Happy (?) Crafting

Hellllooooo! We've been hit with a barrage of unseasonable cool temperatures accompanied by lots and lots of rain so that means I've gotten myself in a grumpy mood where I spend a lot of time and effort criticizing myself for not using all my free time adequately and wasting my summer off, basically beating myself up for not having fun but also not getting a whole lot done. 

Awesome, right?

Weather really affects me apparently because this rain is driving me BANANAS. We've gone past the state of "perfect time for cozy indoor activities that I love" and right on into "existential crisis after being confronted with too many of my own Thoughts" territory. I've waylaid this tidal wave of Grumps as much as possible by sneaking out for the occasional walk in between showers and throwing myself into wedding-related crafting to keep myself feeling vaguely productive at the very least. And, as an additional help with keeping the Thoughts at bay, I've gotten into a number of craft-related YouTube channels (as mentioned in my last post) that I will now share with YOU.

Did you think this was the direction the post was going? Probably yes since I'm sure you can already see the rest of this post but I like to think that I kept you on your toes a bit with that intro. Now, without further ado...

Studson Studio - Studson here makes a lot of miniatures, dioramas, and models based on pop culture and video games which already sounds cool but he presents these awesome creations in a well done and always hilarious way- I believe he has a background in video production somehow so you're getting a quality video that will make you laugh out loud. Plus, his fast and loose approach to measuring and prep-work as well as his use of found/inexpensive materials in his builds really speaks to me.

Bill Making Stuff - This English dude makes weird, like, post apocalyptical-type robots and spaceships and things out of straight up trash and I absolutely love it. The style of his creations is super interesting and cohesive (everything he builds belongs to the same "world" if that makes sense) and I appreciate the hypothetically low cost of making those things- crafts that require a high dollar buy-in to start bother me. He has a background in video production so his videos are super high quality as well. As a bonus, he has a dry humor I enjoy and he also does livestreams which are great to throw on as a background to my own crafting. 

North of the Border -  This dude also makes models and dioramas and things based on games and pop culture... see a bit of a theme here? He's like, a next level model maker though, using more pro materials and less trash but he's an excellent sculptor and his discussions of his sculpting technique have helped me a lot in my recent crafts. Basically, he's the model maker I want to be when I grow up. As a bonus, he has that Canadian accent I feel like everyone from the US assumes every single Canadian has but probably doesn't and I very much enjoy that.

Nerdforge - Nerdforge takes on all sorts of crafty projects, ranging from dragon mural painting, to full cosplay suits of armor construction, to tome book binding. Lots of their creations are out of my league and make use of tools I don't have access to but the builds are amazing and it's super enjoyable to watch. Its run by a couple of young people from Norway which makes me feel old, as you can tell from the fact that I called them "young people" but I would recommend the channel anyway. 

Black Magic Craft - This dude focuses mainly on making models and terrain for Dungeons and Dragons and similar table top games and even though that isn't my thing (making snap decisions while being "in character" in front of people, whether they're my friends or not, fills me with anxiety just thinking about it), this channel is filled with a lot of great resources for someone just starting out trying to build models or dioramas or something. I've already referred to his channel several times in the course of making my nerdy wedding centerpieces and have always come away with more confidence in whatever I'm about to attempt. 

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So that's it! There's a few others I've been checking out but I figured I'd limit it to my top 5 most watched so as not to overburden you. I'm always on the hunt for more recommendations though so feel free to share your own favorites if you've got them. I'm making an effort to curb mindless spending which means being trapped in my house more since we live in a society that expect you to spend money just for the privilege of taking up space in the world (yikes, deep breath Ashley) so these videos as well as the subsequent trips to the craft store they elicit (because that's spending with purpose) have been basically saving me. 

As soon as the sun comes out and stays out, I'm off to the beach. But in the meantime, happy crafting all!

Multipotentia-what?

Recently, I watched the TED talk I've posted above: Emilie Wapnick: Why some of us don't have one true calling. 

But first: I applied to a job.

If you know me, you wouldn't be shocked at that last bit of news and that is for two reasons. 

1) I've applied to a quite a few jobs in the last few years, and

2) I complain about my current job. A lot.

I'm pretty proud of #1 there as it speaks of some perseverance on my part. I've applied to tons of jobs, I've had a decent handful (like, a large man's handful, not a baby's or something) of interviews, most of which I made to the final round of interviews. #2 though... yeah I'm sorry about that guys.

I've mentioned this before I'm sure but I work in a psychiatric hospital, in direct care no less. With TEENAGERS no no less. It doesn't take a stretch of the imagination to think "ohhh yeah that gal's burnt out." And she is. I am. 

This job isn't set up for people to stay as long as I have, and that's the real issue here. I stayed 8 (?!?!) years at a job with no real upward-or even lateral-movement. I focused on my life outside of work, got adjusted to living in a new state, made new friends, met now-fiancés, and I put finding a job on the back burner. Next thing I know, I'm scrambling to find a new job- not just any job but one I actually want- because all of a sudden, going to work has become an absolute emotional chore. I got complacent and now I'm panicking. 

And here, sort of, we come to the video I've included above. Whenever I'd mention to someone new about wanting a different job, they'd say, of course, "well what do you want to do?" And then I'd say...

"I don't know."

Because I honestly don't. I like lots of things. The world is an interesting place and I've always been in awe of those people who pick a thing they want to do, get all the requirements needed to do it, and, you know, do it. Be the thing. And I know there are a ton of people who are doing jobs that they didn't aspire to do but still, lots of them I'm sure had something the really wanted to do, they just encountered too many barriers. I couldn't even pick a dream job. 

I always thought this meant there was something wrong with me and I hated answering the "what do you want to do" question because my answer was so vague and made me seem unambitious. And then, I watched that TED talk. And I learned I was a multipotentialite.

As mentioned in that link, multipotentialite refers to someone who "displays aptitudes across multiple disciplines." And that video (and the website/community attached to it called Puttylike) made me realize liking and doing all sorts of different things could be a huge benefit to many jobs, and that I didn't need to have a super narrow focus in my job search. I could, crazily enough, do whatever I wanted and that's okay.

What a revelation. With that fresh in my mind, I cast a ridiculously wide net in my latest bout of job searching and came back with a job a library. A library! With books! I love those things! I had the job interview today and hopefully did well, though of course, like any human post-interview, I'm worrying about whether or not I got all across what I wanted to get across. Time will tell I suppose. 

In any event, it feels good to have a new lease on job hunting. It especially feels good to throw off the shackles (dramatic!) of needing to find a "career." Part of that, I will admit, is a desire to have a job that sounds impressive to others, as stupid as that is. But at least I now have a healthier mindset in my job search and feel like I'm finally moving forward, something I haven't felt in far too long. 

***

Anyhoo, that was kinda a bit much so I'll leave you with Ashley's Job Hunt Playlist. Enjoy!

1) Career Opportunities, The Clash

2) Blue Collar Man (Long Nights), Styx

3) 9 to 5, Dolly Parton

4) She Works Hard for the Money, Donna Summers

And last, but certainly not least,

5) Take This Job and Shove it, Johnny Paycheck

Yee haw!

Ever heard of Chaos Theory?

Work has been rough since my return from vacation. All the covid-19 restrictions on visits and passes  and cancellations of school and outings for the kids at the hospital have left them bored and angry and since they have a lot on their minds already (it IS a psych hospital after all), having a lot less to motivate and take their minds off of things has... well lets just say things are a little more chaotic than normal.

Luckily, this is my weekend off. The quarantine could work in my favor here and give me every excuse to recuperate at home, take it easy, and get back in a good headspace for the upcoming week. So far it's been pretty good and, oddly enough, dinosaur themed as if it were planned by a 9 year old boy (are they still into dinosaurs??).

It started last night. I finally watched Jurassic Park and was able to check one more movie off of my "OmG YoU HaVeN't SeEn ThAt MoViE?!" movie list (it's long). I was not disappointed and am now a little bit in love with Jeff Goldblum.

With that still on my mind, I decided to do a little sewing today and made this sweet pin (see my last one here):

It took an age to get that T-Rex skull to look like a T-Rex skull but I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out and I'll be sporting it soon. I felt like it was a pretty good message given our current circumstance so it seems especially fitting to wear now. 

After I was finished and in that in-between-activities limbo, I was suddenly struck with the strong urge to go out since I'm not supposed to go out. I settled for a walk and ran into these little dudes along a row of bushes on the side of a house:

More dinosaurs!

As I rounded the corner I was confronted by the sight of a woman hanging out of her open front door looking at me. I suddenly became super interested in checking how many minutes I had left on my podcast (the Hidden Brain episode "Don't Panic!") so I didn't make further contact but I suspect she saw me lurking on the side of her house and did not approve. Why put interesting things if your yard if you didn't want people looking at them?!

Anyway, I found another excellent thing on my walk:

Working at a hospital has become especially stressful. Aside from the added chaos mentioned above, it's a little scary just waiting to see if someone is going to get sick here. If my coworkers get sick and our already too-short staff pool becomes even fewer, I'll be force to work 16 hour days often if they can't find enough staff for the next shift (we're required to maintain a certain staff to youth ratio at all times). I'll be drawn pretty thin until I get sick myself, and I will then inevitably pass the virus on to my fiancé. I don't even want to think about what will happen if the virus gets to the kids. 

It all could certainly be fine of course but the myriad of possibilities constantly hanging over my head has my nerves a bit jangled, making it more difficult to deal with the "regular" stress at work. Seeing things like this make me feel a little better though. It also serves as a little reminder that I have it pretty good. Work may be stressful but at least my job is secure and I'm making money and able to pay by bills. Not all people are so lucky right now. 

I'll adjust to the new circumstances eventually. In the meantime, days like this will help with that. Hopefully tomorrow is just as relaxing. Stay safe (and inside!!!) everyone!

Oh, and back on a lighter note:

I Watched: Red Dwarf

Recently, much to my surprise, I've taken up- and stuck to- a bit of a workout routine. I know, I know, crazy. Occasionally it starts with me doing some strength/back-centered workouts but mostly consists of me banishing myself to the basement for a bike ride (we've got a contraption that makes my bike stationary) while my fiancé (fancy) uses the old NordicTrack his parents gave us.

Aaaand lets just take two minutes to watch this sweet 90s NordicTrack commercial.



Anywho, I would say 40% of the motivation to keep up with this routine is the fact that I'm doing it with someone, which I haven't done in the past. As soon as he gets home from work we change into workout clothes and go to the basement, even if I complain a lot.

The other 60% of the motivation comes from TV which, now that I think about it, is a big reason why I got to the point where I get winded if I go up the stairs a little too quickly. Irony (right? I have no idea. Does anyone really?) aside, the show we're watching as we exercise that's getting me on the bike each day even though my butt hurts is, at the moment, Red Dwarf and I forgot how awesome it was.

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For the uneducated, Red Dwarf is a British sci-fi comedy that originally aired from 1988 to 1999, rebooting in 2009 and continuing on to this day- with the original cast no less. I've not seen the reboot but I'm excited to check it out after we've made it through the original run. This is our second time watching it and its still fantastic and hilarious.

Then...

Aaaand now. (source)

A brief synopsis: Dave Lister, a slacker working on a mining ship called Red Dwarf gets put in stasis as punishment after smuggling a pregnant cat on board only to wake up 3 million years later when the ship is finally deemed safe after a radiation leak kills the rest of the crew. Though he's the sole surviving human, he's joined by the hologram of his now deceased annoying roommate Arnold Rimmer, the life form that evolved from his cat (hidden safely in the cargo hold during the leak), and Holly the ship's computer. They're later joined by Kryten, a service mechanoid, and an alternate-reality version of Lister's love interest from the former crew of Red Dwarf, Kristine Kochanski. And then funny stuff happens. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes space things and also funny things.
Also, the episodes are 30 minutes which is an ideal amount of time for a good cardio session. You're welcome.

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