Summer Cleaning and Life Update.

[fenderlove]

I'm currently in the process of de-cluttering all my worldly possessions. I'm probably going to be moving from home to a new place out of state soon (I hope), and I realized that 25 years worth of junk just can't come with me. I graduated from college in December 2008, got a good paying job in March 2009, and then I lost said job in October 2009 when the company went bankrupt due to the shady dealings of the company's owner. I moved to Georgia looking for work, and found a new job for a few months before I had to quit because of harassment issues, and then I had to return home around Christmas '09. I still haven't found a new job, so I'm thinking about going back to school to get my Masters and Ph.D., only because I can't think of anything else to do with my life. Academics always seemed to be the place where I did the best, but I'm not sure what to do with a Ph.D. I don't want to teach, and after having to substitute teach, I know for sure that I'm not cut out for it. What does one do with a Ph.D. in Art History? I suppose I could write books and research, but I don't think I'd make enough money out of it. Maybe I could work for a museum? I just feel that I haven't found what I'm supposed to be doing. I'd like to continue doing graphic design, but I just didn't get a lot of fulfillment out of it... but maybe that's because I worked with a douchebag who didn't offer me anything besides telling me that his wife who used copyrighted imagery and clip art and Curlz MT was a better designer than me. >_< Maybe I should try to do children's books? I designed a cover and a wrote a little story that I think might sell, but I'm not sure. At this point, with so few jobs available, I've gotta get out of this house. I'm losing my mind.

Since last night, I've gathered about 50 lbs. of magazines, papers, and old junk to throw away. Wish we had a recycling center. I'll be happy to get it out of the house, but there's still so much to go through, like clothing and old toys and knickknacks to either throw away or give to Goodwill. This should have been done a long time ago, but there never seemed to be any time. I guess since I'm being a useless lump at home there's no time like the present.

Comments

[empresspatti.livejournal.com]

You aren't a useless lump, but it is easy to feel that way when unemployed. Your next boss won't be a douchebag.

One of my best friends got an undergrad in Art History and a masters in paper restoration. She does really interesting work, restoring paper art for various museums and art collectors in DC. Does that sound interesting to you?

I get great satisfaction in organizing my stuff and tossing old crap away. I just finished the garage and am starting on the basement. I hate accumulating stuff.

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

I'm very OCD about cleaning... only it's other people's stuff that I want to clean and organize. My stuff, however, is organized in a very dysfunctional and hoarding-esque manner. XD

[sandy-s.livejournal.com]

*HUGS* *sends you caring vibes* You'll end up in the right place; I know it!

And go you for getting rid of tons of clutter! I need to do that... :o)

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

[lilithbint.livejournal.com]

With a PhD you will never need to leave academia again *grin*

Seriously you should take a look in the museum industry and not just cause I'm biased... the Smithsonian is always a good place to start
http://museumstudies.si.edu/careers.html there is opportunity for both your art history and graphic design http://museumstudies.si.edu/courses.html
I'm halfway through my postgraduate diploma even though I've already got the Masters degree and am kind of doing it backwards.

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

I'm having the problem now where I'm getting easily overwhelmed with the whole process of trying to get into grad school. I don't understand why it has to be so difficult. I'm too late to apply for the Fall semester apparently everywhere, have to wait until October to take the GRE, can't find anyone to tell me if I should go ahead and apply for the FAFSA or wait until later, and no one will assure me as to whether or not my current loan providers will be willing to defer my undergrad loans until I finish grad school.

Thanks for the links. I'm not sure what I'd do in a museum setting. I tried to get a graphic design job at a children's museum once, but that didn't pan out. I'm not even sure if I should get an Art History Masters because I just have no clue where I would go from there, and I'd be in the situation I'm in now.

Mom is pressuring me to try and get a job in one of the local schools, but that's definitely not something I want. Substitute teaching has made me feel like a horrible person enough after only a few days of doing, so I can't imagine doing it day-in/day-out and be paid very poorly to be bitten and attacked by those little monsters. Sigh, I'm being very emo tonight. :(

[lilithbint.livejournal.com]

I got a Masters in Social Anthropology with no idea what I was going to do. Now I work at a university doing Records Management and study part time for my museum studies degree. It's taken me more years than I will ever admit to to decide what I am going to do (and that could change tomorrow).
The only rule, don't do what you don't want to do, it will only end in tears. If you are drawn to Art History then do it. You've got to do what you love otherwise there isn't any point in getting to the end and hating it.
The right career will happen when you get there.
In museums there is art/books/artefact restoration, collection management, exhibition design which includes promotional materials, the big museums also do their own publications. None of which has to involve children at all ;)

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Cleaning up is very theraputic IMO. And just because the last boss was a total criminal doesn't mean the next one will.

Good luck.

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

I definitely feel better as I've been going along. The only drawback is that I've gotten very nostalgic as I'm looking at things, making me want to reconnect with people I haven't spoken to in a while, so I've been getting all mistyeyed. XD

[nonothrthnme.livejournal.com]

Shit reduction is always a good thing. :)

[fenderlove.livejournal.com]

Yes, indeed, it is. XD