Now that I’ve got skills, what am I gonna do with them?

photo courtesy of Another Sunshine

I’ve got skills. I’ve got mad skills.

I can tweet on Twitter. I can hang out on facebook. I can create slideshows with Soundslides, doctor photographs with Photoshop, paste all that to a website that I created with the help of Dreamweaver.

So what the problem? It’s pulling it all together and getting paid – oops, my bad. Wrong lingo. Even though I have myriad capabilities, I’m finding it difficult to monetize.

Am I overcompensating? Probably. Stereotyped thinking says boomers aren’t adapting to the new media landscape; I’m trying to prove that thinking wrong.

Can I do too much? Is being able to do too much the flip side of not being able to do enough?

See, I’m getting conflicting information from the experts in the marketplace. All the (non-journalistic)entrepreneurial advice I’m receiving urges concentrating on a goal. No sweat. I want to create content. In the old days, I could simply write a story and email it to an editor.

But it’s an on-line world and mere words are not enough. If I blog for pay, I’ve got to find visuals to go with them. Or upload video. Or create audio. Not that I’d mind, but I’m only getting paid to write.

It’s like I’m getting dressed for a night out on the town, and I have to choose the right accessories to go with my outfit. And after I show up, looking G-gorgeous, my date doesn’t want to pick up the tab.

Writing and basketball

This photo is by Laffy4K

When I consider freelancing, I think about  “The White Shadow,” a television show from the late 70s. Ken Howard starred as the white coach of an inner-city high school basketball team.

In the  episode I remember, “The Death of Me Yet,” the team’s star is killed during a hold-up. The coach reaches out to the younger brother, who is alone in the gym. He can handle the pain, as long as he keeps putting the ball through the hoop.

Remembering that phrase “Keep putting the ball through the hoop,” helps me handle distractions. And Lord knows, there are many.

A promise given at 9 a.m. is broken by noon. (Keep putting the ball through the hoop)

The newspapers that used to buy my stories are laying off employees. (Keep putting the ball through the hoop)

The magazine that does buy my stories has cut my per-word rate. (Keep putting the ball through the hoop)

I’m creating  podcasts and slideshows for love, not money. (Keep putting the ball through the hoop)

Keep sending out letters. Keep coming up with ideas. Keep pitching projects. Keep putting that ball through  the hoop.

Over and over again.