“All You Need Is Luck.”

[Would just like to point out The Beatles mis-quote is 100% intentional]

The Verve - Lucky Man

‘I think I’m having a mid-mid life crisis,’ is what I tell most friends and family now that I’ve graduated and, it seems, accepting adult life is all I have to look forward to. Yes, I’m aware that there is no such thing as a “mid-mid life crisis” but what else do you call it when a twenty-something year old is struggling to come to terms with life and finding a job which correlates with the reason you went to University in the first bloody place?

*… AND BREATHE*

My topic for discussion this week is Luck which Richard Ashcroft in The Vervediscusses so well in the above video. The lyrics are what inspired me for this piece:

But I’m a lucky man

With fire in my hands

It made me question a few things. For instance; who can honestly define themselves as lucky? I’ve never really considered myself to be a fortunate person, especially because I don’t know anyone who works in journalism, or even know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone… [see where I’m going with this?]

I applied to a BBC Radio 6 placement, poured my heart into an application I deemed worthy for the internship but alas, received a rejection email. My first big rejection email of this whole process and this wasn’t even for paid work. I took the news pretty well considering I didn’t really expect to be chosen but seeing the ‘NO’ in its computerised flesh via email, hit me pretty hard.

Deflated

At this current point in my life, I track parcels for a living, put aside £100 a week for a life in London, and pester music magazines and websites in the hope I get a chance to work for them. I’m often certain that this industry builds its workforce on who you know and those who’re in the right place at the right time…

Saying that… I didn’t find myself in the right place when I was given a chance. I was at work; on my lunch break, taking the plunge and emailing a local newspaper my blog along with my aspirations to become a journalist. After not hearing from anyone for more than a few weeks, I decided that instead of crumbling and accepting defeat, I should email them AGAIN and AGAIN until I did… And I can finally say…

IT WORKED.

Unfortunately this local paper’s budget doesn’t allow me to write for them with a freelance wage but the response was even better than I could’ve imagined:

The editor complimented my work = BONUS

She showed enthusiasm in me writing for them to expand my portfolio = WIN:WIN

They asked me to pitch some ideas for their ‘Lifestyle Section!’ 

So what did I pitch?

Music is what I want to write about, however, it’s important when trying to get a career in journalism to not overly specialise in one area straight away… So I chose fashion. Vintage Fashion specifically, and before I knew it I had arranged with the editor to write a piece on the vintage retailers in my local area, meet up with a photographer, so in the next few weeks it can become a feature.

 I will be in print again!

This is exactly the kind of opportunity I had been hoping for; yearning for; something to get my name further out there. I’m not saying that this one article is going to see my name in shining lights, but it’ll sure get itself in a frame at home and put me on a running, leaping start in the right direction, off of the crossroads and onto the career ladder. 

Who knows, this might mean I’m quite lucky after all…