I feel that I have no time to stand and stare at the moment, but I need to try. But there is a sense that there is a new phase of life starting now, and it's exciting. When I set up my business in 1996 it was as a relief from teaching and a potential way out. That happened in 1998, and since then I have been in full time work managing web design, multimedia and photography projects and haven't really had any quiet periods.
I do like working for myself, and certainly compared with teaching, it offers flexibility and rewards that match the effort that I put in. But one thing I sometimes struggle with is maintaining my motivation and enthusiasm - especially for jobs that aren't completely in my sphere of interest. I have done my fair share of these, relating to entertainment, the arts, regional food, leisure and tourism - and enjoyed some excellent opportunities to travel to amazing places like Tiree, Spain, Paris and Tuscany - next month New York will be added to this list. But I've also had my fair share of rather uninspiring projects, often relating to dry business to business content, or databases. But I shouldn't grumble - I've never had to advertise, or cold call.
So what's new? Well for a start I have the help I need to keep on top of the numerous projects that are in progress at any one time - usually around 30 of various sizes. I have found it difficult to keep all of these things in my mind and even on paper at any one time, and have worried sometimes that something was being 'missed' or slipping through the net. Now I have a PA this is much much easier, and I can concentrate on what I do best, which I think is interacting with clients, developing creative projects, business strategy and specifying solutions. I also have a reliable pool of talented developers who can assist with more complex jobs, and we have a good working relationship. It's not easy to find people who are creative AND reliable - but I think I've found my crew and they're great.
The web site work continues as it has always done - without the help of Business Link though as these days the projects that come through are few and far between. When I started up, I was handling 4 or 5 Business Link contracts every month, and was even turning them down because I didn't have the capacity to cope. But this organisation has declined over the years, and become more and more beurocratic, and is due to fold completely in the near future. Fortunalely, the rate of decline is inversely matched by the rate at which my growing client base has come directly to me for work and repeat business, rather than going through a funding body - so I'm as busy as ever, but it's different work and less paperwork and Final Reports, which I hated anyway.
I've just put an ambitious bid in for major funding to set up a new business and develop applications for iPad and iPhone that increase accessibility for users with visual impairments - with the close help of my longest serving business friend Paul. Fingers crossed - could be exciting and more on this if we get the wonga.
The one area of growth that I couldn't have predicted is the Limited Company I set up to manage my photography work. I've always loved photography, but didn't really think that I could make a business out of it, without doing weddings and family portraits. But this business has now grown to develop a number of specialist services relating to digital photography.
It's partly training - I deliver photography courses to adults for a number of organisations including Sure Start, Barnardo's and Northumberland Adult Learning Partnership, and I'm seeking opportunities to work in prisons in the region too.
Another aspect of the business is documentary and reportage photography for a range of clients, including New Writing North, Northern Gas Networks, Bernicia Group and Rednile Projects. This is fun and takes me all over the place - and has enabled me to work with some of the people I admire, including Mike Hodges director of Get Carter, Antony Gormley, Alexander McCall Smith and next month Jodi Picoult and Ian Banks (with and without the M).
But the most satisfying area of photoraphy is Project Work - a couple of years ago I worked with Action Duchenne and assisted 9 young men with severe Muscular Dystrophy to take photographs of their lives, and this resulted in the Life THrough a Lens exhibition that is currently touring the UK. As a result of this I was asked to run a similar project regionally for Headway, and organisation that works with people recovering from head and brain injuries. We did a bid for the funding and were successful, and the project, called The Mind's Eye, is in it's third week, taking a group of 11 adults through a course in creative digital photography. This will result in an exhibition in May to coincide with Brain Awareness Week. The project is being covered by a journalist because of a unique technological aspect, using Vicon Revue sensory cameras to record the experiences of the participants. These are special digital cameras worn round the neck on a lanyard, and they capture images automatically every few seconds, then software plays them back as a slideshow timelapse of the day. They haven't been used creatively like this before, and Vicon were extremely generous in giving me 10 of them to use. There's an initial test video online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WHSbPksnLI
This photography project is very versatile, and I am creating a flexible package so that it can be used with just about any small group of people. Next I'd like to run it with Altzheimer's sufferers, and then see if there is an opportunity to work in prisons with offenders - currently talking to The Manchester College about this, who have the license for the adult education in North East prisons.
This year will be one in which I can choose the jobs I do a bit more, and focus on the ones that interest me more. I've scheduled a couple of trips for photography, back to Tuscany in the late summer, and mixing pleasure with pleasure in April when my school mate Chris and I go and meet up with our other school friend (also called Chris) who works for the BBC in New York. It would be nice to revisit Tiree again and see Colin and Susan on their little island paradise. Aaaaah...
So that's the work side of things - and although being your own boss is a challenge and responsibility, and when you're not at your best it can get on top of you, I would find it hard to be managed by someone again in an employee situaton. Tempting as it is sometimes.
Well that's enough standing and staring for now. Back to the To Do list - what's next? Oh it's a coffee break. Tidy.
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