Turning Layoffs into Lemonade

Like nearly every other industry, the world of advertising was hit hard–if not harder–during our country’s recent and ongoing recession. The giant, state football championship ring adorned hand of “the man” seemed to be slapping around workers and professionals without pause. The layoffs in the ad world, however, meant that some of the debatably more creative and interesting people in the nation were out of work.

And when interesting people are sitting around with nothing to do but watch reruns of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and draw all day, their brains are going to expand with ideas until eventually they burst with flowery debris like documentaries, creative charities, and fine art.

From one of these excessively creative and unemployed brains, Erik Proulx, came the idea for a documentary/movement called Lemonade. It’s about exactly what I just described – creative people getting laid off, then finding a way to do something cooler and more fulfilling than they did before. Hence the name, Lemonade, as in–making lemonade out of lemons. Good wordplay, Proulx. Perhaps if copywriters were let go more often, we’d have a steady flow of well-named documentaries. Think about it.

– Ben Majoy

– Ben Majoy

Ben Majoy was raised in well-wooded Apalachia, a state champion fly fisherman by the age of 11, and a record holder in catching yellow trout by 23. He’s since taken to writing and has contributed to viceland.com, chicagoreader.com, theantitourist.com, and chicagoartmagazine.com. He owns no Affliction tee shirts.