The New & Unproved Work/Job/Career Thread

[The Argonaut]

do you ever do cocaine, tree? it sounds like it might help

[tree_]

haha, no... I've tried it a few times and it wasn't for me.. though I've never tried to play music on it... you may be onto something

[bodysnatcher]

god, imagine tree on cocaine

[Strat]

Tree, what are you struggling with in trying to record/write music on your own at home? It can be done very fucking cheap with pretty good results.

[tree_]

Tree, what are you struggling with in trying to record/write music on your own at home? It can be done very fucking cheap with pretty good results.

I need lots more equipment and instruments to create what I want and I can't afford it

[Strat]

Oh okay.

[tree_]

I mean, if you have ideas please let me know. Maybe I'm not aware of what's possible these days? But I want an organic sound from drums, electric guitar, bass guitar, acoustic guitar and all I have as an acoustic guitar and smart phone. I haven't played anything but acoustic guitar in some time so I need all these to practice on to get back to where I need to be. Plus recording equipment and space. I've been telling myself I will get it all one day and time just keeps passing.

[bodysnatcher]

[tree_]

Hahaha

[The Argonaut]

I mean, if you have ideas please let me know.

musicians of RM! share your at-home set-up with tree. what does he really need and what can he do with it? computer programs etc. he's done so much for us, please help him now

[tree_]

I could use my wife's laptop computer if maybe you have a USB microphone to recommend and I guess I could try to make some other stuff work. I've just done the acoustic and vocals thing to death and it just isn't what I'm going for

[spike]

“Art is the elimination of the unnecessary.” – Pablo Picasso

[bodysnatcher]

Just record into a tape recorder. You could be the next Daniel Johnston.

[The Argonaut]

If anyone else is feeling a little down about the state of their career or feeling like they're not making much of an impact, I would ask you to go find an older person, retired for a few years now. Ask them about their career. They'll either say "who cares" (unlikely) or they will tell you the most boring stories you've ever heard, and they'll be so proud of them. Or they'll have regrets about the most minor, meager, piddly shit. You'll want to kill yourself and you'll wonder how they didn't.

Jobs suck. Reconcile yourself to that reality.

There are probably like 1,400 people on earth with actually cool jobs that they are actually good at. You're not one of them and you never will be. And that's ok.

Try to be good at your not cool job. Or don't. Just get through the day, live below your means (as doug would say) and stop working as soon as you can. Do pleasurable things as much as you can, and remember that your job is the least interesting thing about you. About all of us!

Who goes to a party and talks about their job with people they don't work with? What a nightmare!

Yes, when we meet someone new we often ask them what they do for a living, but even if they explain it it doesn't make sense. We pray they won't talk about it too much. The only reason we ask is so we can guess how much money they make and so we can assign them the social capital whatever their job is supposed to come with. We're a class-obsessed culture. Fuck that! As Joe Biden's mother told him: "Nobody's better than you...And you're not better than anybody."

Look at Harvey Pekar. He'd go on Letterman and Dave would make fun of him for being a file clerk at a VA hospital. But Harvey Pekar would have none of it. He didn't pretend to be some mysterious underground graphic novelist, for the esteem. He was a file clerk at a hospital with good insurance and a pension. And he was never ashamed of that. But do you think he worked really hard at that hospital? No. He never even put himself up for a promotion. His real love was his comics. He wrote a shit ton of comics. He did his 9-5 because it was the logical choice.

He was also miserable, but that isn't the guy's fault.

Or let's look at a non-famous example. Think of someone you know and really like. Maybe a friend, a family member. Do they talk about their job a lot? I bet not! And when they do, do you find yourself thinking "I don't give a fuck, this isn't nearly as interesting as you think it is." I bet you do!

I love you

[Ello Sailor]

There are probably like 1,400 people on earth with actually cool jobs that they are actually good at. You're not one of them and you never will be. And that's ok.

[Ello Sailor]

Who goes to a party and talks about their job with people they don't work with? What a nightmare!

Narcissists. They're everywhere!

[The Argonaut]

What does favorite cousin/uncle/aunt do for work? You don't even really know do you? Good! You shouldn't

[Jorge]

Hey Argo, that was a great post. I fully agree with all of it

[The Argonaut]

[Jorge]

I meant the long one