In May I got laid off from a job that I really loved and planned on being at for a long time. Nothing seemed to hint that I wasn’t in this departments future progression. I’m assuming that’s how a lot of lay offs are. I think roughly 70% of my department got laid off.
I’m glad I got let go alongside the people I trust and am routinely inspired by, as unfortunate as it was. After being told we’re no longer employed, we cleared out our desks and traded numbers. The following Monday morning we met at the office to accompany those who were laid off when working from home so that they did not have to clear their desks alone. We then high tailed it to a coffee shop to process the situation together.
Before I knew it, it was 5pm. It was as if we just ended a work day together. The next day, we pulled another full work day together at the same coffee shop. We shared resources with each other, figured out how to file for unemployment, showed each other how to start websites, and just generally got one another pointed in the next direction.
A few days after that we went to the once Senior Photographer’s house where he cooked up meat and served us all tacos. I feel grateful knowing that I actually like the people I worked with. Its really nice to know that efforts are being made to continue to have these folks in my life.
I don’t know if I would’ve left this lay off experience half as intact as I was had it not been for the support of those who got laid off alongside me.
Completely unsure of my future, I pondered about things that inspire me the most. I thought about Katelyn Betz. She is an artist I know who deleted all of her social media and started a monthly newsletter called “Look What I Can Do!” Her newsletter is a delight, and it has always inspired me to want to do more by just playing more.
So as I sat in this coffee shop with my group of newly unemployed homies, I bought this domain name, dumplingdiary.art, and started writing this post.
I don’t know what this website is, how I’ll use it, how consistently I’ll post, or even if I’ll ever share this. I think I just want a landing place of my own to just talk, share, and experiment with whatever, without external pressure to perform, monetize, or impress.
I just want to be hyped about everything and I don’t want to overthink that too much. There’s a lot I have to be bummed about, and making this little corner on the internet for myself just seemed like the thing in the moment to allow my future self to be excited about the big things, little things, and nothings in my life. Who knows.
Shout out to my lay off crew. You fools helped keep me sane during a period where everything felt like it was falling apart.
To whatever the future brings. To making anything and being hyped about it.
