This post originally appeared on Rynski’s Blogski at TucsonCitizen.com until it was deleted by Administrator Mark Evans shortly after being posted Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010.
Please note: I will not be blogging with the Citizen until Dec. 30 as originally planned but rather Evans accepted my resignation “effective immediately.”
One Way: Out/Ryn Gargulinski
It is with a mixture of excitement and sadness that I am officially leaving TucsonCitizen.com, with my last scheduled day of work Dec. 30.
This will the case, of course, provided the resignation letter I sent to site Administrator Mark Evans does not prompt him to shuttle me out of there sooner.
I will not get into all the gory details of my letter except to say Evans and I disagreed on philosophy.
His philosophy was I should be a full-time site administraor, rather than continue as a writer, artist and content creator. His plan was to go into effect Jan. 1.
Sure, I could still blog, he said, on my own time after the 40 hours of administrative duties were complete. That is, he added, if I still had the desire to write anything.
I always have the desire to write – it bubbles in my blood. And I will continue to fuel, feed and meet that desire – just not with TucsonCitizen.com.
The fact remains I have worked very hard on the site for the past 18 months and suddenly I was expected to put aside everything I have worked hard to achieve, things that helped Evans prosper since the site went live in May 2009.
I just couldn’t do it.
When Gannett hired me on to help keep the site going after the print edition of Tucson Citizen folded, Gannett envisioned my foremost duties as writing and creating content. Secondary duties were to be helping with the concept and execution of the site as well as some administrative duties.
Obviously that was going to change under Evans’ supervision.
My past achievements as a staff writer and content creator apparently did not matter to him. Since I started with Gannett in January 2007, a few of my accomplishments include:
- Winning several awards, including the Don Schellie Award for best feature column in Arizona
- Creating dozens of articles and columns for the newspaper and more than 1,000 posts for the site, including being the sole content creator for some time after the transition.
- Creating and producing my own videos, photos and artwork.
- Attracting a loyal following who enjoy my fresh perspective and often quirky point of view.
- Remaining one of the top-read blogs on the site, bringing in nearly 29,000 page views with Rynski’s Blogski for November alone, with more than an additional 15,000 views from my other three blogs.
NOTE: This list is not meant as bragging material, but rather as a list of recent accomplishments I presented to Evans.
In retrospect, I have come to the conclusion that my gifts are mine and I intend to grow with them. I will not become a secretary for the site.
My passion is still writing and being creative, and if those things are so insignificant to the administrator that he can do without a loyal employee, I just don’t see any future here.
That’s where the mixture of excitement and sadness comes in. The Tucson Citizen newspaper was a great place to work and a publication of which I was proud to be a part.
Some of the most wonderful – and zaniest – people I’ve met in Tucson were on that staff.
I am sad for the demise of the Citizen.
On the excitement end, I am eager to see what’s next in my creative career.
I’ve been applying to newspaper, radio and other writing and journalism jobs where I know I can thrive. Jobs that will appreciate a prolific writer with an array of other skills that include video, photo, illustrations, radio – things substantially more fulfilling than clicking a mouse all day.
My freelance work is enough to keep me afloat. I am also in the middle of penning a book on my early days in New York City, and yes, I also have RYNdustries’ kooky artwork that people buy from time to time.
Although, after Dec. 30, I will not be producing any new blog content for TucsonCitizen.com, I set up a new blog at:
www.RynskiBlogski.wordpress.com
New content coming in January.
While I won’t be able to blog daily, at least not initially, I intend to create at least two posts each week: my Friday column and my Wednesday radio show announcement, playlist and download.
In the meantime, you can:
- Follow Rynski on Twitter: www.twitter.com/rynski
- Join the RYNdustries Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/RYNdustries/210592336829
- Pat yourselves on the back for being so wonderful.
I am so grateful for all you readers – your support, input, friendships and other connections we’ve made during my time at the Citizen.
And I would love to keep you in my life.
What do you think?
How far have you gone to follow your dreams?
Have you had a similar work experience? Please explain.
