My Dream

After next week I will be unemployed again. I won’t be working in the building with a bullseye. I'm relieved. I've been miserable. It’s time for this flamingo to fly.

I made a list of all the jobs that I can remember holding since 1987.

Car hop at Ray’s Drive in

Recreational Therapist Assistant at the State Hospital

Dishwasher in LaFolette dorm

Caregiver for a disabled student

Homecare for elderly (one gig, I couldn’t cook fish and the woman yelled at me)

Group home for developmentally disabled folks

Appointment setting for Kirby vacuum

Cashier at Shop and Save

Telephone Answering Service

900 line phone sex party line

Administrative Assistant and Shipping Dept Little Earth Productions

900 line phone sex out of my house

Tattoo shop stuff, though I didn’t get paid money, I was really good at soldering needles and selling tattoos

Telemarketing for one of those fake police officer scams

Archiving for Columbia House in an old mine

Another group home for developmentally disabled folks

Collections for the phone company

Customer Service for Anthem BCBS

Medical Billing and Coding for DCL Medical Labs

Veterinary Assistant Wildcat Valley Animal Clinic

Waitress at Uncle Vito’s Pizza

Vet Assistant at Chastain Animal Hospital

PetNurse at Banfield

Veterinary Assistant Wildcat Valley Animal Clinic

Cake Decorator at Marsh

Counter Help at Long’s Bakery

Collections for an Ambulance company

Customer Service Specialist for Ascension MSC

Food Delivery for Mr. Delivery

Carny (was really happy to mark that one off my bucket list)

Pilot car driver

Homecare for a disabled man

Forklift driver at CAT

Medical Collections for Rotech

Homecare for elderly

Pet/House/Human sitting House cleaning

Event Staff for Wild Bill’s Old Fashioned Soda

School Photographer

Homecare for the Elderly

Seasonal Cashier at Target

I've come to the realization that the best thing for my mental well being is to focus on self employment. It's time for me to go full blown flamingo and live according to my mission statement to love life, be art. I don't do well in our normal work environment so I am channeling my attention on creative ways to support me, Kenn Dahl and Old Darb's Plastic Flamingo Farm.

Last night I dreamt I was watching a movie and someone was selling T-shirts out of a VW Bus. I remembered it when I was brainstorming with Bestie this morning. That’s when it hit me. I need a big flamingo van that Kenn Dahl and I can use to resume our adventures. It can be a pop up boutique where I can sell my upcycled clothing and handmade gifty stuff like customized plastic flamingos and whatever else I come up with. We can start exploring America again and search for treasures to upcycle and sell to fund our adventures and to turn Old Darb’s Plastic Flamingo Farm into art land and a flamingo paradise.

I'm working on how to make the dream into a reality as it requires money that I obviously don't have, otherwise I would already be driving a flamingo van. All of my spare time has been devoted to experimenting with different techniques of discharge dying clothing I find in second hand stores. The fashion industry is a huge source of pollution so I prefer to upcycle pre owned garmets rather than start with new items. So this cast away girl is taking these cast away clothes and giving them a second chance at a new life to fund her new life as a full time flamingo.

This is preview of what I've made so far. Kenn Dahl is doing his part to support the farm and model my ReCreations. Each one of these shirts are made with love. I get to know them personally as I twist and tie them. I give them words of encouragement and tell them they are going to look awesome. Then I take them to my chemistry lab and let chemistry work it's magic. After a wash and rinse, I lavish each garment with compliments and good wishes for it's next journey.

So when you purchase a ReCreation from Old Darb's Plastic Flamingo, you're purchasing an item with personality and a story behind it. You can tell your friends that you bought the shirt off Kenn Dahl's back. That it's a ReCreation made by Jenn Darby, a pink haired, saw playing artist that lives with on a plastic flamingo farm with Kenn Dahl. That it's a shirt that's been given a second chance and was made with love.

During my last week as a cashier, I will be updating the site and and making more clothes in my spare time. I plan to officially launch on 1/23, because it's the perfect date to launch from.

So stay tuned!!!

Love Life.

Be Art.