If you are unemployed, you may be making the same face right now. I get asked all the time, “Miss Destructo, you’ve technically been unemployed for almost a year now… how do you do it?”.. okay, maybe that wasn’t so much the people I know rather than the voice in my head going… “What the heck are you doing?”. Bascially, I can honestly say I have embraced my unemployment as a time to grow and explore those things i’ve always wanted to do such as blogging. Honestly, it hasn’t been all glitter and fun times, living off of sardines and yams for three months while living in Greenville, SC.  I never was on unemployment or food stamps, I couldn’t qualify since technically I never moved to the state and there was other factors that rendered me unelligible. This should have sent me into a panic, but instead it just drove me further to learn how to beat the unemployment monster. Working odd jobs such as band promoting for Livenation and I started focusing previous band promotion (I worked for record companies since I was 13)  talents into social media and started promoting myself.. getting me a few paying social media freelance jobs.. leading me to where I am today. Don’t depend on others, if you work hard to survive you will.

Thus began my life into being self-employment, I made a huge leap and moved back to Tampa, FL… in with my eccentric father and one eyed camera guy Mr. D. This way, we could all save tons of money and have a place to finally set up a DestructoHQ for all our future deviations. So if you are struggling with rent and debating “I don’t want to be that guy that lives with his parents” You need to kick that stigma in the ass right now… if it’s what you have to do…do it. Plus my father makes a mean spaghetti, which is much better than yam-ghetti anyday.

The point of liberation. In my first month back home, sitting in my empty room with just a suitcase. All of material items I had sold or given to charity… That moment was probably one of the most liberating things ever, I was starting over… I knew this was the beginning of something big, something great and I was not going to look back at all the jobs I could of had or those items that were weighing me down. If you want to move forward, get rid of everything that is weighing you down (this includes negative people as well).

A few weeks later, while I was tearing through pieces of my former life and trying to grow my social media presence here in Tampa, I gained a freelance writing position at a local magazine Creative Loafing. Something so simple to most was a huge honor to me, I can remember in 1997 when I picked up a Weekly Planet (what CL was before) magazine and knew that I wanted to write for them. I tried for many years when I was a promoter to get into the magazine without much progress. My advice is remember your goals from when you were young, if you still want to do them today. Go for it and never give up.

I’ve been here for four months now, it’s had it’s share of financially terrifying moments still. But, I just am thankful for everything I have in my life… my family, my friends and those who inspire me everyday. There are so many people out there struggling and suffering. The knowledge of that puts things in perspective for me and pushes me to live life to the fullest with the resources I have. Being unemployed is not the end of the road, it’s been the beginning of a new path for me…. self-employment.

In the meantime, put all the worries into a box and put that box into the closet. When you wake up in the morning, don’t say “Oh crap, i’ve got this bill and this bill to pay”… bug the hell out of everyone you know, find your Italian and Greek friends to invite you over for dinner, network through social media and get out there… destroy your boredom with life and enjoy the ride.

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