Short-timers

In honor of my last day of work today, I slept in and skipped my morning walk to the beach (pictures above are from yesterday). I know, I know. Boo hisss! What can I say? I was tired. Put a fork in me, I’m done. Besides whoorl says she wants to go for a walk in the afternoon instead so that justifies that. (Although, it’s been hotter than dog’s breath lately. We might have to make it a twilight walk if we intend to keep our cool.)

Today is my last day at the “job” and I am soooooo glad. Lu asked if I’ll miss it, just a little bit. And man, right now I could run around my house and scream, “NO! I won’t miss it a bit!!!” That’s sounds really crappy of me because the people I work with are really nice and fun.

Just look at the pictures we took yesterday. It was “Aloha Day” because one of the employees had a birthday! They drank beer at 9 am (I’m so not kidding) and we went out to a two hour lunch at Islands. Can’t get a much funner office than that. How fun is it when there are only seven employees and you can celebrate every birthday with a big bash? I remember those days back at the Junk Mail Factory, before it grew into the monstrosity corporation. Bygones…

So yes, I’ll miss the people. I’ll even miss the work. I do love what I do.

BUT I’m just done with the industry! I’m done, done, DUN (for at least a month anyway). Let me out of advertising! I don’t care if I never see another blueline (wait, we don’t use blue lines anymore!) I mean proof, 11×17 sheet of paper, toner cartridge, mock-up, project request form, photo cost analysis sheet bla bla bla bla BLAH!

Why all this bad attitude about the field that has brought me immense joy and happiness over the last fifteen years? Well, it’s like this: I love being an artist. I love getting a project, becoming inspired and executing an amazing idea. I even love it when my coworkers and clients exclaim how much they like what I do. I’m on top of the world. I love praise. I would wear a monkey suit and tap shoes and do a little dance every day if I was guaranteed unending praise. I just work like that. (Which is why I love blogging.)

But then comes reality… like a big ol’ sledgehammer squashing my ego on a daily basis. The client wants to tweak this, the account manager wants to bold that, the boss wants to include this and that and the other thing and hey can we fit this in too? And then the sales guy pipes in, “Can you stay late and get this done by yesterday?” Before you know it the design, that I was so proud of, no longer exists. Sure, I fight for my work. I stand up for what I believe in as a designer but it wears me down. I know this is part of working as a team and I know that often the end result IS actually better… BUT I hate the process. I hate coming home from a work day feeling degraded and disrespected. I hate it that after I make the changes and I think my project looks like crap that nobody but me knows the difference. I hate doubting my own (and others) taste. I hate having to keep a smile and say “Of course, that sounds like a great idea…” when actually I want to cram my mock up in the trash and run out of the office crying.

I think I’m ready to quit this gig and go work for the most high maintenance client of all: my baby.

I know, jokes on me.

In my next life I want to be a cake decorator.