Spoilt for choice
I left rehab in late October last year, and I remember thinking ‘so what do I do now?’ I spent the first couple of weeks worrying about where my life was going, and what the hell to do next. Right now though, I have a few options and for some reason I feel – you guessed it – equally worried.
Jess made it clear I am welcome to stay on and do some work for Poached Creative, and Rokpool seem pretty keen too. On the mentoring side of things, I have now completed my level 1 course and I have the option of taking that further. And the other day I got something in the post asking if I wanted to be some kind of course recruiter. This seems to involve, in short, going around local rehab centres and roping the clients in to going on various courses. There’s also the small matter of Camden Calling.
Don’t upset the balance
I guess my worries come from having to make some tough decisions – and being nervous about making the wrong ones. I can honestly say that since rehab absolutely nothing major has gone wrong in my life. For that reason I am inexperienced when it comes to dealing with difficult situations, so the prospect of messing things up is a bit scary.
What’s the worst that could happen?
Life involves taking risks though, and making informed decisions. I should probably look at my situation as an exhilarating one, laden with amazing opportunities at every turn on my quest for self-actualisation. Does anyone really think like that though?! Either way, I really am grateful for such an array of choice, and I shall carefully consider my next move. I am well aware my situation is infinitely better than one where I had no choices at all, so I should look at my predicament as a positive problem.
That time already?
It’s nearing the end of the month, so the new Camden Calling newsletter will soon be with us. Or at least it should be, providing I can finish it by then. This is my first ever attempt at writing a newsletter, and I have to be really focused as the attention to detail is so important. Small things like dates, times, and places can easily be missed or written incorrectly; and a lot of people are counting on all of that being correct.
Jess gave us a lot of pointers on how to successfully write a web newsletter, how to edit one, and how to get the best out of one. I’m still not sure what kind of personality my newsletter will have, but all this information will definitely be useful as I try to meet my completion deadline. Jess has helped me figure out how to organise the newsletter - i.e. which sections should come before which others. Prioritising sections like this is so important, simply because people rarely read right to the end.
Valuable external assistance
I was grateful to guest speaker Louise for her input today. She talked about proofing, which is another phrase I have heard used many times, but never understood fully. We did a proofing exercise, which involved correcting an extract of text from the grammatically nightmarish Camden Calling website. I felt this was of great use and kept the learning experience interesting. I have a vague recollection of seeing some of the proofing corrective symbols before, but many are alien to me. Memorising the symbols is secondary to developing a corrective system all parties understand, however.
Measure of progress
We have passed the half-way point of the course now, and so it was time for a PDP progress check with Jess. Mine is going to plan, and we should be able to cover all the things we initially aimed to. The day the PDP was drafted seems a long time ago now! Not in terms of amount of time that has passed; rather the progress I have made and the knowledge I have acquired since then.
Talking of knowledge, I know the average attention span when on the internet is pretty low. So, with everything covered, I will say thanks for reading and goodbye until next week.
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Thursday, 18 June 2009
It can get a bit hectic sometimes, but it's worth it
Confused?
I’ve taken to writing this blog as soon as I get back from Poached Creative. I’d like to say it’s because I’m supremely organised, but in truth it’s down to the sheer volume of information my brain has absorbed in the last few weeks. I had a practical assessment for my peer mentoring course on Monday, and the corresponding paperwork is due next week. Like at Poached, it’s all new to me; so it’s best I get this written now before I start confusing the two. If I ever claim that I’m mentoring the drummer from Freddie and the Dreamers, you know what’s happened.
Less is more
Today was primarily about writing for the web. I discovered some interesting things about how much (or little!) people actually read on a website – and the areas of the page they pay closest attention to. The findings seemed surprising initially, but perhaps less so when I consider my own internet use. There are only a handful of websites where I read text unrelated to what I was looking to find. So, as only read a small percentage of what you write is actually read, it is vital that every word used has an impact.
Honest learning
Angela shared with us her new-found knowledge of Search Engine Optimisation – a technique I know will help in my work at Camden Calling. SEO is a term I first heard used at a marketing conference a few months ago - where I had to sort of pretend I knew what it was - for fear of expulsion from the building. Fortunately no such pretence was required today, and I’m sure SEO will benefit me beyond the walls of Poached. I feel another transferrable skill coming on.
Paper – NOT obsolete!
I had my first experience of a preliminary stage of designing a website using post-it notes. Each post-it represents a section of the website, and can be moved around and re-organised until you have a good representation of a site-map. We are each going to write something for an area of the new site – with me opting for the ‘Training’ section. This is an exciting opportunity for me, as having some input in to what the site will look like makes me feel like a real part of the company.
Blast from the past
We had a guest speaker, Claire, that afternoon. She is a copywriter – a term that, until recently, I assumed involved registered trademarks. The work she showed to us was extremely impressive, and acted as a reminder of how far technology has come, even in my lifetime. She mentioned the 1980s programming language Logo and the turtle that could be programmed to move across a floor on its own. This was something I remember well from primary school, and seemed amazing at the time, but strangely surreal now.
It all pays off
Hard work usually pays off, as some excellent feedback from Jess on last week’s music biog attempt shows. This means in the next few weeks I should be writing some similar pieces for Rockpool. Again, something that makes it all worthwhile and an opportunity I’m flattered to have. And who knows where it will lead to? Right now, I feel it’s essential for me not to pass up chances of finding my true calling in life.
Although I’ve been busy lately, I do feel in control this week - which I think is hugely important. I feel capable of doing the work asked of me at Poached, and generally positive about my prospects after this six weeks are over. All in all, this week goes down as another success, and I shall update again soon with the latest news.
I’ve taken to writing this blog as soon as I get back from Poached Creative. I’d like to say it’s because I’m supremely organised, but in truth it’s down to the sheer volume of information my brain has absorbed in the last few weeks. I had a practical assessment for my peer mentoring course on Monday, and the corresponding paperwork is due next week. Like at Poached, it’s all new to me; so it’s best I get this written now before I start confusing the two. If I ever claim that I’m mentoring the drummer from Freddie and the Dreamers, you know what’s happened.
Less is more
Today was primarily about writing for the web. I discovered some interesting things about how much (or little!) people actually read on a website – and the areas of the page they pay closest attention to. The findings seemed surprising initially, but perhaps less so when I consider my own internet use. There are only a handful of websites where I read text unrelated to what I was looking to find. So, as only read a small percentage of what you write is actually read, it is vital that every word used has an impact.
Honest learning
Angela shared with us her new-found knowledge of Search Engine Optimisation – a technique I know will help in my work at Camden Calling. SEO is a term I first heard used at a marketing conference a few months ago - where I had to sort of pretend I knew what it was - for fear of expulsion from the building. Fortunately no such pretence was required today, and I’m sure SEO will benefit me beyond the walls of Poached. I feel another transferrable skill coming on.
Paper – NOT obsolete!
I had my first experience of a preliminary stage of designing a website using post-it notes. Each post-it represents a section of the website, and can be moved around and re-organised until you have a good representation of a site-map. We are each going to write something for an area of the new site – with me opting for the ‘Training’ section. This is an exciting opportunity for me, as having some input in to what the site will look like makes me feel like a real part of the company.
Blast from the past
We had a guest speaker, Claire, that afternoon. She is a copywriter – a term that, until recently, I assumed involved registered trademarks. The work she showed to us was extremely impressive, and acted as a reminder of how far technology has come, even in my lifetime. She mentioned the 1980s programming language Logo and the turtle that could be programmed to move across a floor on its own. This was something I remember well from primary school, and seemed amazing at the time, but strangely surreal now.
It all pays off
Hard work usually pays off, as some excellent feedback from Jess on last week’s music biog attempt shows. This means in the next few weeks I should be writing some similar pieces for Rockpool. Again, something that makes it all worthwhile and an opportunity I’m flattered to have. And who knows where it will lead to? Right now, I feel it’s essential for me not to pass up chances of finding my true calling in life.
Although I’ve been busy lately, I do feel in control this week - which I think is hugely important. I feel capable of doing the work asked of me at Poached, and generally positive about my prospects after this six weeks are over. All in all, this week goes down as another success, and I shall update again soon with the latest news.
Thursday, 11 June 2009
Coburg, Cobourg...
An eventful second week - and that’s just the journey there
My second week of training gave me an ‘interesting’ travel experience. I haven‘t lived in London for very long, so I‘m always keen to increase my knowledge of its various boroughs - and I can now say with some assurance that there is a Cobourg Road in south-east London.
The tube strike - coupled with my unease about taking a bus due to my eyesight problems - meant I had booked a taxi to pick me up from my house at 8.45 and take me to the course in Coburg Road. Ironically, poor communication meant I ended up on the other side of the city on a road with a similar name. The person taking the booking at the taxi company had relayed incorrect information to the driver, and so I found ourselves 12 miles from our destination in horrific traffic on a road named Cobourg.
I’m innocent!
I realised the mistake and told the driver, who radioed in asking someone to listen back to the recording of the conversation in which I booked the taxi. The recording showed I had been quite clear about my desired destination, and consequently the company took full responsibility for the predicament. The result was me not paying a penny for the diverted journey to Coburg Road, and getting to see a few sights along the way - which, as the driver pointed out, ‘people pay a lot of money for.’
Better late than never…
We did some interesting work today, and I learnt a few things that I’m sure will be of real use in the future. The Inverted Pyramid method of writing will, I’m sure, be used in much of my work - and the tips for effective writing are going to be immensely important to an inexperienced writer such as myself.
The afternoon provided an opportunity for me to get to know Brij better by writing a profile for him. This was quite tricky, and I found the rule that states ’make every word count’ was particularly relevant - as it involves squeezing a large amount of information into a very small space.
Writing assignment
My next piece of work involves re-working a jumbled Freddie and the Dreamers biog. I know the band, but couldn’t name a single one of their songs. Hopefully, with a bit of web research and some help from my tips on effective writing, I can make this into a respectable piece of writing. I am a bit nervous though, as this is my first shot at editing - but I took this course to try new things so I’ll have a good go and update next week on how it went.
Feelings update
Despite the slightly obscure start to the day, I’m still enjoying the course and I still think I made the right choice in taking it. Everything I’m being told makes sense to me and I understand it, the problem I have is that there is such a vast amount to absorb, remember, and reproduce on paper! It will all sink in eventually though, so I’m feeling positive and capable of really benefiting from this experience.
My second week of training gave me an ‘interesting’ travel experience. I haven‘t lived in London for very long, so I‘m always keen to increase my knowledge of its various boroughs - and I can now say with some assurance that there is a Cobourg Road in south-east London.
The tube strike - coupled with my unease about taking a bus due to my eyesight problems - meant I had booked a taxi to pick me up from my house at 8.45 and take me to the course in Coburg Road. Ironically, poor communication meant I ended up on the other side of the city on a road with a similar name. The person taking the booking at the taxi company had relayed incorrect information to the driver, and so I found ourselves 12 miles from our destination in horrific traffic on a road named Cobourg.
I’m innocent!
I realised the mistake and told the driver, who radioed in asking someone to listen back to the recording of the conversation in which I booked the taxi. The recording showed I had been quite clear about my desired destination, and consequently the company took full responsibility for the predicament. The result was me not paying a penny for the diverted journey to Coburg Road, and getting to see a few sights along the way - which, as the driver pointed out, ‘people pay a lot of money for.’
Better late than never…
We did some interesting work today, and I learnt a few things that I’m sure will be of real use in the future. The Inverted Pyramid method of writing will, I’m sure, be used in much of my work - and the tips for effective writing are going to be immensely important to an inexperienced writer such as myself.
The afternoon provided an opportunity for me to get to know Brij better by writing a profile for him. This was quite tricky, and I found the rule that states ’make every word count’ was particularly relevant - as it involves squeezing a large amount of information into a very small space.
Writing assignment
My next piece of work involves re-working a jumbled Freddie and the Dreamers biog. I know the band, but couldn’t name a single one of their songs. Hopefully, with a bit of web research and some help from my tips on effective writing, I can make this into a respectable piece of writing. I am a bit nervous though, as this is my first shot at editing - but I took this course to try new things so I’ll have a good go and update next week on how it went.
Feelings update
Despite the slightly obscure start to the day, I’m still enjoying the course and I still think I made the right choice in taking it. Everything I’m being told makes sense to me and I understand it, the problem I have is that there is such a vast amount to absorb, remember, and reproduce on paper! It will all sink in eventually though, so I’m feeling positive and capable of really benefiting from this experience.
Sunday, 7 June 2009
Thoughts and feelings on a day of new experiences
My first day of being a Writing and Communications trainee is complete, and I honestly thoroughly enjoyed it. I found the place easily enough, was made to feel extremely welcome, and I felt settled and at home straight away. First impressions of Poached Creative - everyone seems really friendly, and also very passionate about what they do - which I think makes for a positive working environment. There are two of us who have just started the training course - myself and someone slightly younger than me called Brij. He strikes me as a really cool, easy-going kind of person and I think we get on well.
Sounds reassuring…
The day started with some introductions - Jess detailing her background and how she came to the point she is at now, and she explained some of the projects she and Angela are currently working on. It all sounds really interesting - particularly the Rokpool website, as music is an area that interests me greatly. Angela has recently completed the six week course and has decided to continue to work at Poached, which is extremely encouraging for someone who has just started! She seems both knowledgeable and confident in what she does - something which I hope to replicate. It is also good to know that the end of this course does not necessarily mean the end of my involvement with Poached, and that if my time here is successful it could be extended. Jess has talked about the opportunities in journalism available and the places this course could lead me to, and it sounds exciting and appealing to me.
Jess spent some time with Brij and myself explaining the basics of communication, and after this I spent time with Angela, who showed me how to use blogger.com - which I had never used before. In fact, this is the first time I have ever written a blog anywhere, and it feels good to be the deliverer - as opposed to the recipient - of communication. For a large part of the last 15 months I have absorbed a vast quantity of information from various sources, and now I have a chance to express myself and share my thoughts and feelings.
Do I have to draw you a picture?
I am the kind of person who likes to have a clear picture of what I am aiming for, and how exactly I am going to reach my target. I also like to be clear on what the purpose of reaching this target is, i.e. what I will have gained when it is over. Because of this I was grateful that part of the day was spent drafting a personal development plan, to be reviewed at the half way point - and at the end - of the course. If everything goes to plan, I will have finished the course with several new skills, developed some existing ones, and will have had valuable experience in what it is like to work in a publishing environment. I particularly look forward to learning about web technologies, as when I was at University (which was only a few years ago) a typical degree course covered very little of this. I am also keen to find out which area of journalism my writing style would be most suited to.
Skills for Life
Equal opportunities!
As I have a problem with my eyesight (things appear blurry and distorted from a distance), I was a bit apprehensive about how this would be dealt with at Poached. As it turned out though, Jess and Angela are both extremely accommodating and understanding people, and have made me feel relaxed about the whole thing, and this means I don’t feel at all ‘different’ from the others. When I feel relaxed my self-confidence levels rise - as does my belief in my own ability to read text - so I find that I am capable of reading more than if I am feeling on-edge or nervous. Hence, I have had no problems at all with reading thus far, because I have confidence in my reading capacity.
Last year I completed a six month alcohol rehabilitation course, and there is no doubt it has had a huge positive affect on my belief in my own ability. However, I was a little bit sceptical about how other people would perceive me, and whether the fact I had been in rehab would limit my chances in life. Fortunately this does not appear to a problem at Poached, and I have been made to feel comfortable in my surroundings and a part of the team. I am enormously grateful to Jess for taking an objective view of my situation, and giving me a chance in an area which is of such interest to me.
There’s more to come…
I am going to update this blog each week, focusing on not just the content of the course, but the way I feel about how things are progressing as I experience new things and explore my own potential. So far so good, and hopefully I will be writing this next week feeling as optimistic as I do right now.
Sounds reassuring…
The day started with some introductions - Jess detailing her background and how she came to the point she is at now, and she explained some of the projects she and Angela are currently working on. It all sounds really interesting - particularly the Rokpool website, as music is an area that interests me greatly. Angela has recently completed the six week course and has decided to continue to work at Poached, which is extremely encouraging for someone who has just started! She seems both knowledgeable and confident in what she does - something which I hope to replicate. It is also good to know that the end of this course does not necessarily mean the end of my involvement with Poached, and that if my time here is successful it could be extended. Jess has talked about the opportunities in journalism available and the places this course could lead me to, and it sounds exciting and appealing to me.
Jess spent some time with Brij and myself explaining the basics of communication, and after this I spent time with Angela, who showed me how to use blogger.com - which I had never used before. In fact, this is the first time I have ever written a blog anywhere, and it feels good to be the deliverer - as opposed to the recipient - of communication. For a large part of the last 15 months I have absorbed a vast quantity of information from various sources, and now I have a chance to express myself and share my thoughts and feelings.
Do I have to draw you a picture?
I am the kind of person who likes to have a clear picture of what I am aiming for, and how exactly I am going to reach my target. I also like to be clear on what the purpose of reaching this target is, i.e. what I will have gained when it is over. Because of this I was grateful that part of the day was spent drafting a personal development plan, to be reviewed at the half way point - and at the end - of the course. If everything goes to plan, I will have finished the course with several new skills, developed some existing ones, and will have had valuable experience in what it is like to work in a publishing environment. I particularly look forward to learning about web technologies, as when I was at University (which was only a few years ago) a typical degree course covered very little of this. I am also keen to find out which area of journalism my writing style would be most suited to.
Skills for Life
Skills are at their most useful when they are transferable, and this is one of the things I like about this course. Effective team-working and strict time-management have obvious benefits in numerous situations, but there are other skills I hope to gain which will be of immense value in my work for Camden Calling. This organisation was relatively unknown just a few months ago, but now is in urgent need of someone who can write and edit its monthly newsletter, write press releases, and update its blog. Hopefully, in completing this course, I will be able to take over these roles using skills acquired at Poached.
Equal opportunities!
As I have a problem with my eyesight (things appear blurry and distorted from a distance), I was a bit apprehensive about how this would be dealt with at Poached. As it turned out though, Jess and Angela are both extremely accommodating and understanding people, and have made me feel relaxed about the whole thing, and this means I don’t feel at all ‘different’ from the others. When I feel relaxed my self-confidence levels rise - as does my belief in my own ability to read text - so I find that I am capable of reading more than if I am feeling on-edge or nervous. Hence, I have had no problems at all with reading thus far, because I have confidence in my reading capacity.
Last year I completed a six month alcohol rehabilitation course, and there is no doubt it has had a huge positive affect on my belief in my own ability. However, I was a little bit sceptical about how other people would perceive me, and whether the fact I had been in rehab would limit my chances in life. Fortunately this does not appear to a problem at Poached, and I have been made to feel comfortable in my surroundings and a part of the team. I am enormously grateful to Jess for taking an objective view of my situation, and giving me a chance in an area which is of such interest to me.
There’s more to come…
I am going to update this blog each week, focusing on not just the content of the course, but the way I feel about how things are progressing as I experience new things and explore my own potential. So far so good, and hopefully I will be writing this next week feeling as optimistic as I do right now.
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