On Work

I'm at that place in my life where I want to make some solid decisions about the direction in which I will go. There's some things I have left to do - I want to travel. I want to make a movie. I want to live in Germany and South America. I DON'T want to have to worry about how I'm going to feed or house myself.

I am steadily trying to convert my way of working to a project-based approach. A project would last for the duration of some work or study. Projects would allow me to pursue many interests (not too many), have time to myself in between projects, and give me the advantage of perspective outside of each professional domain. So I don't want to be a "Software Developer" or an "Actor". I want to have the opportunity to write, act professionally, as well as create software.

I love this idea, but the problem is that I have to work (a job) to make money. That is unless I have a fortune saved up, earning me interest. Lot's of capital would give that to me. But I don't have that luxury, so I spent a lot of time trying to figure out exactly how I can go about shooting films, writing software, and other things. Now, assuming that there's a willing public to consume my output, how can I go about having several professions at the same time?

WORK, TIME and CAPITAL

Before Karl Marx wrote the 'Communist Manifesto', he did a thorough analysis of Capital in the 'Economic And Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844'. He saw capital as a synthesis of a worker's labour made into someone else's private property. Essentially, capital was stored up labour.

So one needs a certain level of capital to have time for one's self and interests. The price I receive for my work or work results dictates a kind of "capital rate". Or, the value of my work for a given period of time.

PRICES

The first time I realised that prices were a mechanism for controlling the supply and amount of resources, was reading Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War':

Where the army is, prices are high; when prices rise, the wealth of the people is exhausted. When wealth is exhausted, the peasantry will be afflicted with urgent extractions.

Prices are only important because it's something that everyone agrees on. A price is the capital level for the exchange of a good or service. I'll want to minimize my capital outflow and maximize its inflow. So I'll want to influence prices or go where they are favourable.

OK so it's easy right? Make a lot of capital by maximizing your prices. Charge a high price for what you do or sell. Once you are at a sufficient capital level, you'll own more of your time. If not that, then love what you do on a meagre salary and be happy... Ahhh, let's try capital first.

I'm a creative guy and a good web developer. So I made a web site selling t-shirts online. "Interruptwear" (www.interruptwear.com) was my first attempt to charge money for a product. And it's been a complete dud. I came to realise the value of good marketing - because I didn't have it. Besides a few sales, there was no action over the summer of 2004. What's next? Ummm, can you spare a dollar? No, but really. I'm spending a lot of time and energy thinking about a system (capitalism) that has no higher truth. Mostly I want the time produce creative works and other human things. And the idea of living hand to mouth is not pleasant. I haven't quite figured this out yet, but I'm getting close.

Comments

[voodoochild]

Hey Tim,
I was reading up on you and figured it time to return the greetings- it WAS good meeting you at Roxy that Friday- not so long ago. Alas, I find myself awaiting another small shindig before NYE at BOA ;).
So, as I await my plane ride out of Canada- dunno if I go to China or Japan yet- time will tell, I think- viola! you'd make an amazing teacher specifically...an English teacher abroad. For a mere pittence- $1000 and 6 months of your time( part-time) why not study to be an English teacher. YOu get to travel- well maybe not Germany but chances are you might go to Africa ;)
and seeing what a social butterfly you are, chances are you will make connections- foreigners travel together there. It'd be good for your movie-making-acting.
Well this is not a shameless plug for TESL-TEFL teachers ( ok, I have my bias) but I just went thru a bit o a life change and am heading the teaching way... eventually, hopefully, seriously ;).
Having just met you and getting a first glimpse opinion of you- yeah! knew you acted in some capacity, entertaining, and social.who better but an actor to teach English. Its NOT rocket science- and its fun.
Anyway- I KNOW I'll see you somewhere, real soon.

Until then,

N.

[Timothy Washington]

There's a great audio file of Chomsky talking about labour in 4 different idealised political structures. "Chomsky on Vision":
http://www.zmag.org/altradio/0212nc1970.mp3

A person's labour in a collective ultimately is what defines / edifes / debases our nature. Ultimately, I think of labour in that context. Or, I would like to see the fullest development of human potential.

I'd like to know what others think.