Mostly I’m a muse all the time, but gad, that could get boring. So, I have what I affectionately call “my day job.” See, I pretend to be this ultra-multi-talented graphic designer. These days now, I’ve done my fair share of muddling along -one couldn’t just start right off as famous right away you know, had to build up some of that street creed ‘first and all, yo man.
It’s easy — time and again I find I need to let my boy muddle on his own for a while whether it be in his office or in the room with the big shiny stainless steel things, no matter to me, I go and play at my day job, this one, at Anna Blueberry Digital Media, which is where you found this blog in the first place. Being a muse may be all grand and heady, but the bills still gotta be paid.
I’ve been plodding along as a designer for a little-ish-long while. From since as a little girl when I designed and created rather than played, into my teens when so often did I rearrange all the furniture it was predicted I’d be an interior designer, till by the time I hit adult hood, it logically become the “career” to chose since around here these days, one apparently must have one. I totally played by the rules, went back to school, and bemusedly graduated with an expensive BS degree in Visual (Design / Business) Communications just as the job economy has a major collapse. Sheesh.
So what did I do? I started out playing according to the script: beg for jobs. Heck, I’d even do some for free. Mostly I was scared of wasting a 70k overly priced college education. Don’t get me wrong, I learned a lot, and coupled with my natural giftedness, I am: really good at what I do. I would have only picked a less expensive approach next time around. But since it was so expensive, I wasn’t in a hurry to forget my learning, so I begged, I practiced, heck, I even worked for free, branched out into web development, gained more confidence in managing.
I still remember now, that initial thrill, after our neighbor popped over to tell us the “mean hornet” logo I designed for his local youth rugby team had been put up on their website, printed up on t-shirts and bumper stickers… when I actually SAW one of those mentioned bumper sticker pull out in front of me on a van directly ahead of me. What a pick-me-up moment that was when I realized my work’s actually hitting the street.
I’ve seen since, more of my work decorating vehicles in the neighborhood. It’s nice knowing I’ve helped those individuals/local businesses communicate themselves as well as become more visible in the community.
Yo, I’ve definitely got street creds these days.