Hey all,

I'm looking for a photographer in Cape Town who would be willing to take some shots of me that I can use on various online profiles etc.

I can't afford to pay for the shots, so it should probably be a new photographer who is still building up his or her portfolio and is in that phase where they do free shoots in return for free portfolio pics.

If anyone knows of anyone looking for models, then please do give me a shout. For my purposes I'll just need head shots, but I'm willing to work with the photographer so they get the type of shots they need, too. Erm... Just nothing "untoward", please.

Thanks!

V

I'll start off by apologising for being so scarce. First year of being in business, and in the middle of a global economic crisis, has kept me busy...

It's hard to believe that it's been slightly over a year since I quit my job and started working for myself.

A year ago I expected blood, sweat and tears, and time has proven my expectations valid. Although I have had some good months, funds are tighter than ever before and the hours pass so slowly when all you have to look forward to is a brief sleep and then more work, work, work...

Am I thinking of taking on a fulltime work, working for someone else again? Hell no.

Has it been worth it? Hell yeah.

Despite extended working hours, the lack of a social life (offline!) and the tight purse strings, the freedom that working for myself has given me is beyond compare. As I said, if my boss is going to be a bitch, then it may as well be me. At least I'm my kinda bitch

If anyone's still watching me, I promise to be around more often in future. I know I've promised that before... But I'll try. I promise.

I'll get to comments and deviations as fast as possible, probably deviations first, so expect a bit of a wait for replies to any comments...

I hope everyone is well. Please do update me on yourself, too... I'm so far behind on "news" that it's just not funny.

So I'll leave you with my new motto. Well, two new mottos. I like mottos; they say so much more than they say...

Motto 1 - Can everyone who says it can't be done, please get out of my way so I can do it?

Motto 2 - I'm not cynical; I've just been taking notes.

So... I resign my job in the international shipping industry (an industry I've been working in since 1996 and know backwards, forwards, inside and out) to work as a fulltime copyeditor / copywriter for a safari tourism company here in Cape Town.

Except that I end up doing more web uploads and sorting out other krappy web-related issues, and barely any writing or proofing. Lovely stuff.

The drive to work is far longer and along a more dangerous road traffic-wise, the hours of work are longer... My migraines begin to grow worse (think black spots jumping around every time you open your eyes, little green men suddenly on steriods hammering away at the inside of your skull while their female counterparts stick hot needles through the back of your eyeballs).

Then the inevitable: My depression kicks in again. Downward spirals of numbness and nothingness.

I once again contemplate my life.

And my dreams.

And finally the thought springs into my head: "Screw it. Why don't I just do it?"

Do what?

Follow my dreams, of course. And not in the "safe way" that I've been doing the past two years.

In a very real way.

So last Monday I resigned my job. I'll be working fulltime from home doing freelance SEO writing, editorials for the local newspaper, copywriting, copyediting... Starting up a long-pending web design business together with a friend... Finally getting some of my own writing done... Marketing my husband's business... Basically, any work I can get my grubby paws on...

Scary shit. No set income each month. No spare cash to fall back on. No nothing. Just hard work. Blood. Sweat. Tears, no doubt (but surely no more than those that have already been shed).

I've taken the plunge.

Sink or swim.

Wish me luck.

Ok, so enough of you are interested in reading my published works, so I'll be submitting them to DA as a semi-portfolio online.

I feel the need to mention here that I'm not entirely certain what the general take is on me submitting works that technically no longer belong to me.

"Mantis" and "Dimly Lit Passageways" are still copywrited to me, however everything written for the newspapers is no longer my property. However, I don't think that there will be any problems with me posting these works, especially since I'll make mention on each piece of what I've just said.

HOWEVER, should anyone from RSA know otherwise, then PLEASE let me know... I'm not looking to step on any toes, especially those of my previous clients...

So... Now the fun starts...

These won't be posted in order of writing or publication... I'm far too lazy to sit and figure that out now!

Enjoy...

Surprise Surprise.

Yes, it's really me.

And yes, I'm listening to Billy Idol. It's sad, I know.

I've been toying with the idea for some time now of using DA as an online portfolio of sorts.

Yes, there are plenty of other sites that are more geared towards writers and such, but I'm simply too lazy to set anything up there... And I don't really have the time, either, to be honest.

Some of you may already know this, but posting unpublished work on a website such as DA renders your work "published" by most editors. Therefore I unfortunately am unable and unwilling to post work that has not yet been published...

My published works thus far contain very few short stories, one poem that sucks so badly (and not in a good way, either) that I've vowed to NEVER show it to ANYONE, one or two editorials, as well as book reviews and commercial features that I've written for our local newspapers.

So my question is this:

As much of the work is "boring", comissioned work, would anyone still be keen to read it?

And... Would DA work as an online portfolio?

As you know, I've been away for some time now and have absolutely no idea how things work around here anymore... Although I'm sure that I should be entitled to submit published works as long as it's legal for me to do so...

Sooo...