Job Search Journal.

We have all been there. weather it be, looking for a new job while working or looking for a job while out of work (for what ever reason it may be).

Some times its easy to find to a new job and other times it can be a nightmare.

I wont lie my personal experience in finding a job has mostly been a long and painful proses.

I’ve always kept track of what I have applied for in my planer and in my email. But after randomly going though Pinterest I came across some images of Job application bullet journals. 

Which got me thinking about the whole proses of job hunting. but manly the way to track what you have applied for, what your priorities or values that you want in a job.

In a bullet journal you can track what ever you want. weather that be hobbies (painting/drawing, writing, knitting.), saving money (days when you don’t spend, taking a pack lunch to work, a Saving challenge). your moods. 

So having a notebook dedicated just to job searching could be a productive helpful way of seeing, were your going wrong in your search, what you want out of a job, and just adding a bit of positivity to the task (especially if you are out of work)

I am no professional recruiter or a guru in motivational speaking this is purely form personal experience and what I feel would work for me. And might help and inspire some one else.

I’m using a girded A5 notebook from Paperchase, (Its been sitting around with some random notes in it so I have repurposed it.)

Rather then just listing jobs that I have applied for and companies that I have emailed I have set up some pages which should help, encourage and inspire in away.

The first Pages are for my job history. so jobs that are on my CV and jobs that are not as well as any voluntary work.

this way if I’m  filling in an applications that dose not want my CV I can refer to these pages and put any other Information in to the application that might not be on my CV.

Hobbies and Interests. sometimes it is easy to forget about adding this to you CV. Personal I think Its important to show that you hobbies and intreats, it shows that you do things outside work, if you attend an art workshop or a class  pop it on there. It also shows a bit about your personality. 

What alwas sticks in my mind is being told not to put socialising with friends down, as a possible employer may see it as “you like going out clubbing”

For me this section will have my art and blogs, visiting galleries and museums. 

My next spread is for Strengths, Weaknesses and Areas of growth. (looking back on it now I should have giving it 3 pages. And yes have spelt strengths wrong but this book is just for me.)

The reason that I think these should be over three pages is that that they going to end up being a combination of person and professional, if not three pages then one page for each  heading and then divided in half. In the weaknesses section for me would be that I am dyslexic.

All these pages are to help you create an insight in to how work in work. and how you can improve 

The next two pages I feel are important to have. Personal values and Work values. 

(again these two cam from prettyprintsandpaper.com )

Personal values for me would be not working sundays, so I can spend the day as a family.

Where as work values, things like they don't expect me to take work home with me. I’ve been in jobs where it got to a point where they would Just be put down for over time with out asking and when I said I was unable to do it I was made to feel guilty for having a life out side of work. So a company that dose not expect me to do every bit of overtime offered.

Deal Breakers, this could be anything from the amount of travel needed to get to work, the type of job. for me bar work is not good for my anxiety.

Networking sites. 

these are sites that can be used, that have a one line chat groups or have an section where you can post projects (bit a portfolio part to it). This aloes you to show your creative side, with it be art or writing, such sites as The Dots and Stage 32. The dots is pretty much off any one where Stage 32 is for those in the Entertainment industry. (and yes I spelt sites wrong)

The last page is for the job sites to check. sometimes it is easy to forget what sites to check. Or even companies that you might want to work for that you want to check.

This book is not just for  listing what jobs have been applied for but also so for any notes from youtube videos or site posts with tips or advice on job searching, filling in applications and interviews. 

Try to keep it a positive place, with quotes and the occasional picture. 

 I hope that some of you might find this help. 

My Bullet Journal.

Last month- start of June I decided to start a bullet journal. If you don’t no what a bullet journal is, I wont going to it but you follow the link to the bullet Journal web sit you can check out the product and watch a video, or go over to Youtube and check out the 100s of videos over there.

BulletJournal.com

Despite my OCD angel screaming down my ear, as I really don’t like the idea of starting planners mid year. So after watching videos and looking through pintrest at peoples layouts and how they were using theres, I worked out how I was going to use mine. The main part of it is Habit trackers, personal and Blog tracking I also intend to keep notes on what I have done on my days off - this being because I can be a tad lazy sometimes and get distracted, so this way I can see what I have been doing through the day.

 Above: left hand page is my blog tracking  and on the right is June's Instagram challenge list.

Blank pages make good doodle pages

 I am trying to be good with what I eat and drink this month, but not snaking so much and eating chips and other junk food, so in the above image, the right page is my junk food tracker each day that I don't eat crap it gets a purple square, I am hoping that this page will be mostly Purple by the end of the month.

I have already decided how the below page will change in August. 

Blogging with a full time day job can be hard work, I say ‘can’ because when I started this blog I had no problem in posting something each week, I’d work on something during my Lunch breaks and tea breaks, then type it up when I got home. Now I get home I get distracted by Facebook Tumblr, Youtube. ( Last year I could understand as we had a very unpleasant little manager who destroyed every ones will to do anything and confidence and then left). Its not like I don’t have any content to post, in fact I have nearly two notebooks full of drafted posts and notes. Which brings me to the next lot of pages, Draft articles. Here I plane to each month list all the post that are drafted, weather that be still in my notebook, or typed up and ready to put on to on to my blog. The idea be hind it is to give me a kick to  get them posted.

Yes I draft 90% of my posts in long hand, I find it more inspiring then searching through files for notes and posts.

The almost last pages of the month is my shear tracker so I know where and what I have sheared where.

The way that I am using this book is not quit a bullet journal as I set out for it to be. but it is working for me.

Hello 2016

                                   

It is little over a week into 2016 and I have already managed to get myself back into old routine that for me over 2 years.

If I can keep this up,  I’ll be very happy. and hopefully I will succeed in achieving my goal’s for this year.

The past two years were not my friends, With distractions, bad vibes and people, and some big changes at work with a complete staff change with in two months, its been very much a mental and emotional roller coaster. 

So this new year is the all about keeping mind in a good place and not letting myself slip in to a dark rut with bad habits.

My Goals for 2016.

Clear mind and sole:

This may should like a strange title for this.

Its about creating a pleasant space to work and live in. tiding my home, clearing my desk from the pile of books and notebooks. My work space to work, my looker and my folders. 

Write books not Blogs:

Well maybe a bit of both. have notebooks full of ideas and posts just awing to be typed and published.

The plan is to post 3 time a month minimum. on my Vm post a new post at lest once month with a lot of past post editing 

Shout don’t whisper:

this is very much linked to the blogs, it is to be more active on social media, posting links to new posts and old posts. 

A book a day:

Well not really a book a day, a least to read every day on the bus home and on my break.

Art:

year before last (2014) I filled up 20 sketchbooks. Last year (2015) I filled up two. so this year I really want to do more drawing. 

I am thinking doing a sketch a day for one month then see if I can carry it on longer. I also have the “Anti Journal” which i want to work through.

52 Lists:

I found this book on Pintrest. each week you list things such as your goals for the year, your favourite books, music, I followed the like to amazon but found it was sold out. But I did found that i could view inside, and found that it had shots of the contents pages. So I took not of the lists and I am using a Moleskine sketchbook to create my own.

I have all my goals listed in my Midori along with a home made week to a view planer where I am writing a quote a day, or at least a note, its all inspiring.

I hope that i can keep up with the routine that I have got back in to so quickly and that I can complete my goals for this year and maybe even create more.

Wishing all a good 2016. Xx

My Notes: UpComing Posts

With an empty purse, little under a week till pay day and a few days off, it is all about writing, blogging, drawing, and creating. (May be a little window shopping on the internet.)
Having tied up my desk and I have sitting beside me my note books, Traveler's notebooks and sketchbooks siting beside me waiting to be filled, and content typed up.
It has been a while scene I had the mental energy to really writing anything. It has been as thought someone had put a sack over my head and rapped me in chains and put me in a box. But over the past week I have had an inspiration wave and energy, writing notes when ever I can, in cafe’s, on the bus, train. If I don't have a notebook to hand then I turn to my phone, My poor little Nokia phone I don't think has every been used so much, as it can only hold 30 notes the saved text's are quite high.
I have lists of future posts and projects to do and write about. I am just hoping that this enlightened energy lasts.

• Film reviews: I started with one at the beginning of this year with 'The Only Lovers Left Alive'. I have notes on more films, and after my last post on '100 Films By Female Directors', and with some of the ones I have already seen that have been directed by a woman now seams like know better time to writer about them.
• Closed doors: This is a short store that I have been writing. It tells the store of a glamorise relationship between an English actor and his University sweet heart. yet all the glamor dose not hide all the cracks. I have been working on this scene the end of last year Its not going to be a lengthy piece. around about the length of 'Diary of depression'. Planing to post the first draft at the start new year.
• Diary of depression: I am currently on the next draft working through changing and improving.
• Notebook of a girl: This is a continuing series of posts, which I have to admit I am not 100% sure were it is go to go. It is some what of a evolving peace that is mostly inspired by things that I see, Written through a fictional girl, who’s own life is still some what of a mystery to myself. This is more of an spontaneous series of posts to be honest.
• Bonnie: Ever scene I was a teenager I have always been interesting in Bonnie and Clyde and wanted to write a fictional story loosely based on these two character. Which I have now started to draft out. I think that I will be posting it along the same way that I have with Notebook of a girl. as a series.
• 50 blog posts ideas for when you have writers blog: I have read a lot of these lists over the past few months over Bloglovin’. All of which are very samey. ‘whats in your bag’ ‘shear your blog tips’ I have saved 10 lists and I am planing to create my own with a little of my originality (I hope).
• EarthBound: Another little short story, This has a little religious them to it, well an angelic theme. This was inspired by my Drama Monologue 'Lucifer’s Prayer'.
• Alone again: On the back Burner short story. I go back to it every now and then. Its a fair ground romance that I started in 2012
• Bethany: This is another on the back burner story. this one I stared in 2012. A vampire story with out to much lovey dovey romance. I not a fan of that with horrors or vampire stories.
• In depth post on; Closed doors, EarthBound, Alone again and Bethany: I’ll show you my note books with research and the drafts, and the random little sketch’s that I do when I get the idea of how I want something to look, It helps me to visualise and describe what I want.
• Scripts: These are form when I was in college studying Drama they go form witch’s, war poetry, classic children's stories, to some very weird and disturbing themes. This may take a little longer to type and publish as all I have left are some my notes. I will do the same as I did for 'Mad Hatters Last Tea Party' and change little bits and add some up to date references. 
• The occurrence of hating people: To be a slightly comical series of posts. I started drafting this out at the start of the year, but as of yet I have no stared to type it up.
• How I'm using my planers?: This will be an follow up at the end of the year, beginning of 2016 on my Filofax and Traveler's notebooks. A n up date on the posts which I have done 'My Traveler's NoteBooks' and 'My Filofax's'.

Along with these I also have some random other posts of creative writing.  I have been looking back over my post the last day and I have found that some have drifted off of the original concept for this blog. Even though at first it was not that clear to me when I started but as time went on it be came where I could post my writing, (weather good or not) For me I was and still is an out let. Over the past year I have found myself posting revues and trip posts. My art has its own place at 'My Theory Of The Crows BlogSpot', along with my photos. Then there is my Visual Merchandising blog, 'Visual Merchandising 101', Which holds my online Portfolio, CV and all my visual merchandising notes. Both of which have been a little slow, I'm hoping now that I can once more be more creative and productive with all them.

ParkLand Walk, London.

With some time off and the summer (hopefully on its way) Decided to go along the Parkland walk, which runs from Finsbruy Park to HighGate, then if you walk through the ajoining Hiahgate woods you come out at Alexarder palace, Such a beautafull and pieceful walk.

The parkland work is a national trust walk that that runs the lengh of an old rainway line, which used to run between Finsbry park to Edgeware (which opened in 1872) The branch to Alexandra Palace followed in 1873 when the Peoples' Palace opened . Its such a beautiful walk, the nosie of trafic scilenced by the tress. 

Part the way along the walk you come across the remains of the station platform, the reminders of a world forgotten. A lonesome lamp post, (making you wonder if you have step for the craziness of London in to the quite of Narnia.

Griffitted old tunnels and brick walls with artist tags and bright colourful art work line the path. As ugly as some of it is, it brake's up the greenness of the world around. As much as it would be nice to see it cleaned off, done right this modern dislike could be made to fit in with its surroundings if it artists went with the location. Creating colourful images of flowers, fairytales and Alice In Wonderland. Modern art within the art of nature.

I also went armed with my Olympus Trip 35mm film camera, with 400 iso Black and white film, Still have to finish the film off thenI shear them on here and on my art blog, www.MyTheoryOfTheCrows.BlogSpot.com

A Lonesome Lamp Post

End of the trail at Highgate.

My Traveler's NoteBooks 2015

I recently posted on the Midori Traveler's Notebook resources face book group and the UK Midori Traveler's Notebook resources group a photo of my travellers notebooks that I have and what I am using them for. I was surprised with the response I got so I thought I would shear it in a blog post.

What Is A Midori Travellers Notebook, Or A Faux-dori?
It is a peace of leather that is stand by using vegetable dyes or leather dyes and paints, It has four holes punched into it and threaded with elastic allowing you to place saddle stitched or stapled books into it. Held closed with an elastic that is treaded through a hole either in the back and in the spine of the notebook, that then goes around the book.

What I Am Using?
I have always been a Filofax girl, Using them for the past 10, 15 years, but about a year ago through you tube and Pinterest I discovered The Midori Travellers Notebooks. I was intrigued weather it would work for me and how I would use it. 
After a hunt through Amazon I found a range by ZLYC which sell them as a set, with the standard size, (22cm by 26cm, when opened flat) a passport size (13.5cm by 21cm when flat) and a pen holder, as well as selling them individually.
As the set was the cheapest option at around £23 with free postage I went with the purchase and ordered the black set.
When it arrived I feel in love with it. The smell of the soft black leather with its orange elastic on both the standard and passport looked and still is beautiful.

Each one came with three book inserts. the standard came with two plan books and a calendar insert which has 26months (one month on two pages) and one credit card / zipper pocket insert.
In the passport size I got two grid book inserts and one calendar insert.

As It was my day off when I received them I decided to go to Paperchase and pick up things that I could use in them. I did not pick up much but I got a pack of three spotted covered lined A5 notebooks for £6 and a set of three Kraft lined notebooks for £5 (with white lined pages). Once home I set about cutting them down to size ( ).

After a week of using it  I found hiding in my bookcase three notebooks that I had brought from Paperchase about two years ago, which was their version of a travellers notebook, which are the exact size of the standard size notebook. They are now sitting in the pile ready to be used.

With the passport size I was really lucky to find that a small independent art shop near me had small plan saddle stitched sketchbooks for sale for only 85p, at that price I could not resist and picked up six of them, (since then I have pieced up another three of them as soon as they had them back in stock.

 

The Standard size one I have been using for my blog/location research.
and the passport size i have been using as a todo list/ bullet journal, shopping lists and sketching on the go.
I have found that Daler-Rowney A5 sketchbooks are a wonderful size to cut down to put in to the notebook. It has 20pages (40 sides).

After a month I decided to order another set, mainly only for use as a personal journal ad for my notes on tarot card readings (that I do). This time I ordered the dark red.
The red on this one is a very earthy deep red and is stunning. The standard one came with three lined notebooks and a credit card /zipper pocket insert, which meant I did not have to change out the books and I started to use it straight away. The passport size came with three grid inserts.

For Work.
Since 2005 I have always used Filofax’s and A5 notebooks and diaries for work, holding all notes, dates, contracts and everything else, but over the past year I have been using them less and less as I have been using sketchbooks - as my job has moved more in to the design side. 
After using my Travellers notebooks for personal and blog, I thought that I might give it a go ad use one for work. So with my eyes closed I pressed the buy button and ordered the ZYLC Dark Green set.
This arrived with two lined inserts, a diary insert and a credit card /zipper pocket insert, the Passport two lined and a diary. the green on this is very dark, 
Straight away I set about taking it apart and putting in the inserts that I had already had cut down and had began using before it had arrived.
I now have inside four inserts and the credit card / zipper insert, (five inserts in total).

*One which has my hyperdex and todo lists for the day in (this is for time tracking).

*One for all my brain storming.
*A sketchbook.
*And a home made insert with shop floor plans and contact details of the staff I work with.

I find using it great as I don’t have to carry my sketchbooks and note books too and from work, I can leave them at work and have one to take back and forth to jot things down she I’m out, on my way home or at home, as I don’t have a smart phone it is a great way for me to work.
I do kind of miss my Filofax but (hopefully) I will find a use of it 

I also have a black paten ZYLC standard size notebook which I am using as an art journal. The leather on this one is more smooth to the touch, unlike my other ones and is a little more stiffer, the only way I can describe it is it is like the leather on the Filofax original range.

This has become a bit of a new love affair they are a convenient size to carry around, and a fun size to use as a sketchbook, it makes a change from using A5.

Even though I am using one of the notebooks for my blog I am still using A5 note books for my short story’s.

I would defiantly recommend these notebooks for anyone that blogs, writes, draws. Is just a nice size to use and create within.

Links:

ZLYC Traverlers notebooks form amazon.co.uk 

Handmade Refillable Leather Travelers Journals Pencil Case Set of Three

Paperchase.co.uk

Kraft A5 slim plain exercise book - pack of 3

Kraft A5 slim ruled exercise books - pack of 3

A5 yellow arrow print stapled sketch book

Cowling and Wilcox

Daler-Rowney A5 sketchbook

Slanchogled arts and crafts

Venice Trip.

Last month took a trip to Venice, Italy for five days. It was my first holiday since 2007 and was the first time that I have been out of the country, unless you can count the random one day trips to France when I was at school.
But any way those five days were wonderful. I arrived on the 2nd of February in the after noon, at venice Marco Polo airport, a short walk away are the docks to catch a speed boat or a water taxi to venice. Which I got the water taxi. he trip took about 45 minutes which was beauty, very scenic . As the boat approached the the entrance of the Grand Cannel all of us on the boat were greeted by an amazing red, orange firry sun set, that made the turquoise logon water look incredible. I wish that I had my camera to hand instead of in the bottom of my bag. the decaying building along the cannel were so alive with colour, the plaster falling off of the buildings reviling the brick beneath. Closed restraints and coffee shops, saints on walls outside churches, If it was not for the modern boats and tv arils it almost seams as if you face stepped in to another world.  

Venice’s canals are tidal, Twice daily you can hear a siren go off, two hours and its high tide, with streets, and plazas flooded, which can limit your movements if you don't have Welles, even with  the board walks that they put up along the edge of the canals and busyer areas. Shops manly stay open, with their flood defences in place at the doors. If you look  the ground as you head around you see small paving slabs that have a hole in then, to allow the water up and down.

I ventured over to the Rialto market on Tuesday morning. The mornings high tide had begun to retreat and the smell of fresh fish, fruit and veg’ was lovely, made me feel at home being brought up in a fishing village. 
Heading feather in to San Polo I came across San Giacomo Dell Orio, A beautify church on a large square, The first of many That I would come across. The first day I stayed copse to the Hotel, visiting San Marco Square and other small squares.
On Wednesday the weather was beautiful warm and sunny, it was as if Spring had arrived, this day I went around San Marco. Doing what tourist do best, get lost on, unable to fine your self on the map and taking lots of photos. Latter that day purely by chance I discovered possible the only proper pub  in Venice, The Devile’s forest pub, located down what I can only describe as an ally way off of Merceria LL Aprile. In side it is a traditional british pub far from London.

San Marco square was in preparation for the Venetian carnival on Saturday 7th.
During the week, mainly in the evening I would see people dressing in Stunning gowns and masks. heading to balls being held at different venues.

 The stage under construction at San Marco square 

Venetian Carnival dress in side the reception and Bar (male on the right and female on the Left).

Thursday it snowed, a shocking change. heading out across the Rialto Bridge and walked around San Polo and down to the Ponte dell’ Accademia bridge back over to San Marco.
On the Friday Before heading back to the air port I went back over to the Rialto market to use up my 35mm film.
It is so easy to get lost around the narrow streets, weather it be at night or during the day. A lot of the streets (being so small they are more like paths) are not marked and named. But this is  part of the joy, at one point I did start retracing my root back to the Hotel using my photos on my digital camera.
I have fallen in love with this place and I really want to go back. 
I filled up a 36 short black and white 35mm, 125 asa film a 24 short colour 200asa 35mm film. and 300 digital photos, just a fue, 

Rialto market. Black and White 35mm, 125 asa film

San Giacomo Dell Orio.
Black and White 35mm, 125 asa film

If you would like to see more of my Venice trip check it out at: mytheoryofthecrows.blogspot.co.uk/Venice