My New Job (8/4/2024)

 

Hello, everyone. Reilly Hendrix here.

It definitely has been a while since my last update. It also has been a while since I have made some decent art.

Fortunately, thank god, it's not procrastination. Just like my latter years of college, I've had and have too LITTLE time on my hands to pursue my passion of cartooning.

What is to blame for this? Simple. My new job.

At this point in my life, I want to share my new job with you. I should have told you about this sooner, but better now than never.

Obviously, I cannot dive into too much detail because that might put my life in jeapordy, but I'll describe it in the best way I can.

•••

My new job specializes in Natural Resources, among other things. What I do in Natural Resources involves, of course, with nature. This includes making burn piles to lower the density of forests, doing trail work for parks, serving supplies and refreshments to people who combat forest fires and other projects.

This job eats my time and energy to make cartoon art in various ways. One of those tactics involves their scheduling.

There is the normal schedule, which involves working ten hours for four days. This may sound fine, but as I said, scheduling is ONE of their tactics (which I'll get to later).

Secondly, there is the "Spike" schedule, where I go somewhere for eight days to, most likely, do trail work for a park or two. This one kinda sucks because of the living conditions and the possibility of zero signal, but the fact that I only need to go there for eight days is reassuring.

Finally, there is the "Emergency" schedule, which involves leaving to a location for at most three weeks, 16 hours per day, to help combat forest fires and other natural disasters. Though I do enjoy the differences I make serving the state, this one REALLY sucks. Unlike the previous two schedules, this one is made up as time rolls along, meaning I have no clue if I will be leaving the emergency before or at three weeks. Even worse, I am expected to do this constantly throughout the summer and possibly until November, what with forest fires popping up constantly and all.

Another tactic this job uses to waste my time or energy is homework. Yes, you read that right. In addition to all the work I have to do for this job, I have to do MORE work at home AND also apply for college AGAIN under orders. Worse, they all have due dates, which is a problem if I am ever using limited mobile data on a Spike or an emergency. If I were to choose which one is the worst tactic, it would DEFINITELY be this one.

With all that said, when it comes to forcing me to spend less time making cartoon art, I do not like this job.

•••

At this point, you're probably thinking along the lines of, "What the heck? Why aren't you at a job you actually love?" Firstly, not all hopes and dreams do come true instantaneously, though, to be honest with you, I definitely wish for that to be the case. Secondly, I've had trouble finding good job openings for what I want to pursue in, especially animation. I can certainly make the case that I picked a TERRIBLE time to pursue a career in animation, what with The Animation Guild existing at all.

Though a more viable alternative would be for me to go indie, as I've established, I do not have the time or energy for that right now. Therefore, at this point, I am stuck with the job I am currently in.

Fortunately for me, however, I do not hate EVERY single aspect of my new job. Despite the challenges, I've noticed some benefits, such as visiting new places, making new friends, genuinely appreciating the help I give to communities in dire need, getting paid for what I do, learning new things along the way and, most importantly, gaining independence from my parents.

Though I truly wish to go back to cartooning, since it's the one and only thing I love that helps me escape from the struggles of life nowadays, I am doing okay with my job for the most part.

Hopefully, I will be able to make more cartoon art than I am now between May 2025 and May 2026. For now, though, I'll do the best I can with the time and energy I can salvage.

Bye for now. And possibly later.