Creative work in Vermont? Sure!

“Do you know why adults are always asking kids what they want to be when they grow up? It’s because they’re looking for ideas.” I stole that from Paula Poundstone, but I use it whenever the topic of work comes up, because I can so relate to it personally. I feel a bit on the other end of this scenario from most of you, since I am winding down from a long career rather than just beginning, but I’m still looking for something new, as usual. Over many years in the insurance business, I used to think of myself as climbing the traditional corporate ladder with every promotion and transfer, but in hindsight I can see that it was more like having attention span issues. I know it sounds a little silly to be looking for new opportunities at my age, but it’s what I do.

And fortunately, with the possible exception of some internet infrastructure issues, Vermont seems like a great place to do just that. I love the focus on local business and the mutually supportive business community. You might not expect it in our rural neighborhood, but I found my professional logo and web design folks right in the next town. (NEKInfo Associates) And they don’t know this yet, but I do have them in mind as a potential client for some freelance work once I’ve completed a few more courses and developed some proficiency in graphic design and multimedia.

But in the meantime I’m planning to focus on promoting my new book when it’s out in another month or two. All of this video, blogging and podcasting experience is going to come in handy! Most of my marketing efforts will be online, because that’s the most practical choice when you live where I do, and because I love being able to work from my computer at home, more or less on my own schedule. I have spent more than enough time on the road for business travel or commuting. And while it’s been great research, enough is enough. I am perfectly content to stay at home and spend my future driving time on road trips for fun instead of work.

Here’s an interesting example of a successful work at home business model that I stumbled across a couple of years ago. Shortly before we left Colorado, when I was deciding to go with self-publishing and looking around for a publisher, one of the reasons I decided on Outskirts Press was that it was local. Or so I thought. As it turns out, the founder/owner of the business was local, but the employees are scattered throughout the country. My author representative, for instance, is right next door in New Hampshire, working on her own computer at home, for a boss in Colorado and with authors in a variety of locations. There are so many advantages to that way of doing business, both from a lifestyle point of view for the employee, and an efficient use of resources perspective for the employer, that for creative work especially I can only imagine the opportunities will continue to grow. And I think that’s a good thing, don’t you?