I’m a professional musician, writer and educator. My working week is made up of private students plus contract music and teaching roles. In between I have gigs and time to pursue and improve my own arts practice. Add to that, maintaining what amounts to an urban farm in the backyard plus part-time online study through Griffith University, and every week is pretty full.
I consider myself very, very lucky. The garden produces fresh vegetables year round, a good deal of fruit and some meat from our breeding rabbits, plus fresh eggs for approximately ten months of the year. Study enriches me in completely different ways and has provided me with different ways of looking at the world and my place in it, and then there’s music.
Music is my therapy and a major source of fun in my life – it always has been. And I’m lucky enough to be able to make money out of it.
My main work contracts are currently with Oak Tasmania, an organisation that provides support and services to people with disabilities. Every Monday I get paid to be a human jukebox and play all different kinds of music for a truly beautiful and diverse group of people. I enjoy it so much that I usually turn up an hour early and eat lunch with them before we start. In fact, I sometimes feel like I’m taking money under false pretenses – the clients have become friends and we enjoy each others’ company immensely.
Today I arrived as usual and started preparing my lunch, when one of my dear friends presented me with this beautiful little bouquet of home-grown roses because she appreciates me and what I do for her. I was so touched by the gesture I nearly cried.
My work is also my joy.
The roses are now in a vase, taking pride of place in my lounge room 😀
What are your work stories? Do you find joy in what you do? Please leave your story in the comments!
Debra Manskey 