The Sweet Smell of Unemployment

I’m done.

It’s over.

Not just Hell Week, but my contract. Six and a half months, five episodes, 1100 pages producing 3300 panels…approximately.

I’m pooped. But I think (I hope) I did an alright job.

If I ‘leave the environment’ while I’m working, it’s real hard to get back in the groove. So I didn’t. I only left the apartment about once a week. I had groceries delivered. My laundry usually consisted of sweat pants and t-shirts. My computer and this blog were my few links to the outside world. I’m grateful for it and for you guys reading. It really helped keep me motivated.

So for that, I thank you.

I am now officially unemployed.

When you freelance, you can’t collect unemployment insurance. So I ain’t. Did I mention that before? Well, you can’t. You’re on your own.

The industry around here is looking pretty darn slow. The word ‘drought’ was mentioned with a colleague the other day. A work drought. Nice.

I have nothing lined up.

No prospects on the horizon as far as storyboarding goes.

And I couldn’t be happier.

In a few hours I’m heading to the airport, boarding a plane and heading to a place where the above photograph was taken three years ago. Many scenes from ‘Lost’ have been filmed at that very location. I’ve seen them and said, “Hey, I’ve been there!”. It’s cool.

There will be Mai Tais involved. Yeah…that’s it.

Remember all that stuff I wrote about being smart with your money? This post and this post? Well, I practice what I preach and this is the very reason that I do. So I have the means to get on that plane and run off for the better part of two weeks and relax.

To enjoy what I worked hard to get.

I don’t make a lot of money in the grand scheme of things. After I did my taxes this year, I even said, “Gee, I really don’t make that much, do I?”

But it’s enough if you’re smart with it.

And it’s enough when you know what your priorities are.

Freedom is mine.

Not ‘stuff’.

I don’t have a lot of stuff. I don’t even have a real bed for crying out loud (getting a little tried of that one though). I live fairly simply. No car, no house (yet…but I do live in Vancouver and the real estate is nuts!) and I hate to shop for clothes.

But I love to get away once in a while. I sacrificed quite a bit of my time to get here, but now that I’m here, it’s sweet.

And worth it.

Now, it’s not just about going on the vacation either.

I have money socked away in the bank. This will get me through the lean times. I’m not nervous. I’m calm. I gave up the ‘no work’ panic attacks long ago.

Because I also believe.

Every time I should have been freaking out about not knowing where my next job was coming from, I stopped. I told myself it will work itself out, that I always get work when I believe I will.

And I do. Every time.

After my last job (before this one), I also had no prospects. I had been visiting the studio and they were all booked up with board artists for this show. There was nothing on the horizon. I stayed calm and told myself it’ll be fine. It’ll work itself out.

A few weeks later they called. One of the artists dropped out and they wanted me on this job. It was the combination of my visit at that time (telling them I was free) and my not worrying, that got me this gig.

So I’m back in no man’s land again. And I’m fine. Because I believe I will be.

Try it.

(And be smart with the money that you do make.)

And this is good news for you guys.

I have more plans for the blog and now I have the time to do them! I’ll be adding more resources like book lists and DVD recommendations.

I’d like to do some movie reviews and story analysis.

I’ll be doing more educational posts of real examples with screen grabs and stuff. I’ll be showing more of my own work and building a portfolio site onto here.

I plan on writing an ebook or two. And there’s a few other things in the works. I’m grateful for the time and freedom to get started on all that.

I’d like to give a huge welcome to some new readers here that came over from Carlo’s blog! Bear with me till the end of June while I kick back and recharge the ol’ batteries.

Good things to come.

I will be popping in to Internet cafes to check my email and the blog. So feel free to still leave comments. It may just take me a while to answer, OK?

I’ll probably even write a post next week ‘on location’. I don’t know about what, but don’t expect anything too deep…I don’t plan on using my brain that much.

And last but not least…

The new Incredible Hulk movie opens this weekend and our very own Live-Action-Go-to-Guy worked on it! So if you go check it out, report back here to Adrien and give him your review. If you loved it, tell him!

And if it sucks…well, he didn’t write the thing! Give him a break!!! 😉

OK people, I’m off. Thanks again for reading…this blog has kept me sane and I love doing it. I’ll be coming by soon and we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming in July.

Take care and I’ll have a Mai Tai for all!

*passes out in the sand*

🙂

Read the Storyboard Blog by RSS Feed or by email to see if the next post has any redeeming qualities.