Let’s talk about work
Update & preview (pt. 1)
Off and running on the interview stream of my study on the experience of work and I wanted to share a peek into some of the wonderful conversations thus far. But before doing that one great piece of news is I’m now collaborating with the talented Traven Benner on this piece of work. Traven has been capturing beautiful environmental portraits of our participants (samples below) as well as conducting some interviews.
To date every interview has been incredibly rewarding. People are amazing. I’ve had this thought countless times in the past walking out of ethnographies. Again, with this project, I’m left incredibly inspired after each discussion. ‘What do you do?’ It’s that eye-rolling cocktail party question that makes so many of us cringe. But if you ask the question and then take the time to truly listen, you start to get to the meaty stuff. During one interview the participant interrupted midway to thank us for taking the time to get beyond the surface.
‘First I want to take a moment to just like thank you for your questions….you know, people just don’t ask enough questions these days. It’s really nice to just be asked.’
What we do shouldn’t define us. Especially when what we do is much less interesting than why we do it. Through this process I’m learning the stories and motivations behind our work connect us across the most disparate jobs and sectors. The untold work tales of that ordinary person next to you on the subway might not be so far off from the ones told by the hotshot guest on your favourite podcast. Those shared attitudes and experiences are what I’m finding most fascinating.
Without further ado, a little teaser of some of these conversations below.
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Nyree, 46, School Bus Driver
Nyree has been driving a school bus since 2013. She has a Bachelor of Education and has spent most of her life working as an English as a Second Language teacher in Indonesia, South Korea, Quebec, East Timor, Thailand and Bangladesh.
There was a kid who was a little hyper and so I made him sit at the front. And I just overheard he had a thing about waffles. There was some kind of in joke he and his brother and his friends had about waffles. So at Canadian Tire I saw this little notebook and it was a three dimensional cover shaped like a waffle. So I bought it and I gave it to him as a gift at Christmas or the end of the year. And a year later I saw him getting off the bus one day and he had it in his hand and I was like ‘oh my god you actually use that’ and he’s like ‘yep’ [laughs]….
He also started telling stories to the kids at the front. I told him he was a really good storyteller and I think I even encouraged him to write down his stories. I wanted him to feel good about himself and to feel like he was helping me. You know I want the kids to think I’m on their side — even if it’s two kids fighting I want them both to think I’m on their side [laughs].
Roland, 42, Co-Founder & Chief Scientist
Roland is a German artificial intelligence researcher currently on leave from his Assistant Professor role at the University of Montreal to work on his Deep Learning startup. He has been an assistant professor in Frankfurt and a researcher in Zurich, Princeton and Toronto.
I’m not actually working [laughs]. Well actually I consider all of this managing business — sending emails to organize the lab and deal with issues and stuff — this is work. But the actual mission and the immediate things….it’s not really work. I’ve been doing this for 15 years now and I couldn’t imagine… I know that I’m not going to retire in that sense.
….maybe it’s my Dad, he’s an artist, a painter, and he also never works in that sense. His work is also happening 24 hours. I remember when I was child watching the TV and he would put his paintings next to it just to keep thinking about his work. So I kind of experienced as a child that my dad wouldn’t stop working or wouldn’t call that work.
Frank, 64, Retail Buyer
Originally from Argentina, Frank has been working at an iconic Toronto department store for the past 49 years. Today his role includes buying for Houseware, Giftware, Bedding, Luggage and Carpets. He has worked in several positions since beginning part time in 1967 while in high school.
I started part time and slowly I started to get promoted. Because, Mr Mirvish, he always promoted within. I don’t have a business education, I don’t have a college degree. Everything I learned I learned it here by physically doing it and listening to my seniors….and I think I did well. I built a good reputation for myself and the store….
We respected [Mr. Mirvish] as a businessman, but he was also like a friend to us. If we made a mistake when we did the buying he would talk to us, but two minutes later it was forgotten. And the only thing he expected from us was don’t make the same mistake, that’s all. We all make mistakes. That’s how he was and that’s what we learned from him. A lot of the coworkers here, a lot of them have been here 50, 40 years, 30 years, so we became like brothers and sisters. I don’t think there are so many places that have that now.
Alexandra, 34, Farmer
Alexandra is a member of an organic farming collective. She lives and works on the farm seasonally. Once a week she heads into the city and sells her produce at a small Farmer’s Market. Prior to farming she was a social worker. She runs a social enterprise that offers farming opportunities for people living with mental illness and/or addiction.
I remember first coming on to this farm. It just felt like a magical space. There’s a physical aspect to the work I really liked — working out in nature, using more of my body than my head. Sitting in front of a computer, I think that was part of what wasn’t working for me. It just wasn’t natural for me. Everything here just felt really good. But I think more than anything though, it was the connecting with people. When you’re out in the fields and your harvesting or you’re weeding or you’re watering and you’re talking to people, immediately you just drop down to a deeper place. You’re able to be vulnerable and share what’s really going on, not just the day to day superficial stuff — that just wasn’t enough for me.
Nick, 31, Musician
Nick is bassist in an award-winning Canadian rock band that has been recording and touring for the past 10 years. Until recently he handled all the band’s business management. He occasionally writes about professional baseball.
In any job I’ve had I’ve never been this intertwined financially with other people. I find that interesting. How it differs from having typical coworkers….if we’re on the road 220 days of the year, take off 20 nights where we might get our own room or something, that’s 200 nights where I’m literally sleeping in a room with another guy in the band, right? So I think one thing we’ve learned — and we do a pretty good job of managing — is that the kind of relationship you have with someone when your with them all day and all night is not the same as going to work and leaving at 5 o’clock in the afternoon. You have to be more comfortable with someone, you have to give people space when they want.
….I’m not married I don’t have kids. But a couple of the guys are married. That stuff all colours how we manage the band. I’d say in the last few years we’ve been in a pretty intensive stage of trying to grow outside of Canada and that involves a lot of, not only time, but financial investment too — to tour in Europe to tour in the States. So because we’re all interconnected, I could see a time when if everybody had kids that might change. And knock on wood [taps table] this hasn’t happened but there’s potential for conflict; if two of us still aren’t married and don’t have kids we might want to push to tour more and they might not.
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The stories and motivations behind our work connect us across the most disparate jobs and sectors.
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In the new year we’ll begin publishing the long-form interviews regularly on a dedicated publication page. In the meantime we will be continuing to interview folks across a wide variety of roles that represent both emerging and declining roles. One thing that has become clear while digging into this project — aside from it being hugely gratifying — is that it is not a quick one off. It’s definitely a longer ongoing initiative that will culminate with a bigger creative presentation in some form. I’ll be sending out a separate note on developments surrounding the Museum of Contemporary Work exhibit when those are more solidified.
If you have questions about the project or interest in getting involved you can email me at hazell.sean@gmail.com
