How do you answer the question “What do you do?”

My husband never has a problem answering this question.  He has a lot of options, he  can keep it simply with, “I am an engineer” or he can advance to the more complicated, “I am water manager for an agency created by the legislature in 1963”.  He has no trouble with the question.

I on the other hand have lots of trouble with it.  In the past I would have answered with “I am a pulmonary rehabilitation educator” or “I am a Respiratory Therapist” but after becoming disabled I am neither of these things any more. 

When we moved to Bakersfield we planned on my taking 2 years off to settle the teenagers and manage the renovation of our home.  My husband even made up a title for me, Family Harmonist. 

But now when people ask me what I do I have a hard time answering.  Saying I am disabled to someone you are just meeting is not a conversation started.  I can’t claim to be a stay at home mom, both of my kids are adults.  I refused to say that I am a housewife, I don’t want to be defined by the chores I do around the house.  My husband doesn’t tell people he is an engineer and he mows the lawns. 

I thought this uncertainty about how to answer the “What do you do?” question would end when I started thinking of my blog as a job and so I started saying, “I have my own blog.”  This is when peoples eyes start to glazed over and I wonder if they have any idea what a blogs is.  I think they are envisioning me sitting in my pj’s writing long and rambling posts based on my meaningless opinions of world affairs.  No wonder their eyes glaze over.

So I have decided to change how I approach the question and even give myself a new title.  I am going to strike “blog” from my job definition and replace it with website.  Not actually correct but not exactly incorrect either and I think people have a  better understanding of what want I work on.

Next I am going to give myself a new title.  While wasting time on Pinterest a few days ago, I mean looking for inspiration, I noticed that the originator of the picture listed himself as blog author.  I liked that, it was short and to the point and still hinted at a creative job.  The I started of thinking about all the titles I could give myself, after all I am the publisher and editor of this little endeavor. 

I could be the Director of  Creative Content or the Manager of Photo Editing.  I could be the Research Department head or the Photo Stylist.   I am also the Copy Editor and contributing writer not to mention the head of Marketing. 

I am just a one woman whirlwind and I need a title to match.

So out with the wimpy, “I have my own blog” and in with a new snazzy title.  Or maybe just an informal, “I write and publish a decor website’.

How do you answer the question?  And what title would you give me?  I can’t wait to hear your suggestion.

Thanks for reading,

Traci