For the last, oh, 12+ years I have been doing ResearchBuzz in my spare time while carrying on a “real job”. Spare time that wasn’t very spare since I worked long hours. For several years there I was working so many hours that my life was just work / ResearchBuzz / sleep when I had a moment.
I changed that a couple of weeks ago. I gave my notice at work, and now I’m writing full-time.
Mostly I’m doing this because I love writing. I love connecting with you. I love helping solving problems. So here I am.
I’m scared. This may not work. I may end up as a checker in a grocery store if I can’t pay the bills. That’s okay. I’ve done it before (and I can be a checker and do ResearchBuzz.) I could skip the fear and just keep on with the regular job — but you know what, I’d rather feel fear than regret in this case.
So what does this mean to you? More writing. More articles. I’m back on LinkedIn, if you want to connect let me know (but PLEASE let me know in your invite that you read RB; I don’t generally approve “out of the blue” requests.)
I have a metric ton of tools I’ve never had time to play with; I want to mess around with them and write about it. I have search problems I want to solve. I had concerns about search and preservation I want to try to articulate.
I’m pretty sure there are some of you out there who have been reading since almost day 1 in 1998. I would not be here without you. Even if you’ve never contacted me, knowing there was somebody out there reading kept me going.
All of you who have been reading, sending me sources, supporting me on Patreon — thank you thank you thank you thank you. I’m a big ball of fear and excitement and gratitude and love. Can I do any good in this world?
Let’s find out.
I love you more than ever,
Tara
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Congrats, Tara! I’m a relatively new follower. If this has been parttime, I’m looking forward to full time!
You are following your heart, Tara! So many people cannot do that…So you and I (plus some others…) are the lucky ones. I retired from daily teaching years ago, but you cut me open and you will find Lesson Plans!
To thine own self be true. You are an excellent writer, who is destined to succeed full-time.
Good luck!
Now you’ll have time to read some of those historical novels you’ve wanted to get to!
-Van Wyck Mason
I’m all about that Lindsey Davis and Laura Joh Rowland and David Liss!
Good move! You rock! I found out about you a few years ago from reposts by Genealogist Thomas MacEntee and I said, “Why don’t I just follow RB and get it from the source?” So, I did. Keep up all the interesting and informative news posts.
“Can I do any good in this world?” Tara, you do a h-u-g-e amount of good by your care in curating resources, and by the integrity of your judgment in your comments about them. Your posts are the start to my day, every day. Thank you!!
Good luck! And most important, have a blast! Thank you for all that you do.
Your blog as well as your monitoring and filtering are the best service for information science experts and information scientists
Hi Tara, Good luck on this adventure. And thanks for all of the years you have been writing. I read almost every word that you write. Best, Carl Friedberg