my work is designing graphics, both small and humongous, for tradeshows for a particular gigantic corporate company in the computer industry. i don't so much "design" as i "follow rules," "brand standards" as they are called. basically i plug in photographs and lay out typography. it's not a bad job, i mean, pay wise, it allows me to live in san francisco and still eat dinner every night, which i didn't do for years when i was working in the much-preferred newspaper industry.
ANYWAY, my company that works for this corporate dick company is into making the artists do all kinds of stuff besides art. yesterday in a meeting we were asked if we know how to design tradeshow floorplans. everyone maintained composure but i'm sure i'm not the only one who had this going on inside their mind, "NO! I'M A FUCKING ARTIST! I DRAW AND PAINT PORTRAITS! JESUS CHRIST!" as it turns out, i will soon be learning how to design tradeshow floorplans.
how did i get here?
i loved working for newspapers. especially very closely with editorial. laying out the front page at the 11th hour with two publishers and an editor yelling over my shoulder, very passionately screaming out headline after headline until we found what worked, are some of my best "career" memories. i function best under pressure. work is like bike riding for me. if i go too slow, i fall off. i need fast fast fast to maintain concentration.
as usual, though, when i start to feel this way about my job and career, i think about the guy i saw cleaning up errant trash blowing across the parking lot at the mcdonalds on potretro street. now that's a fucker of a job.
1 comment:
Trade show floorplans? Jeez, could there be anything more exciting? Working in an office or working on the street, we're all paid to do things we don't want to do. I feel for you.
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