So it’s been a bit of a ride over the last year and a half. I was managing social media for a local bar back in Riverside where I used to live. I worked on the Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. So on an average week I made anywhere from 4-10 graphics for the week to use across the various social media platforms. I normally did the banner on FB with the events for the week. What DJ night it would be, what live bands played on the weekend, and usually one other thing.
So I started out fairly simple with that, I worked on the graphic as I needed it. That ultimately proved to be unproductive. It was much easier to take one day and make all the graphics that I would need for the week. That way as I needed to promote them I could easily access the completed images where ever I was. I also started working behind the bar when the bartender moved on. Simple stuff, just beer and Sangria, with cooking in the back too. I would do this for about 8 months.
Eventually I moved out to Orange County and took a job at a restaurant near the beach. I started in the summer and while I was there began to save money on good weeks of tips. I eventually saved enough money to start my next endeavour. Screen Printing. The only thing I really wanted to do was find something that had better hours so that I wouldn’t be so burned out from work that I could come home and actually work on projects. The restaurant, however nice with money sometimes was physically tiring in the heat and also with going up and down stairs while being on my feet all day. These last couple of months have seen me looking for new work, and eventually having a great job opportunity fall into my lap. A friend that I stayed connected to from High School messaged with an opportunity. I took him up on the offer of working from 8-5 Tuesday through Ssaturday from home.
This solid schedule of day hours and low physical work optimizes my chances for working on graphics and overall getting technique down for Screen Printing. My year long goal is to have saved enough money to replenish the money I took out of my savings for the Screen Press that I purchased. Hopefully by that time I am doing decently with a few orders here and there that would allow me to get a belt driven flash Dryer to speed up things like curing and production. I do not need to get rich off this, but having something fun that I like doing on the side would be a wonderful addition to the graphics that I get to do for clients. Now I just get to offer screen printing as an additional service.
So, let’s ride this one out and see how it goes.
