Taking Stock

Hiking down the mountain to retrieve my mail, I had a realization: I think I have applied for enough jobs, residencies, and fellowships for the time being.

Hiking back up the mountain, I had a bounce in my step. If I don’t have to spend afternoons filling out applications and mornings checking on paperwork, making photocopies, and driving to the post office, whatever will I do with that time?

W-R-I-T-E.

And R-E-A-D.

And send out more SUBMISSIONS.

In case this was too good to be true, I checked my records. I have applied for the NC Arts Writing Fellowship, the Fine Arts Work Center fellowship, the UW-Madison Writing Institute Fellowship, the Illinois College Writer-in-Residence position, and the SecretAwesomeSchool Resident Writer position. I have applied for teaching jobs in Arkansas and Hawaii. I have applied for a residence life job at NC School of the Arts. I have applied for residencies in Alaska and Virginia. I have submitted resumes to two espresso shops in Asheville. All totaled, that makes for 12 fellowship or job applications and 2 residency (shorter time commitment, no pay) positions.

One teaching position remains on my list, at WeirdNameCoolJob University, which I will apply for next week. After that, do I officially have permission to chill out?

(Oh, and I have 4 arts essays to write…better get on that…)