For the first time ever, I’ve been confronted with the little blank on the country landing card that reads “occupation” and not had an immediate term to fill in. It’s a very strange feeling for me. I’ve settled on “artist.”
A journalism and French graduate, for the past 11 years I’ve been a Creative Services producer at a regional television station in North Carolina. I get asked a lot what that means exactly. It’s an internal ad agency for the station. If you’d heard of FOX 50 in Raleigh-Durham, NC in any way, the Creative Services department is responsible for it. More specifically, I produce really, really short television pieces from start to finish. 5 seconds. 15 seconds.
I love the challenge of getting a message across in a short amount of time. Ten seconds can give you a feel, a title, a tune-in time. What you take away can motivate you, change your actions, your schedule. I love being able to think up a concept in my head and put it in a form that everyone can see. It’s like giving everyone a little window into my vision. For 30 seconds, you get to see through my eyes. Love taking thin air and creating a product. Love the process.
And so, back to the term “artist.”
I guess I chose this partly because I’m sure the term “journalist” is frowned upon while traveling in some parts of the world. And truthfully, I want to feel free enough to have experiences, not just impartiality. (Oh, those journalism maxims will never really leave me. This’ll be a truthful, but personal account. Clichés abound!)
So, I’m taking the time. I’m off to absorb as much as I can – to see color and nature and people, and fill my brain with impressions and inspiration. To practice language and volunteer my time. To bend my skills in new directions. This all sounds really lofty and romantic, and yet I’ve been told that if you just set out, at some point, it becomes your reality.
Lover of cheese, international travel, and good deals.
Postcards on the Fridge 