So every time I write, my strategies have changed. Everything is pretty much depending on what the day holds, as I’m still hunting out stability and a good fit (and anyone who will hire/call me back!!).

I’ve finally had design work to do the past week. Financially it’s helpful, yes…very helpful. But even more, it’s been uplifting to simply have work to be busy with. A few months without much real movement and a lot of things falling through, stress and frustration begin to build up.

I’ve got two contacts working out at the moment. One is basically office space at a cool interactive design studio with about 8 employees (only ONE designer there!). There’s one potential client so far that they’re handling the proposal and invoicing for, which is awesome. It hasn’t been accepted yet as far as I know, so we’ll see.

I also finally got in with a crazy ad agency in Downtown Dallas, which is funny because I’ve never been sure about advertising—it isn’t my forté (as far as I know) and I’ve heard of the pace is nuts (which it is, I racked up 20 hours in 2 days). It’s web design without the coding which isn’t what I’m after (I think I’d like to do more print work), but I seem to find web jobs way more available.

The thing that surprised me the most about the ad agency is that I found myself pretty energized by it. I’ll have to wait and see because it can tend to be easy as an outsider, only stepping in temporarily. But I do think the amount of people in the office (200 employees I think), people around my age (a friend of mine got me in the door, and there are 2 others I know of who were in my major), and the interaction in general going on is really good for me. I tend to absorb the atmosphere that surrounds me. If things are fast paced, I feel fast paced. If it’s slow and quiet, I adapt accordingly. When I really started into the work world near the end of college, I didn’t realize how important office culture was in regards to my “shape-shifting”.

At this point, there isn’t a lot of choice with employment, so you can’t be too picky or hold out too long. I do think that I am finding I don’t know what I want exactly as I realize how many other avenues there are that I’ve yet to explore with my work. We’ll see how this next week goes.

By the way, the photo above is my recently revised, reprinted, and rebound portfolio. more images here. (Can you tell I have a thing for orange? We’ll call it branding.) “Hilariously”, I printed it to get an interview with the ad agency, and got called in the next day to start working. Nice to have it all together after way too long.

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tags: Dallas, design, plans, work

So, I’ve been trying to freelance.
Contemplated getting an LLC setup, finding a CPA, and so forth the past few weeks. Working for myself hasn’t been too successful, more “prospects” than real meat that’s ready to be cooked and served up. I have a couple clients near moving (one really cool client thanks to my friend Chris King!). I decided to try freelance because the studio I really want to work for can’t hire me for now. Unfortunately, my finances are getting super tight way too fast. As freelance doesn’t look like it will get me close enough to having insurance or savings any time soon, I’ve started re-thinking my options. I’m thankful for my parents and Graham & Natalie who have been kind enough to allow me places to live for free while I try and piece together life again out in Dallas.

In-house opportunities and an excellent Wednesday
Today I received an email from guy at a major hospital in Dallas, asking if I was interested in a web designer position. They found my resumé and contacted me! Encouraging. :) At first I though, “nahhhh, in-house design in a non-creative environment hasn’t been my aim for work”. But as I thought about it, I remembered, “hey…I’m POOR!” Trying something new might be worth a look. It’d probably be stable, a consistent workflow, slower, well paying, nice insurance. I also love the idea of agile design, a topic I read about on DesignNotes. This concept is hard to pull at a studio. Businesses want/need a final product served up. But “agile design” is how I started out, constantly working and reworking my church’s website which I handed-coded out of Window’s notepad when I was 16, gradually correcting the interface and site architecture as feedback was received and needs arose. Adaptation fixing problems—I love this and do it all the time in regular every day things (read: I’m OCD about rearranging my life + possessions). So, I mulled it over, talked to friends for advice and emailed back in the evening seeking further information.

About an hour after sending an email back, I get a call from my friend Jared who hadn’t heard about this. He had info about a potential art direction position at a photography album company in Dallas. Again, not something I would have thought to pursue before, but the hospital’s email (plus the past months’ frustration of no work) shook up my vision of what could work. The idea of working on a single brand and helping craft that over time is more intriguing than I’d really been thinking. Sounds like it’d be researching competitors, developing for them, branding, ads and promotional materials for the company. I’m hoping this one is a good fit. Jared said he’d send them my info. We’ll see where things lead me. If not these places, I think I’m realizing freelance might not be where I want to be and to start hunting out other options.

Engagement pics
I went to Memphis for several days over the Martin Luther King day weekend. While in town, I got to take my old roommate Jeff and his fiance Christina out for an engagement shoot. Honestly, I still get nervous about shoots for which I haven’t had time to layout every single detail. Probably good for me to learn to take limitations of an environment and make something great out of it. We were really short on daylight due to schedules, but I am pleased about some of the photos we were able to pull out from our time. Hoping to finish these by this weekend.

Yale House lease
I got word today that my lease in Memphis is now out of my hands. No more payments!! Such a relief to have that monthly bill taken care of. I met the potential sublease roommate while I was in Memphis cleaning out the rest of my junk from my room.

Randoms.
• I have new glasses (and contacts) and you probably wouldn’t realize it had I not said anything. I notice though because the lenses are crystal clear!
• I noticed my beard is getting nice and full. I likes it.
• I am still living in my parent’s guest room with most all my possessions in storage—I cannot wait to live with Graham and Natalie + have a room of my own crafted again with posters and books surrounding me!
• I danced a final Memphis crazyjustindance in the dark over Christmas break.
• I’ve been part of a Project 365, taking 1-photo-a-day (almost to 30 pics). This is sadly the most consistent thing in my life.

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tags: Dallas, design, Memphis, photography, plans, work

Some folks from New St. Peter’s got together this Sunday afternoon for the 3rd year (this was my first time to join) to eat together, as well as to share scripture: one verse that stood out or described last year, and one to be a cornerstone upon which this new year might be built. These are sort of three things I am desperately drawn to: The Word, people’s stories, and people’s open & honest struggles.

Scripture is funny to me because at times there is an almost literal experience of nourishment and taste, as if I’d taken a bite. On occasions, I hear a passage where Jesus is speaking to his disciples, where Paul is writing to churches, and it hits the spot—far too often due to spiritual malnourishment, lack of peace, lack of rest in my relationship with The Lord. It says something though of the Living Word, the Bread of Life and that faith is not a static, empty list of rules, but faith is a dynamic, potent, abundant relationship. I must remember this at times in my life (lately, for example) where I neglect God.

The other two things I’ll put together. I’m a listener and observer more than a talker at times. I enjoy peering into the varieties of life, seeing so many perspectives, hearing what people experience, watching how they react, and at times such as this, even finding out what has been going on underneath the surface—why they reacted as they did and where they intend to go next.

Many people shared the past year as having been difficult, a year lost, a year we might rather forget as having happened. The reasons varied, but at the core of each story, one could begin to see that they’re not the only one out there who is clueless, frustrated, empty, and alone. Oddly enough, I find that hopeful…that struggle is common. We’re less different than I typically believe, and this barrier being torn down is a help from any of us in getting so absorbed in our own hurt, where we only look inward instead of considering that others too suffer (and perhaps even worse?). Instead, we could use such hard things to bridge a gap in relationships to connect with one another, even to Christ who suffered (and intentionally suffered on our behalf!). We can use even these hard moments as a time we can cry out to God for refuge from the dark, comfort from the uncertainties, and peace despite the turbulence.

Hearing about people’s heartaches and hardships tell me something about a community: it’s actually alive. If you lean into these conversations, you hear its breathes and can feel the walls of its lungs sinking and rising again. It’s real. And it’s trustworthy; not that everything you hear is complete truth and reliable—as we’re fallible, tainted by sin, and short-sighted, each and every one—but it is at least willing to admit its faults in humility. And that’s a hill upon which we can begin to build community, which with a bit of grace can thrive with richness and power.

Two thousand ten begins with something I’ve hungered for these past few months while I’ve not had much stillness or belonging. Community isn’t something I am good at doing, particularly not leading or creating—but as I’ve had various conversations with friends about intimacy, hearing that it is lacking at times for them too, I’ve needed to find it. In a way, it tells me there’s a place for me here in Dallas (not discounting the importance of my family and friends who are here, but looking to where I’ll fit in the scheme of things, and if there is even enough of a scheme to fit); I’ve needed to see that I can stay and get planted. So, today was especially encouraging to me at a very fitting moment. I’m thankful for a glimpse, for hope that there is more depth and growth in community to come.

I hope you are blessed this year in all that you see, do, and live out.

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tags: Bible, community, Dallas, gospel, hardship, home, learning, life