Let’s talk about the S word
Oh, hi friends!
How are your systems?
After talking to my friend David about his process of applying for professor jobs around the country, I started thinking about my own systems. He (very wisely) created algorithms to search for job openings, and hired a personal assistant to help with the onerous application processes. In all, he applied for 54 jobs. (And accepted one! Yay!)
I thought about how I approach applying for things like fellowships or competitions. I’ll run across a random listing and then sprint to the deadline. Same goes for pitching story ideas. I’ll realize I need to fill my calendar with deadlines, pitch a lot, then wait.
But I couldn’t help but wonder how nice it would feel to have a more streamlined process. At the beginning of every quarter (or month), I could pick the major fellowships, residencies, competitions I want to apply for. Focus on those. Maybe even apply early! (Hahaha.)
And also spend some solid time at the beginning of each month surveying for stories and getting assignments.
So instead of the week-to-week start-and-stop process, I could embrace a regular routine that would eventually allow me to scale my efforts.
Or I could keep sprinting and stopping…
What kind of systems do you have in your life? Do they work for you? Tweaking and refining is an endless process. But am I the only one who thinks it’s fun?
“When we were first starting, the thing that we spent a lot of time doing was emailing every single person we knew that might somehow have relevant information to what we were doing. When it was possible, we met with them and asked them every possible question we could think of.”
I made some muffins. Once. Twelve years ago. But despite not being a baker by day (or night), I find a lot of inspiration in people who start their own bakeries. This interview with Ovenly co-founder Agatha Kulaga is so helpful for anyone who wants to turn their creative outlet—no matter what it is—into a career. Email and ask, email and ask. (Also, they are my neighborhood bakery!)
(And her story of waking up at 3 a.m. to bake and then running off to her day job reminded me exactly of Megpies, which I profiled last year. Artisanal Pop-Tarts!)
How many lobster rolls can you eat? I found out my limit is, um, 13. Here's my harrowing story from last week’s Lobster Roll Rumble. (That's the winner right there.) My stomach is still rumbling. But seriously, seeing these shellfish slingers serve up 1,200 rolls at an insanely quick pace was a master class in efficiency! I can only hope I was equally as efficient while eating.
Do you like these daily emails? Please share with a friend!
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara