by Sandy Penny, Taos Writer, WritingMuse
Finding work in Taos is a bit like hanging out in a chrysalis and emerging as a butterfly.
Upon moving to Taos, I did not immediately have to look for work. I had made an agreement with my guides (my inner guidance) that when I left Houston, I would be supported by my spiritual writing.
When I first got to Albuquerque, I was staying with a friend who had formerly lived in Houston. The first day, he handed me a book about Sacred Relationships. After reading it, I knew I had some kind of connection with the authors. On the book jacket, it said they lived in Colorado. I emailed them and told them I recognized their names and energy from a previous life and described the connection. I then told them I was an editor, and that if they were working on their second book and needed an editor, I was available and would love to do it.
They responded and said they also recognized my vibration and that, indeed, they had just finished their second book and would love to meet with me to discuss the editing and layout. As it turned out, they now live just outside of Albuquerque. I ended up helping them with with their “2012, You Have a Choice.” That was my first spiritual writing project and the beginning of the fulfillment on my agreement with my guides.
I moved on to Santa Fe and then Taos where I stayed with another friend from Houston, and got a writing project from a corporate client. Just as I finished that project, I was introduced by phone to a hospice doctor in Houston who had accumulated ten years of stories about people’s death bed experiences with angels. I soon became the “ghost writer for the angels.” Dr. John Lerma’s book, “Into the Light,” can be found on Amazon. That project supported me for over six months.
I then condensed a book to be read as an audio book, “The Art of Manifesting” by Carole Dean. Carole took a $20 bill and turned it into a multi-million dollar business in the film industry. The book and CD can be purchased at fromtheheartproductions.com.
So far, so good on the spiritual writing projects. I was riding high. Next I worked with a researcher who had created an audio CD that offers prenatal reprogramming. It’s a fascinating subject. I helped edit the marketing materials and website, transformingdragons.com.
Then the writing projects dropped off a bit, and I decided to take a regular job. I applied at the Horse Fly newspaper, but did not get the job. I suggested that we do a section of the newspaper called the ButterFly on alternative healing and spiritual subjects. He said he’d think about it.
I spent the next year working the front desk at various hotels and then took a trip back to Houston. While I was there, I thought, maybe I’ll work in a gallery when I get back. I love art, and there are lots of galleries in Taos.
The day I returned to Taos, I met some friends for happy hour at the Alley Cantina. A man I had only met a couple of times, a writer friend, Ron Chavez, walked up to me and said, “My brother just opened a gallery, do you want to work for us?” Of course, I did. He hesitated because he had actually offered the position to another woman, but as fate would have it, she decided suddenly to leave Taos. That happens here sometimes.
The first time I met Ron, I had not even read his work, but I knew I would help him get published. The winter downtime at the gallery gave me plenty of time to help edit his book, “A Time of Triumph,” also now available on Amazon. I also helped get the word out online for his book. Then, just as I was getting bored with the gallery and had done all I could for Ron for the moment, his brother shut the gallery down.
I applied for unemployment, and because I lost the job through no fault of my own, I got it. That gave me a chance to spend time getting my blogs up and running, learning more about web marketing, and catching up on my own writing. I also started freelancing for the Taos News. I wrote tons of Success stories, summer guide features, real estate magazine features, but I wasn’t happy with the situation, so I quit.
The day after I quit writing for Taos News, I was having lunch at the Dragonfly Cafe and ran into Bill Whaley of the Horse Fly. I reminded him of the idea I had presented two years before for the ButterFly healing arts section, and he said, “Yeah, let’s do it.” So we did.
Just as my unemployment money ran out, Bill offered me more hours and more writing and editing at the paper. Now, I was back to being supported by my spiritual writing again.
So, you see, finding a job in Taos is more about timing and trusting your guidance than anything else. Finally, the ButterFly has emerged from the Chrysalis and is fluttering about town meeting all the spiritual people and continuing to follow it’s own flight path.
