I have re?learned to do things
An update on the various things I am doing with my life now that the centre has fallen out of it
This Substack has always been about me figuring things out, so here are a few things I am on the way to figuring out. I have posted links where you can follow them, if you are interested.
Started a podcast like just about everyone else. We do have a great niche. Some of you may know that I joined a cult straight out of East Germany. I don’t have much in the way of anger or a need to talk about what that did to me, because I joined it out of my own free will as an adult. Others were no so lucky, and got hurt, especially those who grew up there. So I got together with a few of them and created a platform to tell these stories. The first episode is out, the next two are recorded, we release new episodes weekly. It has been a steep learning curve, the first ep does not even have an outro yet - but I feel that it is going well.
I am making last year’s job into a freelance life. That is a process of constant redefining with my previous employer, so I can’t say too much about that online. Am very tempted sometimes because it is SO FUN. I have done the first bits of freelance work there so I guess that counts as success? Very grateful.
Related to 2: I am creating a touristic offering in a specific niche. DDR Time Travel Tours - Experience East Germany in Rostock. The concept has been tested and got a few five star reviews. I only just submitted a new product to Viator so it may not be there yet when you click that link.
I also need to do social media, and it would be quite easy with all that great content right in front of me, but I had to go through the hard process of getting comfortable talking to camera. That work is made a lot easier in point 1 above, because there I have a lovely group and constant helpful feedback.Creating content for what I want to say about digital stuff. I still feel like I have something to contribute there, so I have been working on a talk for an event I have a speaking slot at at the end of May. The talk is in German, I am testing it out on people and recording it again and again. The TED way, you know.
About this stuff I will keep talking on here, because it is fun when it finally works.
The textile stuff. I am now a walking art project, I spin in local public places and am making wearable art and a house to sit in out of my handspun wool. I have local people fired up and it will be great to grow that.
A new volunteering job in Emergency psychosocial care. Turns out I am actually as emotionally literate as we always thought, I now have the official confirmation. This service is part of the emergency services and is run by volunteers that don’t even have to be religious, because we are such great big atheists here in Nothern East Germany. Even in Brandenburg, the next state down, it is called emergency pastoral care (Notfallseelsorge.) Here in MV it is Notfallbegleitung. The training is done to a national standard now though. Had two very intense long training weekends, one more is scheduled for June. I guess I will be talking about it on instagram under the hashtag psnvmv. (We famously don’t do social media here.)
Why am I doing all of this? I am designing my life, I guess, so that I can do the things I want and have the relationships I want. First figuring out my image of myself, because without being a mum and taking care of Anna, who am I? We have found out that other people will only see me if I knock them over the head with who I am, so let’s first figure out who that is and then go big.
What else? Oh yeah, I still have my garden.
And if you ask if I ever relax - I guess the ability to switch from one of these to the next when I get bored counts as relaxing? I will properly relax again when things are not quite as precarious.
Wow, that’s a lot, but all entirely in your wheelhouse as they say. You sound very positive, which I’d say is a great outcome, all things considered. You’re clearly finding or perhaps better to say defining your way and it sounds like it’s working well. Keep going and I found the first podcast fascinating, so looking forward to learning more.