It probably won’t surprise you to learn that I’m a big fan of the podcast The Magnus Archives and its spinoff, The Magnus Protocol. The first time I listened to TMA I thought “this is it, this is what I want to do with my life.” Not in the getting-chased-through-London-by-Eldritch-beings sense, although I’m sure that has its appeal for some. What drew me in were the stories and the people that collected them, and the desire to also be a person that recorded these stories and tried my best to investigate them. I itched to get into an archive full of things only whispered about in folklore and study the contents for years.
Before the podcast, of course, I had my deep love of folklore and stories. I spent much of my formative years in libraries, and when I bought a house of my own I immediately devoted an entire room to books and papers. I majored in creative writing and religious studies, thus ensuring my dedication to poverty and a love affair with strong tea. I even wrote and published a few short stories celebrating folklore, horror, and fantasy.
There is not, as you probably guessed, much of a job market for folklorists and writers. There are the occasional degrees cropping up for them, but these seem to be marketed towards “personal development” or encouraging their graduates to become professors themselves. Much like Jon of TMA, however, I am not predisposed towards enjoying large groups of people. I flatter myself that I have excellent manners and can provide reasonably good company, but turning up day after day to lecture large bodies of students and then returning home to grade their papers…is not ideal.
If money didn’t matter, I would pursue these passions in my every waking moment. As it stands, I do have to work to live, so I’ve managed the next best thing: finding a job with enough free time to enable to me to also do what I love. It’s not glamorous work, admittedly, but I am afforded access to a private office, internet, and general freedom so long as I keep up with my workload.
Gathering Breadcrumbs, then, was begun with my best friend in an attempt to do what I love despite money. I don’t imagine it will ever get to the point that it provides a stable income, but then again, it’s not as if I need much. The plan is to begin with writing for now, and gradually add on a podcast and YouTube channel to reach more people. If we happen to gain donations to help us continue our research and explorations, well, that is appreciated.