Welcome to The Work Project.
Can we take ourselves outside the usual structures of work and still make a living?
As a frustrated worker, I decided to rethink my relationship with work and do an experiment… where I’m the subject.
Partly for myself, but mostly in the hope I could start to understand why so many of us perpetually go through the motions – and the effect that has on us.
I want to understand the structures we put around work, what it is, how it affects us. I want to investigate the past and present of work, while looking into the eyes of its future. I also want to discover and share how we can make it better, for everyone. We spend a lot of time at work, after all.
As of day 1, I made myself unemployed and had nothing lined up but an open mind and enough money in the bank to last around one month. That’s where the adventure started…
About Me.
Who I am and how I came to do this!
My life in work started with a newspaper delivery round and has since taken in journalism, management, business ownership, startups, recruitment, Scotch Eggs, Little Chef, event organising, bar work and more. I’ve laboured on building sites, made hospital cabinets in factories, presented in boardrooms and travelled to assignments on aeroplanes.
I’ve seen variety and at times I’ve worked hard. For every worker I’ve encountered with a motivated smile, there have been 10 frowning miserably. I’ve become fascinated with ‘work’ as a concept, but –like many- I haven’t always enjoyed working.
All the way through, I’ve had a feeling that having a defined career path or a ‘normal job’ aren’t the only options. I’m taking this as a chance to explore that notion, see what happens and connect it with the people and organisations who could benefit from completely rethinking their relationship with work.
I have four young children to feed, so I need to make this work. Moreover, I need to show them (and many others) that compromise in work and life isn’t the only option.