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Project Liberation

Desert Road 2 (Fort Photo)
Photo by Fort Photo 
[Note: This post means a lot to me.  It discusses the future of The Growing Life, and of my life.  I’d be sincerely grateful for your thoughts.]

I was home-schooled/unschooled during the 1980s. My parents yanked me from school because I resisted classroom teaching. At a very young age, I somehow knew that the schooling process was bullshit. I knew that my school existed for 100 reasons other than enriching the minds of its students. I somehow knew that my school was there to – as much as anything else – create obedient members of society and slowly habituate students to accept arbitrary rules without question. I could somehow tell that my school was in place to discourage the trouble making that often comes when children start thinking for themselves.

My un-schooling made me somewhat sensitive to . . .

The Weight of Institutionalization

Cognitive diversity is at least as threatened as biodiversity on this planet.
-Ben Dunlap

The weight of institutionalization is the burden we feel when the majority of our productive hours are aligned with an institution’s interest rather than our own. One of the great tragedies of human existence is that so many of us toil for another person, who is in turn toiling for someone else, who is working for someone else’s interest. And on and on. There are entire corporate chains of command comprised of people working for someone else’s interest rather than their own. In far too many cases, there is no there, there.

The weight of institutionalization is perhaps the reason why U.S. workers change jobs roughly every 18 months. We’re searching for another school, another job, another church, or another degree program that will accept us, validate us, engage our unique talents, and give us creative flexibility. We often bounce around in search of institutional acceptance because we cannot accept ourselves.

While many are able to find occupations that are good fits for their lifestyles and talents, there are many people with odd and/or unique combinations of gifts and talents that may never obtain a well-fitting job.Unless they create it.

Finding the Courage to Create One’s Own Reality

Liberation (Chris Seufert)Perhaps your challenge is to stop looking for institutional validation and instead create a context within which you can thrive (by creating your own job, business, etc.). This has certainly been my challenge. And it makes sense because . . .

  • I’m smarter when I’m not in school
  • I’m more productive and industrious when I work for myself
  • I’m a better person when my spirituality isn’t subjected to groupthink.

In January of this year, I accepted a number of realities about myself and begun the hard work of creating my own context/job/life/reality. I radically quit things, dropped a number of “important” activities, and took a bunch of risks (I took my own advice). And I may end failing.

Right now, a lot of people probably perceive me as being a flake.  And I don’t blame them.

But in spite of all this, I’m happy to be living . . .

Face to Face With the Logistics of Liberation

Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.
-George Washington

Right now, I’m living month-to-month. And while I have my hands in a number of pots, I don’t know exactly where my income will come from next month. What I do know is that I’ve experienced the taste of a new, authentic, and radically alive reality and there’s just no going back (even if I have to live in near poverty for the rest of my life).

The un-schooler in me is just too obstinate to go back.

The quest to live authentically, to do what you love, and still be able to support yourself and the ones you love can be a life-long pursuit. It can be the most difficult challenge of our lives.

So I’m working my ass off in the hopes that I can make my liberation sustainable. I’m calling this effort . . .

Project Liberation

There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere . . .
-Nelson Mandela

Project liberation is either going to work, or it’s going to work. If I end up bankrupt and eating rice and beans for the rest of my life, then so be it (rice and beans is actually quite good).

I’m going for broke here.

What You Can Do

I’ve never asked for donations before but here goes . . .

This blog doesn’t make money, but I’ve never considered it to be a hobby, either. It is my hope that the dedication and thought I’ve put in The Growing Life comes though in my writing. So if this blog has been of value to you I would be very grateful for a donation. It’ll be spent on food and rent :-) (not booze and strippers… promise).


A donation would also be a nice way to show that The Growing Life has in some way made your life better — or at least helped to provide a little clarity — and I’d be very thankful for that.

Another Thing You Can Do

If you live a liberated existence (or you know someone who is), then please email me at TheGrowingLife {at} Gmail {dot} Com. I’d especially enjoy hearing from people with unconventional jobs and lives – people who make a living in unusual ways. (If you’ve liberated yourself from an unhealthy corporate job and/or are earn a living as an artist or artisan then I’d love to hear from you as well).

So What Will Become of The Growing Life?

Good question.

The logistics of liberation are damn hard. Living isn’t cheap, and the battle for our minds is a difficult one. So, if my posts appear less regularly (around once/week), please bear with me for a few months. I’ll be trying to bootstrap my way to Abundance 2.0.

I’ll also be working on a new blog-ish project. I’m not ready to spill the beans, but I can confidently say that while the new thing will have an entirely different face and a somewhat different focus, it will have the same soul. It will be The Growing Life 2.0 (it won’t be called that, of course) and I hope you’ll be around for its launch.

Thank you for making it such a pleasure to write for The Growing Life.  See you next week!

For more radical ideas and related insanity, subscribe to The Growing Life.

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  • ridwanzero
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  • Steven Mohammed
    Clay,

    I have to tell you that this website is amazing. Wow, to think i'm not alone in this world. I like everyone else come with a story as well. I came into this world with clubfeet and borderline retardation. I overcame these through adversity, children calling me names and my pure brain to overcome the doctors. Getting two opinions from a psychiatrist calling me mentally retarded didn't quite sit with me. All my mother did was sit and watch me and at 5th grade I was finally ready to join the regular kids. She knew what I had known all along, I was misdiagnosed. Long story short I am graduated with a B.S. in Accounting and played every sport including football where I excelled as a quarterback. Today I write stories and tell funny stories of what happened to me as a child growing up in my family dealing with psychiatrists. Every day I am liberated. Every day I wake up wanting to soak up everything I can and staying awake until I pass out. Treat everyday as a gift because nothing is a given. Clay keep up the good work!
  • Izzzy
    Clay, thanks for your superb writing. Your opinion struck me because I think you spoke the sentiments of our generation that entered "adulthood" and are expected to fulfill certain roles that are acceptable by society.

    I found this blog because I googled the word "growth". I woke up at the wrong side of the bed this morning. Felt so sluggish to go to work. I felt like a zombie or robot. In reading this blog, I realized that I am not alone. Maybe its really human nature to feel free and alive, and not cooped up in an office building working for someone else.

    I'm a very REAL person, in all sense of the word. Believed in sending kids to the "best" schools. Lived a stepping stone life. Added letters of the alphabet after my name (it became a habit). I did what was expected of me by my parents and the society in general. Right now, I am feeling restless and dissastisfied.

    I also loved your post about decluttering your life. So many of those things apply to me now (ie. committees, grad school, etc.). I can say that I am a very goal oriented person. I feel excited and proud of accomplishing something. But sometimes, I doubt myself of my motivation and think I may just be feeding my ego. In the process, I think I may have lost my identity by pursuing success in society's terms.

    I have a read a couple of self help books to motivate myself. Some days it would work but some (like today) it just makes me think more that maybe some things have to change. Maybe I should figure out what truly makes me happy and excited to wake up every morning.

    I wish you luck in your pursuit of liberation and to the rest of us here who simply want to lead an incredible and meaningful life.
  • I've always struggled with feeling restless and dissatified with the conventional life. It's like a ichy rash on the inside. I have been able to surpress my urge to flee corporate confinement because I have children to feed and clothe, and a life to maintain.

    I admire your moxy and I plan to follow your pursuits.

    Good luck!!!
  • Justin
    Wow, just found this blog, amazing. I am in a similar place right now. Just out of college (at 25, so you can see i didn't exactly follow the normal path already) and I am an intern working for a major corporation and it only took me about half way through my internship to realize this was not for me. My last day is tomorrow because i turned my two weeks in at the half way point. (I'm writing this post at work)

    Now after reading this blog and many others, all seeming to be people who have notice this lifestyle design trend between the 4 hour work week and productivity blogs and personal developement, I feel like there is a whole world out there that belogs in a city or country town together to pursue all these interest (maybe something like burning man with less substance abuse).

    Anyhow, I'm glad to know there are a thousands upon thousands of others who believe in a life less ordinary and are willing to pursue and have a place to come share ideas.

    Finally a question, Clay Collins are you from VA? I saw in a couple post you mention the Blue ridge Mountains and the Appalachin trail and was just wondering.
  • woohoo!

    glad to be part of your next step to project Liberation!

    am I your biggest donor so far?

    V!
  • Daniel, I have several scientifically oriented friends and (started college as a physics major myself before going economics), and I can tell many of them love their jobs. One of my friends works on the Space Station at NASA and I can tell from his emails he likes the challenges his work presents. I doubt you'd have a much of a chance to work on something like that without in some way becoming part of a system than is larger than yourself. You _can_ (and many do) use the system to get what you want out of life.

    That said, the financial choices we make can greatly influence our ability to change our path should we not like the corporate job we sign up for. "Standard of Living" creep is a real thing, and before you know it it's easy to have mortgage payments and car payments and it's easy to be working just to pay the bills. I think keeping your financial requirements low (and flexible) while trying for longer term financial security is achievable if approached from that cautious viewpoint.

    Myself, I'm slow to move to a new lifestyle, but it's building on me. Part of my issue now is "what do I do with all this stuff I have if I change?" What decisions can I make now to facilitate a transition to something better? To me building up savings and staying out of debt is a big part of that
  • Dana
    I was not unschooled, but when I read Gatto and Holt and other homeschooling/unschooling advocates and Gatto's statements in particular about the ultimate purpose of public schooling, I find myself nodding along because *I was there.* I experienced those things for myself and those were the things I hated about school. And I'm sorry because I think the idea of making educational resources available to all is a fantastic one, but hey, that's why we have libraries. Imagine what this country could become if we took all that public school funding and pumped it into our library systems AND offered free classes for more complex stuff that kids wanted to learn about, like advanced math. Wow.

    Anyway...

    I have also been fortunate to have worked for a mom 'n' pop business as my first job. I went back to retail years later for a corporate employer and was astonished at the differences. In a mom 'n' pop, unless you work for a control freak, you have some power to make decisions to make your customer happy. In a corporate environment you take all the blame for corporate decisions but can do absolutely nothing to improve the situation yourself other than kiss a lot of butt (and even that doesn't always cut it). I had a customer once who was mad at me because I couldn't refund his gift certificate--store policy. Had it been the mom 'n' pop I could have done it and not worried about my job security. Instead I had to direct him to a toll-free number and hope he didn't say something that got me fired anyway.

    Don't even get me started about Wal-Mart. I've worked there too.

    And in the end, that kind of crap is why I don't work now. I can't *stand* not having any autonomy. I can't *stand* being blamed for policies I didn't set. How is that in any way fair? And "that's just the way it is" isn't an excuse that cuts it with me. I would rather the buck stopped with me or as close to me as possible so that I can take care of problems that arise. I can't have that in most employment opportunities for which I qualify today. I'm sick of making excuses for the shortcomings of other people that I've never met and who see me as a nameless, faceless number which they can just as easily replace with another nameless, faceless number.

    On top of that I'm a mom now, since 2004. And I can't see putting my daughter in an institution, either. They would not respect her for the individual she is. They might even want to drug her. Sorry, I'm not going there.

    So... I get by on the child support, her dad and I are friends now, and I look for ways to make extra money from home. It's not the most secure existence, but it's one that allows me to look at myself in the mirror and not cringe.
  • Hi Daniel,

    You don't ask me, but I'm putting my 2c in anyway :) Almost at 40 and looking back at when I just graduated from college, I think there's a big (vast, huge) difference between choosing a corporate life as a break from insecurity and thoughtlessly carrying your cog from one institution to another.

    You know what it's like to fend for yourself, to live with insecurity, to travel widely, and to live an altogether independent life. Really, you probably should try on the corporate life, just to see how it feels to you.

    You may love it, you may hate it, or it may be the Big Meh...but however it plays out, taking that job is a conscious choice for you, not the default option like for other people. Big difference IMO.

    Have fun :)
  • I just finished college 4 days ago... I'm an Engineer, finally. All these years I've been studying I had to work as a freelancer to support myself. And I succeeded. But with the same problems of not knowing if the next month I'll have enough money to pay the rent or pay the bills. But, somehow, I've managed to survive like this for the past 5 years. Beside just surviving I've managed to travel a lot (seen almost all of Europe and the US) and provide myself with an enjoyable way of living (nice car, decent house, all the amenities and so on) things I didn't had before and things I couldn't have done working for a company - like being a tourist for months :)

    But... I'm somehow tired of uncertainty. I want a break. I want people thinking for me, people telling me what to do, when to do, how to do and people paying me monthly. It sounds funny, I know, but all these years I've waited for this "break".... Is this really a break? Or am I fooling myself?

    I'm really thinking about sending my resume to Engineering companies (that I'm sure will hire me with a good pay) and leave behind my IT/Programming skills. Most of my friends are working for large companies and they seem to have everything planned out, they seem not to know what insecurity is.

    Really don't know what to do, tell me something. :)

    Thanks
  • Chris F
    I am really enjoying your blog, and the unusually intelligent responses. It can be a tricky balancing act, trying to live your dream without losing everything. My wife and I we inspired many years ago by the book "Your Money Or Your Life." We realized that we didn't have to wait until we were 65+ to try living without a paycheck. When our son graduated from HS we sold the house, used some of the money for his college expenses and used the rest to supplement several years on the road selling at arts and crafts fairs. We eventually settled down again and started new careers in our fifties, both working at jobs we enjoy. No regrets over lost income during those years. Keep taking chances, and good luck.
  • I have never commented on a blog post before, but here I am. I was totally struck by your comments about your feelings about public education and other institutionalizing forces in society. I actually studied education in college and was going to grad school to recieve my masters in teaching and decided to bail out half way through when I became less sure of the position and of having to always be told what to teach (by the government, none the less...). Perhaps I too realized that I wanted to live a more authentically. Huge student loans and a poor education program at the school I had been attending probably also helped influence my decision.

    However, I truely enjoyed discussing various philosphies of education and like to think that while education can enforce passive attitudes, there are good teachers out there who emphazise creativity... Good teachers find a way to support socialization and individuation - but it is a diffiucult thing, and it is becoming increasingly difficult as standardized testing (which does not test or measure creative thought and other kinds of intelligence) becomes a growing force in education today.

    Anyway, I really wanted to comment on this post because I find myself seeking a more authentic life and looking for my niche in the world. Since leaving grad school I find that the internet provides more cabailities for this kind of creative living, and I've been encouraged so far by all the great blogs I've found, such as this one. I'll be reading your blog regulary. Good luck!
  • I used to work in the public school system and saw daily what group think does to people. Whole heartedly agree with you we need to think for ourselves.

    Good luck to you and your new pursuits. You never really fail, I believe, it's just an illusion. You learn from everything you do.

    Like you, I have my hands in a lot of pots. Stirring.

    Great post.
  • Great post. You're very real and honest with your posts and I appreciate that. I always feel like there is an agenda with "productivity" blogs and you never really get the point of view of the author. Thanks man, very appreciated!!
  • Well I'm a new unschooler to very little kids, so this post is both terrifying, and exhilerating for me ;)

    If I had some to spare I'd donate, I'll send well wishes instead since I can afford lots of those right now. I wouldn't care if you did spend my non-money on a stripper if it was the really cool http://www.hobostripper.com/index.php though, who lives a pretty interesting life too I must say.

    Good luck manifesting these schemes of yours!
  • I've always felt that Clay was a hippie at heart. =)

    Steve,

    I think the certainty of misery is far worse than the misery of uncertainty. At least with uncertainty there is hope. Maybe it's the hope that pains them, constantly toying with their emotions.

    In the end, I feel like both of those attitudes are suboptimal and fatalistic. We create our lives, we're not simply subject to our environment.
  • Steve Palermo
    Sorry dude,this thing you feel almost everyone goes through at least once in their lifetimes. You're standing in the crowd and you raise your elbows out to the side and say,"Give me some friggin' room, will YA?" In the fifties it was the beatniks. In the sixties the hippies. For some it seems to be a personal journey,for others until they have kids they are unfulfilled. I found myself in high school,looking at the classmates file from a play put on by the Senior class. As I watched the faces I had known most of my life pass by,staring straight ahead,eyes glazed,it hit me. An epiphany,it didn't really matter if I had never been born, if I died that day, or a hundred years from that day. There were no problems someone else hadn't had, or thoughts not derived from pleasure or pain. I found it liberating. I could now study to learn,because I could,not because I needed to. Kind of like the old Microsoft commercial,"Where do you want to go today?" I was then able to find the thing that I could do for a lifetime. A visual type thing,I can see myself getting old (as I have) and dying doing this job within the corporate institutional machine.
    As for your journey,truly we never know what we can do until we have tried and succeeded or tried and failed. The only thing about what used to be called the school of "hard knocks" is you have to be brutally honest with yourself going in and sometimes falling out. The institution is not always the bad thing. What is bad is the seemingly comfortable position people fall into, that degrades and often destroys them. Summed eloquenty as,"The certainty of misery is better than the misery of uncertainty."
  • Woderful post, at times we do see a distinct lack of courage amongst people to do something out of the way to reclaim their life...
  • This is one of the most inspiring articles and series I've discussion I've read in a long time. I think the subject of liberation runs so deeply in all of us, because we've been institutionalized, domesticated and stripped of our authenticity.

    As soon as we become teenagers and adults, people start telling us we need to make something of ourselves. We need to find security. But there is no security in working for something that doesn't align with your belief system, something you don't resonate with or have a passion for. That's enslavement.

    We have to have the courage to let go of fear and stop trying to force things to happen. If we work hard and work smart, we'll find our liberation. And the journey there is beautiful.
  • Hi Clay - good luck on the first steps of your journey. More than a few years ago I, like you, stepped out - partly in faith, partly in hope, and partly in ignorance - on a path of exploration. Once you turn 18 potential counts for nothing. I didn't get to a doctor, dentist, or a vacation for a decade or so, and it wasn't all fun at all. I was, however, proud of being a skinny guy with dirt on my hands, and I learned far more than I would've ever learned at university. Later in life I did complete a masters degree, so, yes, I can compare.

    Meanwhile I travelled widely, took as many jobs as I could get my hands on (at times four at once), took every course I could afford and interested me, and generally explored my world as much as I could. No positive opportunity was left unexplored. As a result I became rich (but didn't make much money) - it's the old story - a rolling stone gathers no moss, but it does attain a certain polish. I have had the opportunity to work with some of the most phenomenal people around the world - 'just' humble workers, but wise and wonderful nevertheless. I've worked with the poor and the super rich. I've learned everybody has to eat their pound of dirt.

    Today, I have a very mainstream and conservative job - I'm completely ok with this - it's all part of the exploration - circumstances will change at some point and I'll move on to something else at some stage. I am not my job - employers rent me, they don't own me. The very strangest thing is, at the moment, for the first time in nearly 30 years, I'm earning a majority of my income from one source - unheard of :).

    My advice to you is to give yourself a new badge (I'm an explorer - [difficult to fail at being an explorer]); promise yourself that you'll never ask for something you can get for yourself; patchwork economics (earning money from more than one source) is the name of the game; build a portfolio of experience and knowledge, with a quiver full of new skills; continually work to improve your skills and abilities; and finally, accept that although the ride is not always going to pleasurable, it is a ride you have chosen, enjoy it for what it is, and/or change it for something else. Trust yourself - it's all going to be ok if you play nicely with others. The key thing is, when your final report card issued, make sure it doesn't say: Potential unfulfilled.
    Cheers
    L
  • Mr. Flakey,

    Is it people too afraid to accept themselves, or is it that people don't want to be responsible for themselves? As long as they are working for someone else, they get to blame someone else for everything that is wrong with their lives.

    I admire your resolution to become liberated. Living month to month is fine when you don't have kids... the equation can be quite different when you are responsible for others. Of course, maybe that is just another excuse so I can abdicate personal responsibility to parenthood!
  • I never thought of Clay as an anarchist, but he totally is. Thanks, Happy Anarchist.

    Anarchists are cool.
  • What you wrote struck a cord within. I have to say that you are spot on with the changing of religions, jobs, homes, etc. in a search for that perfect match that we think we will find pre-fabricated in the outside world.

    For me, since I'm both married and a mom of five (in the SF Bay Area) I found a job that is enough hours to be financially lucrative but is not full-time. So I don't feel like it is consuming my life. And I can be free to blog, surf, be crafty/arty, etc. in my idle time (which is rare...but I hold out hope that one day the kids will look at me and decide to play quietly and peacefully with each other).

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
  • The Happy Anarchist
    Oh, and if you haven't read any stuff by the CrimethINC collective, you definitely should. A lot of similar thinking there, and in the contemporary anarchist scene in general. Inspiring stuff for those how seek to build ther own way. http://www.crimethinc.com/
  • The Happy Anarchist
    I love this post, its anti-authoritarian vibe and your sincere enthusiasm for a life of self-goverment. I really think you are in the right path and wish you all the best. Keep it strong!
  • Hi Clay,

    I've been reading along silently for a while now... and I just *had* to donate when you asked -- nearly every post of yours has been more valuable to me than most books I've bought and paid for.

    I've been a corporate-escapee freelance gypsy for over a decade now, creating roles and opportunities that happily balance my random creative impulses, various marketable skills, intuition, adrenalin/travel-bug, insatiable curiosity, a questioning/contrarian nature, and single-parenthood. It's been so much fun, I wouldn't want to live any other way. I'm also surrounded by friends around Australia and globally with fascinating workstyles they've created around themselves and their passions. It's amazing what can happen when you dare for a year or 5 or 10.

    For quite a while I've wanted to chronicle or interview my various mates (film producers, kite/snowboarders, youth workers, writers, paparazzi photographers, psychics, pantomime actors+++) and share their magic with other folk - I shouldn't be the only one who knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that this fun kinda life is possible, should I???

    Would love to share more about my story and their with you and spread the word -- skype sometime?
  • I posted on Twitter a while ago that if I had to put $50k on any blogger that I knew fairly well taking it to the next level and being HUGE it would be Clay Collins. I stand by that remark and know you'll be fine.

    What you're doing would only really be gamble if you were a talentless muppet that wanted to lie around in bed.
  • Clay:

    I just sent you an email with a vision I wanted to share with you. Please let me know if you do (or do not) receive it.

    Cheers...

    Kent
  • Thank you for this one paragraph. This is the story of my whole working life, to date:

    "While many are able to find occupations that are good fits for their lifestyles and talents, there are many people with odd and/or unique combinations of gifts and talents that may never obtain a well-fitting job. Unless they create it."

    As you say, there's lots of poop flung at folks (like me) who "can't just pick one thing to do and do it". But maybe those folks are "balanced brain" or "whole brain" thinkers...like me.

    When the career counselor told me I was blessedly cursed with a brain that's equally happy with both math and language, analysis and intuition, he answered a few questions, but raised a big one: what the hell can I do that uses both sides of my head?

    Because when I write a lot, the math side gets restless. When I work with databases for too long, the language side starts pacing. The cerebral tug-of-war has had me bouncing from job to job, then from project to project for 15 years. I'm only just now settling into and refining a handful of talents that may just possibly blend nicely into one purpose. One "job". Maybe ;)

    A thousand thanks for those few words that validated my struggle, and my quest. I'll keep them close. I'll surely need them again...
  • Paul
    Clay Collins, you ROCK! Here is my $5 donation. Sorry I can't give more at the moment. Your blog and great posts are worth much more. They keep in this fight, you know... The fight for authentic life.

    "there are many people with odd and/or unique combinations of gifts and talents that may never obtain a well-fitting job.Unless they create it."

    It is so true about me. I have just figured this out that I am an ideal employer for myself. Sometimes it is so hard to have a daily job that you have to pay the bills, take care of a family and work in the evenings. Sometimes I no longer believe I will be free someday. Free from doing what I don't like only to feed my family. Free from hoping that the next employer will allow my creativity to grow and work for him.

    I always thought it would be great to have a place where everyone like us can write their story and we can support one another...
  • You are an extremely brave person. I know that I could not do what you are doing, I don't have the guts to do it. I give you all the credit in the world for following your heart!

    Good Luck!
  • Clay,
    I'm a school teacher and have been in education for 18 years. I could discuss all day your beliefs in schooling but bottom line, I believe that the amount of freedom and differentiation in a class depends on the skill and tolerance of the teacher. Some teachers need to feel in control. Me? I enjoyed teaching folks like you because I am one of you. Give me that out there thinker that wants to get there a different way and I'll show you a great day!

    With that said, I took a job in our admin Stepford wife office. Needless to say I was..."not a match". So I have created my own business that will match me, my talents, and my passion. It is all the things I am gifted at doing. My partner that is doing this is gifted in the business part that I am not interested in so it is perfect. Check out my website and you'll see what is in the works. I will be ready to go in August with this.

    I totally get feeling like there is more for you out there. It is a risk. But I just held my nose and jumped into the water. I am trusting God to keep me floating!

    If you want to talk about my business or about education in general more, just email me.
  • clay,
    I'm gratified by your post and those who supplied supportive posts.

    I've expressed how sentiments of yours were the chirpings of our cultural canaries of the mine-shaft, the street people. They, as you, have seen how the culture seeks to suffocate our soul from the time we entered kindergarten. It used to be that recess was our escape from the mind-numbing. But I recently observed how recess is now the herding of kids about a 440 yard track.

    The mind is being regimented in agendas that only pass on the tired ideas of the past and others, and represses the inovation and improvisation of individual pollenizing thought and inspiration.

    I call our "liberation" the nurturing of the inner-child, the "Self". That intangible of inner conscience that is undermined by the formal social, cultural pressures, as well as the forced institutional authorities.

    We need an organic network in the weeds of our locales and networks to provide the interactions for the sake of their intangibles, as well as the casual and incidental assistance we are able to render for eachother. In this way, the saying from the Last Poet's Album will be "The Revolution will not be televised", it will be lived in the anonymity of the private passions of our affinities.

    Bugs
    Abagad-diablo@excite.com

    www.paypal.com account, Pr_Arjuna@yahoo.com
  • This is a very thought-provoking post, Clay

    I too am a passionate blogger. It's a wonderful feeling to find a niche as a writer where you can say, "Yes! That's me!" But the reality is that it doesn't really pay the bills - anyhow not for a long time.

    And that's the rub. It's important to develop long-range plans. They take a lot of work to push along - and they don't create income in the short term.

    I wish you every success, Clay. You deserve it!
    I've subscribed to your blog and have linked to it from mine.

    cheers
    Mary
  • No, i
    But according to this guy down here, you
  • We unschool our kids and believe in living your dream right now, not at some time in the future. I wish that I'd had that opportunity as a child and not taken 40 years to get back to trusting my own intuition and intelligence. Thanks for the post!
  • The hardest part for me is when I make a radical change, is to avoid demonizing that which I left behind.

    I think it's important to realize that the prevalence of institutions points to the fact of their efficiency. Corporations for example, may not be an environment where the individual can always thrive (though I know some people who absolutely love this environment), but they serve their purpose.

    Going out on one's own is a lonely road. Some days I'm happy to be a cog in the machine, there is certainly a commeraderie there. My father lived the kind of life you describe. He was an incredible man. I've blogged a lot about him. I've always wanted to be like him. He was fierce, intrepid, and at times, I think one of the loneliest people. He left this world a few short months ago, and I often wonder how much about him I don't know. His passing has created some radical changes in me. I'm a different person. I know what you are saying about "not going back." Once you have a life-altering experience, positive or negative, life is forever different.

    Not sure where I'm going with this. Your post made me think.

    Thanks.
  • Clay Collins
    I'm really kind of speechless. I can't thank everyone enough for your donations and for these amazing, thoughtful, and very encouraging comments. These things really mean a lot and I'm quite grateful for it all. Thank you.
  • I'm a school administrator and have been part of the "school system" forever. I do agree that our school system is set up to train the masses as obedient workers. But, while eveyone is pointing out what's wrong with our school system, I have yet encounter one solution that could address the issue of educating millions of Americans.

    Now if someone can come with a better system which address the economic, social, and cultural issues facing our schools and still remain on budget then I will be the first one to sign-up and I will teach for free.

    Anyway, good luck to you man. It takes a lot of courage to do what you're about to do.
  • I wasn't unschooled myself, but after reading The Teenage Liberation Handbook ten years ago, I've tried to live my life as an unschooler. I've often wondered what I can do to support the cause, as a single adult woman without any children. This summer, I'm going to be counseling at Not Back to School Camp, which is about the coolest job I can possibly imagine.

    I think what you're doing is fantastic. I'm currently working a traditional job that's teaching me a lot while also padding my bank account pretty well. It works for me for now, but I've been in your shoes, following my muse(s) for very little money, and I know I'll be back there again. I donated a little to your blog just now. I'll donate more anytime you ask and support you in any other way I can. You and other people trying to live a liberated life are about the best cause I can think of.
  • Best of luck to you with Project Liberation! I have no doubt that you can do it - you can do anything you set your mind to, as long as you stick to it and are dedicated, etc.

    I'm on my way to my own Project Liberation, as I am 1 week away from leaving my full time job of over 9 years (I just gave my notice a few days ago)! I've wanted to run my own web design business full time for years. I've finally put forth 210% of an effort so that I can achieve that dream (and I reached my goal 6 months ahead of schedule!)

    Yes, it's a bit scary knowing there won't be a steady paycheck, but that's where preparation (getting that 6 months of savings in the bank, a somewhat steady flow of clients, etc) is for. It's what I've wanted for a long time, and am so happy to be entering this new (liberated!) phase of my life!

    As long as you work for it (and it looks like you are!) I'm sure that you can achieve a GREAT state of Liberation!

    Best of luck in your quest!
  • Good for you, Clay! Some of us are never going to "fit in". I've never managed to. :-)

    I actually started out with business training, but soon got out of that. Spent most of my twenties temping and travelling, sometimes picking up a job here or there. I had my first child when I was 28 and took on a part-time job for a couple of years. At the same time, I trained as a massage therapist and foot reflexologist, quit the job and worked out of home doing massages and reading Tarot cards. When my daughter was 4, I decided to move to the Seychelles. (I had been on vacation for three weeks, got back on the Sunday, went to the travel agent on the Wednesday and flew out the next day. I gave all my stuff to the janitor who was more than happy to distribute it amongst his friends. This was very liberating.) I found work as a tour guide, had another child, opened my own translation agency which lead to freelance writing for a magazine and ended up publishing my own women's magazine. I went back to Switzerland and did a couple of years in a corporation, which nearly killed me. I've been back on the island for 2 years now, in this incarnation I'm an artisan; I make jewellery, paint glass amongst other things. I also tutor high school kids in English. And write a blog.

    My kids are happy with the unconventional lifestyle they've had and certainly are very open to other ways of living :-). We've had our ups and downs financially (try rice and onions fried in turmeric!) and I'm still living hand to mouth, but my business is growing as I'm getting better known locally and things are looking up.

    My point is also that you can do many things in life. Things and interests may change and risks have to be taken. I certainly still have a few things to do ...

    And I'm a very happy person.
  • Congrats on the new direction, Clay, and for committing yourself to go for broke! It's the hardest step, but it's worth it, and there's rarely a slip-up that can't be unslipped. The fear that goes with it is one of life's change agents.

    When the line at the end of life's little ledger is drawn, we're each in our own little quest for independence whether financial or otherwise. It's just lucky that we're in it together!

    Looking forward to hearing about your new project -- take care and good luck.
  • River
    Just a note to let you know I am a new subscriber (last 2-3 weeks) and really enjoy your posts. I, too, am working on my own Project Liberation. My husband was forced into an early retirement for health reasons (Multiple Sclerosis) and I closed my business in order to "supervise" him. We are both much happier now that I am not away from home 70-80 hours a week. I kept the best parts of my business to work from home doing the things I like. I deejay on occasion, do freelance graphic design, install custom graphics on all sorts of vehicles, work with a couple of authors on their projects and am writing a novel. The freelance work keeps most of the wolves from the door, but it definitely is not a "sure thing" like a steady paycheck. We live simply, and happily, on way less money than we spent while both of us were working full-time (and overtime) jobs. I am working on a blogish project about living better while spending less and how you can enrich your life by LIVING it. Kudos to you, Clay, and best wishes! I will keep tuning in to check on your progress and will send $$ when I can.
  • Oops, I made some typos in my last post. I meant to say, "and sleep with my conscience at night" and "a piece of your shining pie."

    :-) Deanna
  • I hear you, Clay.

    Have you considered creating a non-fiction book proposal out of the themes and insights in your blog? Being a freelance author has been my path. I'm not yet able to make a living at it full-time, however. Getting there, though.

    I used to be a lot more radical about not playing other people's meaningless games. Now I'm more playful about participating as much as I find useful, as long I don't compromise my ultimate mission and core ideals.

    I think this kind of attitude shift happens after forty. It's not exactly selling out. It's more like saying to oneself, okay, the world is the way it is, 90-99% of the people have values other than mine--how can I work with the world anyway, faulted and lost as it is? How can I help these people grow? How can I communicate with them in a way they understand, in a way that's fun and engaging, but also meaningful (and I think you do that already). How can I do all this with my conscience at night?

    My solution has been to entertain people and to let the stories carry the messages. But humorous non-fiction has a potential to be equally moving and effective. So, I say, go for it! Write the book. Your message has value. It will receive symbolic tokens of value in return. The value tokens may be processed through a corporation for a time, but as your truths become more widely recognized, you'll gain negotiating power and will be able to better your freelance working conditions vis-a-vis any corporation that wants a piece of your shinging pie. The truth will out.

    Best,
    Deanna
  • Sounds very much like the idea behind "Stay Hungry, Stay foolish". I'm getting it tattoo'ed on my arm.

    I agree with your comments about schooling, it's designed to make you a tool, it's amazing how little school teaches you about the real world and just how to think for yourself, do your own thing and get what you want. The best you can give the world is to be your best self. The world really needs it. There is a quote that goes something like "Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

    I sometimes walk in modern socitiey and I look around at the people there, it's a joke. People are what I refer to as 'cogs' they are part of the machine. they are so obssessed and even depressed over things that are not even real, but they are so caught up in this illustion it is silly. They just can't see it, sometimes I think they almost realize, I see sparks in them. Perhaps I have a conversation with them about something and it seems they get it for a split second and then they go on with there cog like life, as if nothing extrodarnary ever happened. As if they don't exist.

    I'm very much into Rock music and it's life style. I am a guy, I wear makeup, sometimes just eyeliner, sometimes more. It's amazing how much I get critised for it. Society is desprate to maintain and fit into the machine. It's a shame, because while this music scene offers much hope, about half the people in it are all talk. They talk about fighting and rebelling agaisn't the machine, but mostly they are denoucing one to become apart of another. I see a lot of people that are fed up with the world just latching on to it, they still are not thinking and being themselves, they are leaving one tribe and joining another. Only this time outcasting themselves.

    Personally i'm struggling for clarity and to unlearn everything, I've spend years in education and self development, reading and listening to self development (i'm 25). I think tradional productivity guru advice and self help stuff is all apart of making you a more effective cog within the machine, sometimes with the aim of trying to make you think your actually not. For my life, i'm struggling to find that clarity, to organize it, to go after what I want. I have no idea what system or ideas I need to use? I know what i've learned so far doesn't work for me at all and i'm somewhat supicious the the fact I think I need one is the talk of the machine!

    "Go to work, send your kids to school, follow fashion, act normal, walk on the pavement, watch T.V., Save for your old age, obey the law. Repeat after me: I am free."
  • Hi Clay,

    Having followed your blog from nearly the beginning, (and having read each and every post), I have no doubt you'll be able to achieve anything you put your mind to. You have the ability, tenacity and courage to do it all.

    Remember, the blood that runs through your grandparents veins, also runs through yours. They had the perseverance, dedication, and love for each other to make something out of nothing, and so can you. (For anyone who hasn't read it, read Clay's "Dedication" post).

    No one ever promised life would be easy, but if you're doing what you love, what you reap can be priceless.

    I wish you the best life has to offer. Spread your wings. You make us proud. Proud that you doing it your way, by following your heart, following your dreams, and encouraging and helping others along the way.

    P.S. I do hope you are documenting this "journey", as it will undoubtedly be a read worth publishing.

    Best wishes, my friend.
    ---------------------------
    Response:
    This is one of the coolest things anyone's ever written in the comments:

    "Remember, the blood that runs through your grandparents veins, also runs through yours. They had the perseverance, dedication, and love for each other to make something out of nothing, and so can you."

    Thanks for this amazing reminder.
  • James Hall
    Hey Clay,
    I stumbled in here 2 days ago, wrote a long winded comment to one of your posts at 2 a.m. this a.m. and was looking forward to soaking up the vibe here but that old impermanence thing just keeps things un-grasp-able as ever. I quit my full time day gig in 2002 to figure out something to do other than the CDN Parliamentary, vanity press, snorefest journal I was lying for. I discovered the meaning of idenity. I found myself thru neurology and shed that crushing weight of shame & guilt finally I'd been staggering under since childhood. Being alone with myself allowed me to study the way my attention didn't work very well. How it was splintered by endless, teaming distractions. How I would start something in one room and "come to" in another, trying to understand what washing the dishes had to do with tantric meditation practices. Or why I was looking for socks when I had started out trying to find my keys and/or why hadn't I noticed this strangeness sooner? After all I had only been doing this for years... only it all seemed so perfectly normal then. It came as a real shock to realize the mental grid I was wired to wasn't a general population mental grid. It was Mac vs PC thing. Only I was operating under the impression I was computing outer & inner reality with a glitchy, virus prone, trash & crash PC (you know, the typical Gates infuriating disappointment).
    WHY?
    Because I'd been so hugely distracted by the "let's keep on growing by 10% annually" impossibility, "white shirt stiff neck suffocating quarterly consciousness" corporate chain gangbangers (sorry long sentence here) I hadn't even noticed the smashed windshield I had been looking thru.
    Long story short... currently work part time as a produce clerk earning nothing, low status monkey, bike to work, car free at last, eat veggies & medication for head but finally expressing my creativity by having hit the music mother-lode in me. I don't need too much else when that need for self expression thru music (guitar, piano, Logic by Apple etc.) is met. I won't ever be rich or famous but when you've been crazy you now know crazy and what it's Midas touch uproots...
    A "thanks but no thanks" response gets easier and easier to say to all those un-crazy "normies". Rehab takes a while to sink in but eventually you won't ever wanna go back to that tormented, meaningless, senseless, roasting in hell.
    Moral to the story: nothing hurts worse than shame, cause you're totally homeless & soulless when there's no place in you left to live. Don't ever let 'em shame you... it's too easy to finish the job they started on yourself.
    You've got self esteem Clay, use it... stand up, stand up... breathe... smile... live... or die... you'll be fine, whatever happens.
    j
  • Mark Charlet
    Clay - You really struck a note with me on this post. The whole institutional working thing. I really got how unmindful the "normal" working environment truly can be. Thanks for the wake up call! All the best on your Project Liberation.
  • This must be very liberating Clay, mentally and spiritually. There are many of us out there who crave to give up being corporate slaves. I still cling to this dream, however, the dynamics are much more different when you are responsible for your children's lives also. Not un-doable just different. I'm keeping the dream alive. Goodluck Bud!
    http://www.zendad.net
  • I wish I had the guts to do what you are doing right now, when I was much younger. I only started being authentic a fews ago. I've been chasing other people's dreams for the longest time.

    But I sure wish you all the best. Let me know when your new site or project is launched...you have my support!

    To your online success,
    Evelyn
  • Hey Clay,

    I haven't had a "job" in 12 years. While that began because of a sudden increase in money, it is now a different kettle of fish. Yet, I won't go back to work. No way. No how. I'm with you.

    Cool that you were unschooled. My ex and I keep wanting to find the best education for our kiddo. We've tried 3 schools, and nothing has floated our boats. I long to send him to this amazing Montessori school outside Paris I visited a few years ago, but moving to Paris isn't in the cards. I long to home school, but I can't work out the logistics, yet. How did your folks do it? We have the issue of two different houses and juggling "stuff" to work out. Maybe I just need to call you? :-)

    Go for it, my friend. I'm with you all the way.

    And lastly: maybe spend a few donation dollars on strippers and booze. :-))
  • Awesome post Clay.

    As someone still stuck in the corporate grindhouse, I really feel awed by your spirit and the authenticity with which your pursuing your goals. Take heart that in today's world, it's unlikely that a smart, go getter like yourself will ever really hit rock bottom. Anything life throws at you, you will be able to handle. So keep up your spirits, stay in touch with your network and I'm sure your dream of independent living will work out for you.

    I'm truly excited to see what your going to do next! :-)

    All the best

    Steve
  • Wish you all the best. It took me a long while to decide to chase my dreams and create the life I wanted to live. After I did it, I learned it was right for me and I am happier than back then. It may not be easy but as long as you are driven by your heart, the money will come. It is all about making a difference.
  • I have always been against group think and for the independent thinker.

    I'm a sporadic reader of your blog but whenever I do stop by I'm always thrilled with what I read. You have a different outlook that I find very refreshing.

    I have donated to your worthy cause and, quite frankly, don't mind if you do spend some of it on strippers and booze. Sometimes different people and situations give us invaluable perspectives.

    Best of luck.
  • Donated, and worth it. Although I would prefer it if you spent it on booze and strippers.

    Creating my own life and work has been the most exciting and rewarding thing I've ever done. No matter what happens, Clay, a life where every second is yours with no regrets is a life worth living.
    --------------------
    Response:
    Thanks a ton, Michael. You know what I've earmarked your donation for :-).
  • This line really struck me: there are many people with odd and/or unique combinations of gifts and talents that may never obtain a well-fitting job.Unless they create it.

    This is how I've pretty much always felt about my life, and I find comfort in this proclamation. I've only been reading for less than a month, but I've gone ahead and made a modest donation to your cause. I am hoping that in your own Project Liberation I can see the way home.
  • May Project Liberation be a complete success!

    Leverage your blog traffic and readership. It's a great head start into whatever you do next.

    I'm definitely in the same boat as you Clay, perhaps a couple years and several failed startups ahead, but in the same boat. :)

    I'd love to support you in any way that I can.

    Let's chat!
  • Hi Clay,

    Your voice as a writer is too valuable not to be recognized and rewarded sooner or later. The rest is just one long learning curve. It took me years to figure out how to stop doing other people's work, and though I'm still paying the Rabbit Hole Tax for it every day, blogging is making it easier to build a community of questioning minds equally interested in extricating themselves from the establishment.

    Like Vered, I was curious to see what your "Going for broke" tweet meant. Don't let it manifest itself literally.
  • That tweet of yours "going for broke" did make me wonder what you were up to. :)

    Some people flourish in the corporate environment (my husband does which always amazes me), some feel it's like a slow death.

    I think you should believe in yourself. You are young, smart and capable. There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to make it. You are an entrepreneur - and you should be proud of that. Of course it's not easy starting out, but it's a very rewarding life - and in many cases, financially too.

    I don't think you should talk about going bankrupt or eating beans for the rest of your life. This shouldn't be in your vocabulary. Believe in yourself. From what I've seen so far, you have what it takes to make it as an entrepreneur. Do what it takes to eat and pay the rent, and go after your dreams. I believe in you.
    -----------------
    Response:
    In a lot of ways, your husband is very lucky and I envy him.

    I believe in myself more or less (a lot more than less), but I wanted to put into perspective how strongly I felt about not going back to the way things were.

    Thanks for believing in me, Vered. That means a lot. Really.
  • The "ideas" need to come from you only; therefore, I can not provide any. I can say, however, that "following your own path" is never wrong. I started my own investment advisory business a few years ago and will never "work for the man" again. My life is my own...

    Here's what I've learned:

    1. As you age, you understand more of who you are by eliminating who you are not.
    2. If you tread your own path, there is never any "step back..." only different directions.
    3. As you already know, social convention is a primary inhibitor of self-awareness. Other inhibitors include media noise, social pressures, language, and inertia.
    4. Define words for yourself, such as wealth, success, strength and weakness.
    5. If you have good health, food, shelter and clothing, then any material objects beyond those basic needs will not bring well-being.
    6. Study yourself.
    7. Remember that you will die and you do not know when your dying day will come...

    "You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self. Don't turn away from possible futures before you're certain you don't have anything to learn from them." ~ Richard Bach

    "No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path." ~ Buddha

    "The unexamined life is not worth living." ~ Socrates

    "We say that the hour of death cannot be forecast, but when we say this we imagine that hour as placed in an obscure and distant future. It never occurs to us that it has any connection with the day already begun or that death could arrive this same afternoon, this afternoon which is so certain and which has every hour filled in advance." ~ Marcel Proust
    ---------
    Response:
    This is excellent advice. I wish I could plagiarize it and use it as a blog post :-). Thanks.
  • As someone who recently left his job to concentrate on working less and spend more time with my new baby daughter, I know how frightening and absolutely possible it is to live this way. I only have to bill 10 hours a week independently to make ends meet (I have a consulting business).

    For perspective, the last time I tried this (about 4 years ago) I was a single parent to two sons and made a total of approx. 19,000 for the year. Yes, I was able to pull it together for three people for that amount. Bills got paid (not always on time), food was on the table (lots of pasta, beans and rice), and the roof did not fall down on us (lots of projects just had to wait). I had to dip a bit into savings. I never turned down an offer to have dinner at someone else's house. Friends would include my sons when going to do fun stuff that I could just not afford to give them. It was hard and humbling but I survived. More importantly, I was happy and my future was in my complete control, no one else's. Truly liberating.

    Now I am doing it again under much different circumstances (I am married now for instance) but I do so without fear because I know that it is possible even if the circumstances were the same. So...

    If you get that joint Project Liberation blog going let me know. I am right there with you pal and doing just fine.
    ----------------
    Response:
    Thanks for the encouragement, Patrick. I really appreciate hearing your perspective. We should definitely grab a beer the next time I'm in St. Paul. It's nice to hear that people have "been there, done that" :-).

    --Clay
  • I know what you're asking yourself, Clay..."why didn't I take the blue pill?" :) In a way, I wish I was like everyone else, that I could just be happy to do whatever I'm told. But I'm not like that, just like you and many of your readers. Best of luck to you and everyone else in creating your own reality.
    -------------
    Response:
    Damn it! Where'd that blue pill go?! Bring it back.
  • Clay, I certainly admire your dedication to living an authentic life, even with all of its hardships. It's interesting that I know several people who are self-employed - some of them quite successfully - but I wouldn't describe ANY of them as liberated. They've taken one step in the right direction, but often they're still working for the interests of whoever is paying them.

    I applaud your decision to ask for donations. If you are okay with it, I would definitely suggest taking advertisers or promoting affiliate products on this site. You've got the traffic to support it, and you add more than enough value to justify the monetary payment. Even though this site is not your main income, it represents a huge chunk of your life's energy. You deserve to be compensated for that time.
    -----------------------
    Response:

    Everyone: If you have a second, I'd definitely recommend checking out Maria's Rice, Beans, and Mixed Greens project.
  • High five Clay. Cos' I know you can make it. :)
  • J. David Fox
    Clay, thanks for this piece. This is exactly the sort of stuff that I'm struggling with right now. I've been out of college and in the high-tech workforce for about six years now, three different employers, and constantly having to "force" myself to conform and be a good American worker. Finding your blog a few weeks ago was a breath of fresh air for me, and reading it over the course of a weekend led me to an important realization: my value as an employee at any job I've ever held has been directly related to suppressing a lot of the things that make me "me." Suppressing a lot of the good things, I might add. It sucks, and I need to do something about it.

    I'm glad to see someone who's willing to take the steps to do what's necessary to obtain liberation from the "weight of institutionalization." I wish you all the best, and I'm hoping you succeed. I'm sure you will.

    Keep writing, I'll keep reading (and probably writing too, I'm currently planning on launching a blog that will touch on some of this stuff, among other things). Peace!
    -------------
    Response:
    I really don't know what else to write other than "thanks" for this very thoughtful comment. I appreciate you sharing your experiences.
  • I'm just not that worried about you, Clay. You pain over this stuff, but it really does work out. And not so much because you have the heart, but because you have the talent and passion for it. Whether or not we all come along for the journey, yours will be an adventurous one...and probably more stable than you think.
    ------------
    Response:
    You're a good friend, Jared. Thanks for the vote of confidence.

    By the way, you're blog is great, but I also think you deserve some kind of internet-wide/blogosphere-wide award for your commenting. Maybe I can get a group of people together to collect all your comments and put them together as a downloadable e-book. (I'm only half kidding).

    Thanks Jared,
    Clay
  • Becki McDermott
    I stumbled on to this website this morning. THANK YOU!! This is exactly what I want to do and had no idea where to start. I'm unemployed so I guess I've already started in my own way! Now, on to coming alive!
    ----------------
    Response:
    Becki,

    I'm really glad you stumbled by. As far as where to go from here, I have some definite tips. If you're open to doing a phone interview about what it's like to be in your current position, then please let me know. Best of luck to you with the journey ahead.

    Warm regards,
    Clay
  • As one who literally did change jobs every 18 months for years, I can say that you are dead on, man. Liberation is hard but it is necessary for people with free minds. Minds that are free from conformity, complacency, and free from society's influence. We think from within. We do not let our thoughts come from the outside. The leap is hard. I know. I'm living it now. Month to month, day to day, it is a struggle at times, but with passion, creativity, and a willingness to accept that this is what you must do, then in the end, Clay, you will be just fine. The path of a Craftsman is sometimes difficult and lonely, but it is a path I cannot deviate from simply because of what is inside me; my convictions, my ideals, my reality. I believe the same applies to you. This is what you must do, so you are living your reality. Take comfort in the knowledge that you are truly not alone in this pursuit. Whether a person is an artist, a craftsman, a writer, there are thousands of us living our own Liberation Projects. Keep moving forward because you have so many of us truly behind you to help hold you up, Clay.
    ---------------
    Response:

    You are one wise man. I'm sending you an email right now.
  • Clay,

    Your words struck a chord with me today, as they always do, but especially today. I know where you are, my friend. I'm in the middle of doing this, right now. Project Liberation - has a nice ring to it.

    I'll send you an email tonight from home - perhaps there may be some commonality we can leverage.

    Thanks for making me think today - Brett
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    Response:

    I'll look forward to that email, but the phone's even better :-). It's great to hear from you.

    --Clay
  • Scott
    I really admire your pioneering spirit. My own situation of liberation was kinda forced on me when I had to retire from the world of 9-5 work because of ill-health. But rather than getting down or negative about it, the experience has given me a whole new lease of life!

    I'm taking the opportunity to explore the things in life that being confined by an office prevented me from doing. Being a keen writer, I'm experimenting with expressing myself and letting my creativity go places I'd never tried before. Somehow, I don't honestly think wearing a shirt and tie would have opened my mind to so much possibilities of doing what I want to do.

    I am especially inspired by your point about creating "a context within which you can thrive (by creating your own job, business, etc.). This is exactly where I'm at just now. Of course, it is a little scary not having the safety net of institutionalized work behind you, but therein lies the potential for great satisfaction. I'm positive your pioneering spirit will bring you much success.
    ----------------------
    Response

    Your journey sounds like an interesting one, Scott. Do you have a website or URL? I'd enjoy seeing what you've been working on.
  • I have freed myself from the corporate bullshit. In doing so, I live from day to day, but I must say it is the best thing I ever did. I am creative, something I never thought I was. I now have a reason to get up in the morning. All I care about is being my authentic self. I have more passion now than I ever have. Currently, I am working on a healthy living social community with 2 partners at www.IowaAvenue.com. Anyway, I don't mind eating beans and rice for the rest of my life either. It's healthy - wink, wink. So good luck in all you do. And when I do come into some money I will definitely send it your way. All the best.
    -------------------
    Response:

    I like that you say: "I am creative, something I never thought I was." I like this a lot. All too often, creativity is seen as something that artists do when they paint, draw, etc. I think it's a ways of life and what naturally follows when we're living authentically.

    Great story.
  • Clay, I subscribed to your blog last month and it has become one of my favorites. You have a unique voice and come across as authentic. My life change story is not as risky, but here it is: In 2003, I was laid off from a large, well-known brand company. (I secretly cheered inside while maintaining a somber expression) As a result, my long-time boyfriend and I married and I did not work for 1-1/2 years. A well-deserved break. I went back to work, but in retail, then public service. The retail job was an eye-opener that showed me how this country's lowest paid workers actually work the hardest. I now work for a public library at my dream job - shelving books part time. My blog about that is http://shelverscratches.wordpress.com and I am so fortunate to be able to have a job that so accurately fits with my love of books and my desire for low stress. I applied to grad school to become a librarian recently, but did not receive a full scholarship, so did not start. I believe that was actually a good thing - keeping my life simple and happy. Other than blogging, I have taken up painting and scuba diving, joined a writer's group and enjoy travelling with my husband. We are soon to be empty-nesters and our goal is to align our interests with our retirement careers. Keeping options open and being flexible, my husband is a Certified Financial Planner, has an Advanced Scuba diving card, volunteers for the Red Cross and is taking training in emergency trauma treatment. One thing that is possible is to travel to different disaster areas to volunteer. There are a lot of people who do this! Good luck to you! I wish I had been brave enough to home school my teenage son. He graduates next year and his real education will begin!
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    Response:
    I really like your story. Liberation (or whatever we want to call it) doesn't have to be risky. And our dream jobs don't have to be glamorous. There's this cultural myth that says smart people are somehow obligated to work 70+ hour weeks for the rest of their lives in order to "not waste their intelligence."

    I'm glad you're keeping it real.

    --Clay
  • Clay Collins
    @Isabel: We should definitely talk. Do you use skype?
  • P.S. I was suddenly struck by the idea that we could start a shared blog on what it's like living this way!

    Interested?
  • Hey,

    I'm in exactly the same place as you, in fact, further down the line some way. I think for some of us, we have no choice but to take these risks and live life this way because it's just not going to work out taking the "sensible" route.

    Keep up the good work,

    J x
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