As with most things I do now, journaling will have to come with some structure. I’m thinking weekly entries since I pay for my messaging services and updates will eat away at the small savings I have. I’m also going to handwrite before I type. I pride myself on my grammar and would hate for small mistakes to be memorialized. Quality over quantity; it’s a good motto to start with.
I’ve been exited about joining the Prison Professor’s Talent network. For years I’ve been journaling and working on my release plan and now I finally have an outlet to share it. It’s one thing to desire a better life, yet it’s another to work towards it.
This week I sat down with an acquaintance to tlak about my resume. My data feels solid, but since I only have access to a typewriter, I’m disappointed by the format. I’m sending copies of my resume to human resource offices in the city I plan to live in , not for job requests, but more for advice on what I would need to learn or experience so that I can move into the field I plan to work in. The San Francisco public library has an amazing resource for release preparation where they will do research for incarcerated individuals. They’ve helped me with everything from molding my resume to finding contact information of possible employers. The acquaintance I was talking to felt that companies will be forgiving of my format since all I’m looking for is advice. That’s fair. I really appreciate having people in my life I can bounce ideas off of.
Creating that positive circle of support isn’t something that just happens, though. It has to be intentionally built. Just last night a guy in my dorm saw me studying a textbook and asked, “What the heck do you do for fun?” I turned and chuckled and said, “This. This is fun for me.” He shook his head and left. I love learning. It brings me lots of joy. Still, I missed an opportunity to show that man how he could find joy in self-improvement, too. I’ll have to invite him when he has time.
What I was studying was “Warehouse Management” by Gwynne Richards. It’s a textbook I purchased late last year in preparation for my career shit. Before prison I worked in executive management in the entertainment industry. I studied international finance and international business at a university in France. With this I believe I have a good basis for a new career in logistics, something I find fascinating. I plan on one day becoming a warehouse manager. Although I’ve never worked in warehouses before, the majority of their problems seem universal. Keeping costs low while ensuring a safe and sustainable work environment are what every business deals with. How warehouse professionals attack their threats can be unique, and it’s fascinating seeing the solutions they have found.
I’ve already skimmed the textbook, so now I’m going back and taking notes on each chapter and absorbing as much as I can. I may do a book report of each chapter for my profile on this site.
This week I also plan to finish up a couple of my watercolor projects. I’ve been studying drawing and painting for a few years and it has become one my greatest coping mechanisms against stress and anxiety. I have two projects right now. My larger one is 11″x14″ and is a modern-style portrait of Antoine Dupont, the premier French rugby player. I’m staying in the primary colors with one exception, and umber undertone for his skin. It’s my first time trying this style, and it’s very interesting to see the layers of color build up tone and volume. My second piece is a 5″x7″ watercolor card I’m painting as a surprise for a friend. It’s of a rabbit. I’m washing the painting with earth tones: ochres, sepias, and umbers. Highlights are medium yellow while shadows are violets, pthalo greens, and burnt umbers. Both these pieces are constantly teaching me patience.
While I should finish these pieces this week, it shouldn’t interfere with my work goals. As a tutor I need to be at work everyday. And this week the English as a Second Language (ESL) classes I tutor will both be having unit exams. It’s fascinating to see how much inmates like to take tests. There’s probably several reasons, including the opportunity to prove themselves. I also think that people like to solve puzzles, and a test is just that. It stimulates the mind- something needed in prison.
My personal tasks this week include:
– Writing 3 letters to family and friends
– Writing my book report on my textbook for chapter 1
– Finish reading the poetry book, “Inward” by yung pueblo
– Start the sketches for my next 3 project in graphite
