St. Louis. Frontenac.

Olivia and I were walking home night before last from an alternate subway that we don't usually take. As we passed the apartment buildings on the right, we noticed that one said FRONTENAC. We laughed, and made a little joke. Then we saw the next one said ST LOUIS. As it turns out, these are the two buildings that have been undergoing all the renovations for the past few weeks right outside my window. You know, the ones with the big overflowing dumpster and all the commotion. So I've been sitting here staring at St. Louis. There's some irony in this, I just need to sort it out.

FRONTENAC

ST LOUIS 

 

A couple of weeks ago we went for a walk in the park around The Meer, which is a large lake at the north end. There's also a botanical garden. As we came around a curve, there were these amazing—huge—swans.

I read this interesting article in AdWeek yesterday that stated advertising agencies are hiring again! Wow! Please tell me the exact location of these two jobs. Cause it ain't in NYC. Layoffs abound. Hiring is frozen. Just ask all those recruiters that were listed in the article, cause I called them or posted my resume on their sites. I've contacted several recruiters in the past few days, and it's the same story over and over—no jobs, no one is hiring. Some agencies are doing a sort of preliminary search to see who's around just in case they might want to hire someday. They are mostly considering people who were NOT fired in rounds of recessionary layoffs and cutbacks, cause certainly they are the most qualified. Right, the people who already have jobs. Twisted stuff. So, yeah.

Some people who might happen to read my blog do not like the current government, but I voted for it. I campaigned, went to rallies, I knocked on doors, made calls, even contributed meager amounts of my limited income, because I believe in CHANGE. I know our president was left an awful mess, that could only get worse before it would get better. I know this. I understand it implicitly. But it does not help me pay the rent. It does not help my house sell. I'm a little more than concerned about what happens next. Does everyone feel the shift? It's huge. Everyone has, or will have to, adjust what they believe to be important.

I'm astounded that as a career-professional, I am simply unable to find work, a job of any kind. I'm not whining. Really. I just want to work. I like to work, it makes me feel whole. I have always worked, even when my kids were babies. I had a successful freelance business for years. I had a project the day my grandma died, one 2 days after Olivia was born. I worked nights, weekends, holidays. I was always available, and never said no to a client deadline. I never had to look for work, it just came to me. Now I look 10-12 hours a day. It's a full time job looking for a job. Agencies won't or can't used freelancers.

A call-out to my friends out there have their own business or who know someone who does, or others who work for a company—please think of me for your marketing and advertising needs. I'll toot my own horn! I'm great at what I do. I design logos, brochures, signage, websites, marketing plans and so much more. Check out my work, and please pass it to others: coroflot.com/LisaWillard