Stuck on a name

If you're a friend on Facebook, you might have noticed that I'm trying to name this undertaking/enterprise. There are words that I really like and find evocative, but I'm actually starting to think that it might be a mistake to look for a permanent name. I might name/theme each year, with the symbols and language that are powerful to me at the time. After all, I don't need to register a domain or anything, like I did here, with afflated, which was really what I was feeling at the time. For now, though, perhaps the business is Me, it's Rebekah Villon. Fitting, since I named my own self.

The business of Rebekah

I've got to be honest, I'm getting interested in the prospect of being a freelancer. I like the idea of having a business, of being a business. It elevates the discourse beyond the idea of "getting a job", and puts me in a position to think about my mission, my vision, my one-year and five-year and ten year plans, of actually trying to design my work and my life. I have always allowed work to dominate my life, and, by extension, allowed my employer to dominate my life. I'd like to take back some of that control.
I think I'm going to begin crafting a business plan, and then try to implement it even if I eventually get a full-time staff position somewhere. Let's see how it goes.

Some of my old drawings

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

What a year 2011 has been so far.

The big news, which I may as well announce here, is that, after 3.5 years, I'm leaving ADi. March 17th will be my last day. I think I'll freelance for a while until I figure out my next step, and am really excited about some of the opportunities and conversations I've had in the past week. I mean, yes, nervous about money and stability and all that, but I honestly think that it will work itself out.

In other news, we're planning the next BeTween and want it to be bigger and better than last year.

Sven has started a NW Animation Festival, which is now accepting entries over at http://www.nwanimationfest.com/. As many of you know, I've been agitating for something like this for a long time, so I'm really glad he's doing it, and will probably volunteer in some capacity or another.

The ASIFA chapter has got some great ideas and events in the works. I think that my initiatives about reaching out by open board meetings and increased social media presence are starting to pay off, and I hope that they continue to do so. We need more board members in order to reach our potential and serve our members, but we've got a new treasurer, new website, new bank account, and finally have the ability for people to join and renew online. Everything is coming together a piece at a time, and the future looks really good.

And the ASIFA chapter is supporting a network that we've dubbed OSNAP. It's a group of independent animators who want to support each other and contribute to each other's projects. A lot of the organization is happening on facebook and email so far, so I'd watch the asifa website for more info.

I'd like to blog more about networking and job searching, since I have SO much experience in this area. And who knows, I might have a lot of time for that kind of thing now. ;-)