So I lost my job today…

Oh good! A Personal NJIB blog post…

As of this posting, I am currently unemployed. It’s a weird thing to type and I’m still somewhat in denial about it.

Although I love New Jersey Isn’t Boring, it unfortunately does not pay the bills. For the last three years I have been working at Arts Guild NJ, a non-profit art gallery in downtown Rahway. Although it wasn’t the perfect job, it was my job and I got to do amazing things while I was there including a “New Jersey Isn’t Boring” art exhibit which I curated myself.

By saying “I lost my job”, I don’t mean that I was fired. Instead, I was laid off. And not only was I laid off, the non-profit that I work for no longer has a building as of today. Arts Guild NJ was given a location by the city of Rahway, and they decided to take that building away on August 18th. I was informed on the 19th that I would no longer have a job as of the 31st. Short notice? Yes. But the last time I got laid off (another company sudden closure) I got zero notice…so…ya take what you can get.

So why this blog post? Why am I telling you this?

First, it should be noted that a non-profit art gallery that has been around for 17 years suddenly closed…and that, for lack of a better word, sucks. It sucks that people lost their jobs, it sucks that artists work had to be returned, and that all events we had been planning were immediately cancelled. Art is important, and should not be tossed to the side. This art gallery offered FREE art exhibits, as well as affordable classes for adults and kids. It’s a shame to lose it.

 

Second, and less important, it means I no longer have an income and I need to figure out my next steps.

My dream once NJIB started gaining some traction was to turn this into my career. I figured that I can get advertising, hold events, and start my own business. I was looking at the big picture of the “American Dream” and figuring out how to make that reality. It hasn’t exactly panned out as quickly as I hoped, but I’m still working on it!

When I found out I got laid off, I wrote a cheeky Facebook status on my personal page saying “Good news! I am going to be persuing New Jersey Isn’t Boring full time! Bad news! I just got laid off from my job. Anyone hiring?”. It got an interesting response from family and friends, and even people who I purely know from networking with NJIB. Good to know that people care! It was a nice feeling.

The bottom line is yes, I will be persuing New Jersey Isn’t Boring full time…but I will also be taking a step back. I need to figure out my next steps in a real way because the pressure is on! I need to become an actual business woman, learn new skills like graphic design and website management, work on events that I think my audience would enjoy, and grow the website to contain information that YOU actually want to see. (According to my dad I write too much about food and booze. My apologies).

That means I may not be posting every day like I was (which is kind of crazy anyway). I need to focus on what makes me happy, whether it’s NJIB or not.

So…I lost my job, but that doesn’t mean I lost everything. I still have a roof over my head, a husband and two dogs who depend on me, family and friends who are always there for me, and a future that has unlimited potential. I’m TRYING to stay positive despite feeling angry and sad from the sudden loss of my job, but at the same time I am viewing it as a opportunity.

Cheers to the future! Be sure to stay connected to New Jersey Isn’t Boring because things are starting to change!

To read more about Arts Guild NJ’s sudden closing, read this great article from Rahway Rising.