Feeling Support at FLA

I can’t believe it has been exactly three months since I moved back to Florida from Los Angeles.  I wrote about the transition just two months ago (read that post here: http://stand-uplibrarian.blogspot.com/2012/02/floridian-of-month.html) and now I know that it was one of the best decisions I have made in years.  In leaving, I not only found what really makes me happy, but I also have the support that helps my talents grow in the right direction.  You can have all the talent in the world but without the right team of people lifting you up, it is meaningless.

It is never easy creating something that nobody has ever done before and while my goal for StandUpLibrarian.com was always to educate and entertain people about libraries, I forgot how difficult it was going to be to educate people about who I was!!!  Yes, I am a librarian with a Master’s degree.  Yes, I am a comedian too. Hence the name: Stand-Up Comedian + Librarian = Stand-Up Librarian.

I am also, as everybody should know by now, unemployed!  I created StandUpLibrarian.com to have something positive to do while looking for jobs.  What people don’t know is that everything you see on here I have done myself and I have done it all for free.  FOR FREE!  I might not have money, but I do have time and I think being an advocate for libraries is just as important as working at one (‘Stand-Up’ in my name also refers to standing up for libraries by taking action.)

So you can only imagine how truly joyful and excited I feel at finally seeing all of my work take flight at the Florida Library Association’s 2012 Annual Conference last week.  Two years ago, there was no StandUpLibrarian.com.  I was just a student at FLA about to graduate with my Masters degree from USF.  But this year, thanks to one woman’s kind heart, I was able to come back and perform as the Stand-Up Librarian.  Just her support in that one decision changed everything for me.

In performing, I got the chance to thank the people who have inspired me all these years.  I also got to see and hear a roomful of librarians laughing at my literary jokes.  More importantly, I was able to show those students about to graduate that if I can survive without a library job for two years and still have a smile on my face, anything is possible…you just have to believe it & maybe even create it.

Finally, over at my display table in between hugs and photos, I learned that people loved my literary purses as much as I did…and I SOLD OUT OF THEM!  Today, in addition to writing this blog post, I am sewing more bags for all the online orders (to order one, visit my Etsy shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MeredithMyersDesigns.)  Plus I am responding to emails about possible jobs and fielding phone calls about future performances.  And why?  Because one woman believed in me and gave me a chance. Thanks Linda.

With Linda Goff, my hero.

Showcasing my talents at my display table.
I would later sell all these bags.

With my two mentors - Gene & Maggie.
Their support over the past two years has been incredible.

Stand-Up Librarian / Meredith Myers Designs!

"So the Stand-Up Librarian sits down at a sewing machine and decides to sew something..."

I am writing from New York City, the fashion capital of the USA, and the place where I first developed my sense of style and love of fashion when I moved here in 2000.  It only seems fitting that I launch my newest passion project in the place that started it all...seriously, I am sitting here in the middle of the Fashion District!  My old office at Vivienne Tam is around the corner…(but that is a whole other story.)   

For the past month, I have spent most of my time sitting in front of a sewing machine, reconnecting with my love of designing and assembling fabrics into wearable art.  Sewing was one of the last things I ever expected to do once I moved back to Florida but I have learned numerous times over the years not to question where my journey sometimes takes me. 

Should something bring you happiness…go with it. 

I originally launched Meredith Myers Designs in 2004 after moving away from NYC and finding my grandmother's sewing machine collecting dust in the garage.  She had passed away the weekend I moved to NYC, so it was odd that when I returned to Florida four years later, it was like she wanted me to know that things were going to be okay. 

After years as a publicist, struggling comedian, and now a failed author with an unpublished manuscript sitting on my desk, sewing gave me something fun to do while I tried to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.  Nothing seemed to be working but her sewing machine from the 1970’s.  Since I'd always had an eye for fashion and fabric, it made sense that if I couldn't find what I wanted in stores, I might as well make it myself!

I got in some newspapers, and sold some purses through friends, but my heart wasn’t in being a fashion designer.  A bag is a great accessory to looking good, but what truly makes an outfit fabulous was the knowledge on the inside of the person wearing it.  I wanted to focus on that path.  Which was unpaved at this point, so I went to the library for information and to conduct some research.  Next thing I knew, I was in grad school studying to be a librarian, and then moving to Los Angeles.  So the poor sewing machine that I loved so much went back to collecting dust in the garage. 

However as you already know, after five long years in LA, I am back in Florida...and now sitting at that sewing machine again!  I am once again unemployed, however, this time I know what I want to do with my life!

As the Stand-Up Librarian, my mission has always been about educating and entertaining people about the importance of libraries.  I believe each and every one of us can be an advocate for libraries whether we work in them or not.  So in addition to my literary comedy performances, videos, and witty commentary on StandUpLibrarian.com, I am now promoting literacy in my DESIGNS!  An example that nothing we ever do in our lives is a waste of time.

I say the only thing cooler than reading a good book is WEARING IT, so please help me share with the world the importance and necessity of our libraries and books by carrying one of my literary designs!  I am making cosmetic bags, wristlet purses, and the cutest fanny packs you will ever see since the awesome 80’s!  Seriously, I live for these literary fanny packs because when I have my arms full of library books, I don’t want the annoyance of a heavy purse on my shoulder!

All bags are made to order and sewn by me (when I am not on stage or at the library.)  The fabrics are also chosen by me depending on season, availability, and whether I enjoyed the book (sorry, no Jersey Shore or Paris Hilton books will be included here.)  All bags are fully lined in coordinating fabrics and contain strong zippers so you won't lose that library card.  I offer various price ranges so whether you are a library student or a library director, you can still own a Stand-Up Librarian original!

My Etsy shop is now officially open, so GET SHOPPING!!!!  The link is here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MeredithMyersDesigns

I hope you will enjoy my "book" bags as much as I loved making them.

Meredith,

The Stand-Up Librarian Designer