Living (and Losing) in the Crazy Bohemian Life

Once again, it has been a long while since I've been on the blog to update you all on this crazy, bohemian life of mine. But I had to get back here; I had to get back to all my online work...
In the past few weeks I have received several emails, youtube messages, etc. from people all over the world who want to talk with me about my online writing, living the bohemian life, & how they can embrace a lifestyle & attitude like mine as their own. It's made me realize again just how important my online work is to me... I want to help people. I want to show that being a hippie, bohemian, free-spirit can be a positive thing. I want to spread peace & love to the world. And, on the selfish end, I want people to know me, see me, share in my love of art & music & creativity & innovation, & truly know me. Even if I am a stranger, I want the world to know my heart.

So here I am...

Why have I been away so long? Well, to be honest, I have let the demands of the "real world" take control of my life. Working two "real" jobs in addition to my writing & music, working 17-20 hours some days, & just basically working, working, working. This is not entirely a bad thing, as I have been building a brighter future financially, but it is a bad thing in the sense that I have not had as much time for my creative endeavors. But that is about to change, because if I keep my creative side restricted for too long I'll self-destruct in some way. I know this about myself.

So I am going to limit how much I work at my "real" jobs & focus more time on the following:

1. Finishing my Sci-Fi novel, "Alpha 7"
2. Finishing & publishing my second poetry book, "The Chaos that is Living"
3. Recording some music!!!
4. Writing more lists for List My Five
5. Updating the blogs
6. Writing more lenses on Squidoo
7. Helping others
8. Creating art

Not that I don't get satisfaction from my "real" jobs. They're good jobs. The first is as a line server at Qdoba. It's pretty awesome. I get to work with the public (which I love), I get to work with food (which I also love), & I get to work with some amazing people (who I definitely love.) The second is as a nanny. I work with two sweet little ones; teaching, playing, disciplining, inspiring, comforting... it is a true joy to me.  (I also still model, teach, & do extra work for movies & tv shows, just not as regularly.)

But "real" jobs cause me problems because I am not in full control of my destiny in a "real" job. How I do, how much I make, how far I advance, how I'm treated, & how much I am allowed to rock the boat are all determined by other people; higher ups, corporate big wigs, people in the right cliques... it frustrates me to no end. I NEED FREEDOM!

Maybe someday I will have all the freedom I need & I won't have to work "real" jobs anymore. That's the dream anyway...

 Before I go, I do want to share some sad news with you.

My sweet parakeet, Gumby, died recently. It was very sudden - he showed no signs of injury or illness.  He simply died, rather surprisingly, when I was gone at one of my jobs one day.

Gumby was a good bird. He  liked to sing with people, talk to birds outside, play birdie basketball & bowling, look at himself in mirrors, & fall asleep in shoes. He didn't bite, didn't scratch, & only made a fuss if you took him away from something he was enjoying. His favorite foods were millet, fresh lettuce, & honey treats. I called him my Gumby Goo & I loved him very much. I miss him a lot. So does Will. I think even the cats miss him. Ava & Zaneeta used to sit & watch Gumby, hang out with him, & occasionally get jealous of him if I paid him too much attention to him in front of them.  But they never hurt him; they never even tried to. And now, they look up at where his cage once sat with a strange cat version of sadness, disappointment, & confusion in their eyes... Sad.

We gave Gumby a funeral service of sorts out at my mom & dad's house & buried him next to my sweet Mya kitty & our doggies from when I was growing up, so at least we had some closure, & at least Gumby Goo has some great company.

But it is still so strange to be in our house & not hear Gumby's sweet songs drifting through the rooms...

I will be back soon. Very soon.
Peace & Love,
Meagan

Real Job

Well friends, sorry I have not been on much lately, but the good news is... I got a "real" job! :) I am teaching again which is fantastic. But it is part time which means I will still have time to devote to my crazy Bohemian lifestyle and all my little odd jobs. :) I'm pretty happy about the whole situation.

It's just been hectic for the past two weeks. Once I get settled in, I will be back into Blogger mode. 

Stick with me!

Peace and Love,

Meagan

Philosophies

So my cousin N. said to me something about how he gets by in life by focusing on his philosophies. He thought it would help me, because I have been a little... well, down in the dumps about the fact that our world is so fueled by money. I jokingly stated that my philosophies are solid but would probably only do me good in a commune, as a housewife to a wealthy (yet still Bohemian) man, or as a globe trotting celebrity who spent lots of time doing charity work. :) Okay, so this isn't entirely true. I can still have freedom, creativity, peace, love, fun, and inner serenity and have a "real" job... but it's trickier for sure.

I think what I need to do is follow my own advice. I wrote an article relating to people who need money, but aren't really made for the "daily grind" (and I'm not talking coffee. Mmmm... coffee.)

The title: "How to Make Money When You Aren't a 9-5 Kind of Person"

I talk about working part time, making money with your hobbies and passions, and basically... just making it happen. Which is what I need to do: Make it Happen! (Or as Tim Gunn says, "Make it work!")

So, here is the list of things I need to do:

1. Get at least 1 part time "real job."

2. Get some students and teach lessons

3. Sell some more of my jewelry

4. Get some gigs as a singer

5. Write more ehow articles

6. Get more followers for this little blog of mine

7. Sell some stuff out of my sweet online store

8. Spend more time being my creative self and eventually, it may help with the money issue (Basically... finish and publish my amazing book and sell millions of copies. hehe)

So yeah... I've got some work to do.

But I have realized something in these last few weeks of (self-created) torment... I can't give up the freedom I have found. I am me. I love me. And there are so many things about my life and my view on life that I cannot allow to be diluted or polluted by this modern world and this obsession so many have with money and power.

Jimi Hendrix said it right when he said "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."

So I will continue to trust in the power of love. Love for others, love for life, love for the natural beauty in the world, and love for myself.

And everything will be alright...

"Real Job"

So, I love being a Modern Bohemian and living my life on my terms and not answering to anybody, but the truth is... it is near impossible to live this way much longer. Not that I am giving up my freedom all together... it's just... I need a "real job." The dreaded "real job." Sigh...

But here's the thing. There is a job that would be categorized as a "real job," but still acceptable in the Hippie/Bohemian/Free-Spirit community as an acceptable Modern Bohemian job... and that job is as a music teacher. That happens to be what I am qualified to do (with my college degree and all...) and there is a position open. And I interviewed for it. And I thought it went well. And they said that they would call last week. And they haven't called.

I have had a horrible time this whole past week, wondering about this job. Agonizing over this job. I'm sure Dale Carnegie would be disappointed in my complete freak out mode I have adopted, but there's a reason that I am a free-spirit... I've never been able to stick to something made up by someone else. I always have to put my own spin on things... not that it is always helpful. I should be staying calm and optimistic, but I'm not. The truth is... I can't be calm and okay because I want this job so much. I love teaching, and I love music, and I love working with kids. This job has it all! And it's part time, so no need to feel completely bogged down... and it's in my hometown! Why wouldn't they want me? I grew up there... but who knows...

I guess here's to hoping they call next week. I sent a thank you note and an e-mail. Maybe I should call next week, but I don't want to appear desperate... (even though I probably am...)

AHHH!!!

The frustration of it all...

I just want to succeed again. I have had a few failures haunting me for the past few years and I just want to break free of them and live in complete happiness and harmony with myself again. I feel like if I can succeed at finding and keeping a "real job" and continue to support myself financially, I can find that balance I need to be golden. :) Money (and lack thereof) really can contribute to stress, agitation, and a person's overall outlook. It's too bad, but if you're living in the U.S. right now, it's a reality. Reality. I like it so much better when I don't have to focus on reality. (See blog post about children...)

But the reality of the situation is, I need a "real job." I still hope it will be this one, but if not... I will pick myself up and try again somewhere else.

I will not falter,

I will not fall.

I will not fail you all.

Things I Like

So I have had a day filled with stuff I like. And it's been great. Here's the rundown:

Morning: I spent the morning writing, reading, and doing other important work online. Yes work. I like doing my online adventures for money making much more than a typical 9-5, because, let's face it... I'm not a 9-5 kind of girl. I'm more of a 10:00 AM to 3:00 AM kind of girl!

So what do I do online that's so great? Well, I update my blog. And I love my little blog. It's very meaningful to me... even if no one reads it. (Don't get me wrong... I'm a little vain... I want LOTS of people to read it, but I think you know what I mean)

I also read other people's blogs, articles, etc. and see what catches my eye and my limited attention span.

I write for ehow. I tell you what... that site is awesome!! It may seem like a shameless plug, but it's really not. I love that site. I have met so many nice people on there, I've learned a lot from reading my friends' articles, and I get to make money writing and teaching others things that I know. So cool. If you haven't checked out ehow yet, please do. (NOTE: As of the most recent blog updates in 2016, I no longer write for eHow.)

What else? Well, I make the rounds... Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Stumbleupon, My bank account, and Paypal. I also check my other pages and add to them. (Squidoo, Bukisa, etc.)

Finally, I work on Etsy.com selling arts and crafts. (NOTE: I no longer sell on Etsy.)

Afternoon: Got a hot and ready pizza for my boyfriend and while I was out, got a yummy raspberry iced tea for myself (Arizona, if you were wondering). Man, I love tea. All kinds of tea. My favorites have to be green tea with citrus, raspberry iced tea, and white tea with peach. MMMMmmmm.....

Also while I was out, I stopped at a store called Thrifty Treasures. (AKA: A dangerous place for me to be because I want to buy everything!)

I got a cute picture with a very classic frame that looks like it would hang in a Grandmother's house (which is why I like it so much!). I also got some mini photo albums (4) and a cute leaf shaped tea-lite candle holder. All for under $5.00. Awesome.

Late Afternoon/Early Evening: I got to snuggle with the bf before he went off to do some work, listened to music, and am now cuddled up with my cat Ava and back on the compy.

What does tonight hold? Only good things I'm sure. We've got some friends coming to hang out, and that's always fun.

So... I may not have a "real" job or a whole of money or anything, but I have a lot of things to be thankful for.

It's nice to be able to look at the world and see the good, even in the midst of hard times. Yay for being a Modern Bohemian!