorrow when Joan Rivers Fashion Police rips those few poor souls apart for their supposed bad attire choices. I’m sorry, I think it’s wildly entertaining.
Full-on guilty pleasure television and girly time? Yes, and it’s heaven 🙂
I should’ve gotten a tattoo of a laptop- then maybe Mac would sponsor me. I have spent more hours on my laptop in the past few weeks than it took me to drive to Alaska. This machine is like an arm these days! It’s all necessary to connect with people I’m interested in working with, for research, etc. My fingers are calloused and my butt is numb, but I’m so happy to have found programs and companies like these:
*Let’s Get Global: Hello! Bring the Gap Year to America?! This is like my DREAM, my pie in the sky. My “If I had a million dollars” and what I believe changes lives for the better and teaches perspective more than anything. The good thing is I can work with them. Loving that.
*Gogobot: It’s like Lonely Planet, Yelp, Facebook, Twitter and more, but even better and all in one for travel. No more boring text perusing and being frustrated by endless Google search (think those Bing commercials) for finding secret spots and amazing places to travel, this site is GREAT. Check it out and join!
*Roadmonkey: Philanthropic Adventure Trips? Sign me up! I am so excited to find more and more people doing this stuff, I want to jump out of my skin. Who needs Sandals Resorts when you can do this stuff? (Yeah, yeah, some people like Sandals. That’s Ok, to each his own.) Me? I’m a Roadmonkey.
Before we know it, we’ll have all the kids in America exposed to bunches of different places, people and cultures by the time they’re 18.
Wouldn’t that be swell?
(…Daydreaming of fresh bread and cheese with some first press olive oil and good Italian wine…)
Online banking has just informed me that the $110 check for my passport renewal has cleared. This means the little blue book I love so much will be coming back in the mail soon. I sure like things that color.
Once again this is your friendly public service announcement to make sure your passport is active and updated. What if Regis and Kelly called your granny while in her robe last week and gifted her a trip to Barbados because she knew what color Neil Patrick Harris’ bathroom walls are, where he spends Christmas or something? Now she wants to give the trip to you for your birthday. It could happen! Be prepared.
Part of what I am working on here with Blue Lollipop Road is sharing information on “how to.” What good are all the tips and tricks I have picked up along the way if I don’t share them so others might benefit?
How to get and Intern:
*Put and add on Craigslist
*Pick your city
*Click post to classified
*Click job offered
*Choose a category. (I chose web/HTML/info. design jobs for my post.)
*Write your post for what you need. (Write in your own language- how it would sound in your voice if it were audio), be up front and honest about expectations and whether you have money to pay or not
*Answer any responses to your ad immediately
*Meet with candidate as soon as you can
*Start working ASAP
Yes, it does seem crazy that people out there would work for free. Then again I have worked for free about a gazillion times. People want to work in things that interest them and they want to build their resumes, no matter what age. Sarah, my stupendous Intern just so happened to be a fresh college grad with a ton of talent and not enough places to be able to put it. Here is the email that she wrote back to me from my Craigslist ad back in June:
—–
From: Sarah
Date: June 24, 2010 1:29:05 PM EDT
To: [email protected]
Subject: The Alaska Project
** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY — AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html
Dear Diane,
I have been scouring the Craigslist art job page since I graduated from the Virginia Commonwealth University Photography & Film department about a month ago. Alas, I have not had much luck! On the other hand, I did see your post concerning a revamping of your blog/website and your impending trip to Alaska. This immediately peaked my interest!
I was born in Alaska, but didn’t spend more than three years there. My dad’s government job was transferred to DC, which ultimately lead to my education at the amazing art school- VCU. I vow to one day return to not only photograph the amazing countryside, but perhaps take up residence- even if it is only for a few months.
I would absolutely love to help you rework your website/blog! It’s something that I am constantly learning more about as I begin to market my own work within the art world. I took a web design class at VCU one semester where we learned basic html code. It’s time consuming and challenging, but that’s what makes it fun. It definitely aided me in the creation of my current website. sarahannphoto.blogspot.com It’s hard to make a creative but still FREE website when you don’t have a job, so you have to work with what you got. =)
I would love to participate in your trip and live vicariously through your road trip to AK! Please let me know if you could use my assistance!
Thanks,
Sarah
—–
My situation went like this:
*People started suggesting I get an intern
*I smartened up after about the 15th person made that suggestion
*Put an ad on Craigslist giving the straight up of who I was and what I needed at some absurd hour like 1am on 6/24
*Sarah responded less than 30 minutes later
*I get her email by lunchtime on that same day
*I called her, asked when she might be free for coffee to talk about the project
*20 minutes later I walk into the coffee shop and she is already waiting there, smiling and ready to work
What?
I know. Seems a bit too perfect right? Don’t you have to have a big company, offices, or something to get an Intern? I hate to be all field of dreams here (I think I have used that line before,) But if you build it, they will come. People want to help you. You have to give a flip about what you are doing. If you don’t have a “story” for why you’re doing it, or if you are not willing to share that story, how could others give a flip about it and what’s really going to make them want to help? Make sense? Did you get the part above where Sarah was born in Alaska? That day back in May- that rush that I had to get to Alaska this summer to complete my 16 year goal happened out of nowhere. I trusted my gut, decided to go for it, asked for help and Sarah listened because I shared my story. Now 7 months, 16,000 miles and lots of work later, she’s still sticking by my side as an unpaid Intern. Not only is she my intern, but has become a friend and someone who has hugely helped me continue to work on this thing that I give all my flips about. I look forward to the day that I can hand her buckets of money for all she’s done for me. In the meantime I give her a million thanks and feed her Fruit 66 and mac n’ cheese 🙂
How to get an Intern? Ask for one. If you need tips or advice beyond this- let me know. I’ll be happy to help you.
P.S~ If you are looking for a funky cool gift for someone check out Sarah’s Etsy store here for her ceramics or drop her a line here about doing some photography for you. She is incredibly talented, not to mention ridiculously fun and reliable to work with!
In my Twitter feed the other day I learned of the movie: Pariah. Naturally I clicked through, curious at the intriguing looking film. Of course that lead me to learn of Kickstarter (what a great fundraising platform!) and to also watch the preview and interview with the makers of the film. I’ve shared before that I have a brother who is gay and several friends as well, so projects like this make me very thankful. We all have those days we feel judged, unsupported and confused as we grow up and attempt to find our feet underneath us. It’s hard enough to be an average, straight joe and wrap your head around your place in the world. I can’t imagine having my sexuality judged and hated too like so many do in the mix of the already overwhelming growing up process. The only way we’ll be able to keep promoting tolerance is to create windows into other people’s worlds that might be different than ours. Exposure is everything.
Congratulations on being a selection for the Sundance Film Festival Pariah. I hope you make your fundraising goal. Thank you for working so hard to make a film that will encourage open hearts and open minds. You are no doubt saving lives.