#26 Ideas to inspire you

Another month, another round of redundancies, this time more of my ex-colleagues . Luckily they’re all excellent, talented people who will fare much better than the title they’re leaving.

But at some point after going from an intense, exciting job in the centre of ‘the world’s second most exciting city’ (according to the book I edited last year, ‘The World’s Greatest Cities’) to sitting at home in their slippers (see post #7) even they will need a project.

Unfortunately, ‘a project’ is not the same thing as ‘an income’. For that you’ll need ‘a job’ (see post #11), ie a random means of getting money which may, or may not, be related to your interests and ambitions. In the current climate, probably not.

‘A project’ on the other hand will allow you to use your brain, creativity and talents. It will furnish you with fulfillment and make you the envy of friends who still have ‘a job’ and therefore no time or energy to take on ‘a project’ because they are too busy doing all the work of the people their company made redundant.

For example, I’ve just read about woman who has suspended her full time job-search and will be cycling to the world cup instead. If you want to go with her, you can email her on joinmecycle2sa@gmail.com.

Or you can try something more sedate. Here are just a few of the impressive things my friends have been up to that inspired me to get off my own gently expanding arse:

Starting a community garden

Launching a little coffee van business

Setting up a Saturday stall at Greenwich Market

Setting up an independent Manchester publishing house, Nightjar Press

Podcasting for petrolheads

Setting up London gay literary salon Polari

Taking over their local toyshop and turning it into a local cooperative

Writing and illustrating roleplay games

Setting up a street theatre company

Retraining as a midwife

Producing and playing at their own music nights

Organising penguin tours and creating the award-winning Sea Cabbage Cafe in the Falklands

At least three people who’ve got the funding together and are making/have just made films (guys, if you give me some links I’ll put them up)

…and I’m sure lots more that I’ve missed (but will add when I remember them!)

Hopefully some of these will eventually turn into ‘a job’ or some sort of moneyspinner; but even if they don’t they’ve provided their instigators with an outlet, and the community with something more.

For most people, the fatal mistake is to waste too much time deliberating about exactly which of their many brilliant ideas they are actively going to pursue. That way they end up doing nothing. Stick a pin in a list. Roll a dice. Pull bits of paper from a hat. Tippex™ them onto the back of snails and race them…

In no time you’ll be far too busy to worry about the fact that you’re skint.