what, no easter salary?

April is my favourite month. Since my body clock is tuned into the academic year, April marks being settled, being established into what one is doing. Not only that but the sun tends to sneak out at this time of year with whispered promises that have people like me thinking about spending the afternoon dozing with a good book in the park.

But for the first time in over ten years I am not getting paid during the holidays. This takes some adjusting to and some skill at stretching the old penny. I have spent the last ten years almost gloating about being in bed for two weeks at 10am knowing that I am still getting paid. And it really was great.                      But this year it's different. This time round I am busy working on my plans for world domination- no I lie- just my plans to get more of my courses out there so I am indeed comfortable during these holidays that now seem to happen all too quickly.
I have been asked to write another course for an organisation. I have chosen Life Writing, as this is the writing genre I really love. So I will lead a group of teenage girls through writing excercises while dragging up scenarios that have made them angry, happy, lonely, hurt.  I know I write best about the things I feel- so I will be hoping to remind these young people about what they have felt with a view to producing lovely pieces of prose and poetry.  I am hoping that once done, they will start to look at their life circumstances from a different perspective, especially when they see that they (we) can produce beautiful prose out of it!    I am also working alongside an artist, so while I get some students to write their life- there will be a cohort of young people who will illustrate their life and we will bring it altogether to form a book that they will title.   

How's that for easter work? New. Different from what I am used to for sure. No kicking back knowing that a salary is still getting paid regardless, for work that I am near sick to death of doing.    This way I get to engage fully in my own life; Pull on my own inner resourses to put food on the table. I get to forge a new career out of an empty space and produce something real and tangible- in exchange for the buck!  And who knows, I may be there when a peson decides that they would like to become a writer!! How cool would that be?
So yes. There have, and will continue to be  been ups and downs since I left the secure world of the monthly salary, but this stuff I wouldn't exchange for a thing! Happy easter everyone!