so i'll at admit it. i am a bit of an over achiever. a might bit anal retentive at times. and i possess a slight case of o.c.d.. but only i'm only this way about things that i really am passionate about - design, cleaning and just doing the right thing in general. sometimes this may annoy people to a certain degree, but in the end they are thankful for the way i am, especially when it comes to design work.
case in point. my coworker and i. correction. my director and i have extremely different work ethics and levels attention to detail. both equally talented, but obviously quite opposite in our methods of getting things done. i can handle, and most often this is the case, more than two or three major projects at a time, while director seems to focus on one major thing and maybe two little things. at this point i should point out that he's a guy. i don't know if chromosome or personalities play a part in this interesting balance of work, but i'd bet money that either or both contribute a lot. our jobs require us to work on numerous projects at any given time. sometimes at a fast pace. we both have agency experience so fast-paced and multi-tasking shouldn't be a problem, right?
today we're working on our various projects. and he runs into a problem with a short deadline, small budget and really cool paper that's a mill item. for those of you who are designers, you know that mill items pretty much kill any dreams of staying within budget. so he's having to sacrifice and use some ok stock, but the color isn't as red as he'd like it. enter my tendency to search and question every option.
drenie: well, why don't you see what other cheaper paper comes closer to the color you want. that red is more pink.
director: it's a mill item. and it's due tomorrow.
drenie: how many are you printing?
director: 500, but it's half-size so we only need 250 sheets.
drenie: the paper store will most likely have the stock you want in a smaller quantity. you could get it in a ream.
director: well fine, why don't you go get it then?
drenie: why don't you just ask the printer if they can use paper from the store if you get it?
director: we'll just use what they suggested. i don't have time to f@!$# with this.
drenie is silent. director walks out of my office.
ok. here's where i'm confused and taken off guard. first of all, we just had a conversation about how i really don't like vulgar language and the f-word constitutes in my mind as high on the vulgarity meter. secondly, you don't have TIME to find a solution you'd be satisfied with? excuse me? you're the one that's that not pleased with what the printer chose. i offer a simple (somewhat time-consuming) solution and you get snippy with me? and by time-consuming, i mean driving 5 minutes up the street to the paper store, buying a ream of the paper that will work for you, coming back and calling the printer to send a runner to come and get it.
what the freak? and don't tell me you don't have time to work on something, when you're sending me e-mails about non-sense (funny, but obviously not work-related), reading magazines and other crap. meanwhile, i'm juggling three major projects that are all due roughly around the same time. not to mention the other little jobs that need some attention, too. don't get me wrong. i like director very much. he's very talented and funny. a little quirky at times, too. we get along great, but incidents like these make me wonder how much i really am valued, appreciated. am i taking what i do too seriously? it is my career, so shouldn't i?
all i want to do is provide my best for my clients at work and freelance. if that requires a little more than just taking what the printer says at face value, so be it. i know sometimes that my persistence can be strong, but isn't that what we're paid to do? find the best solution possible? i am sorry to have this entry be all about complaints, but i have to let it out somewhere. maybe i'm wrong. maybe i should be like other people who only care about doing the minimum to get things done. just do enough so it's good and draw a paycheck.
unfortunately, my personality won't let me do that. it's not good enough to be good enough. i feel like i'm the alien sometimes. maybe tomorrow will be a better work day.
until then,
be diligent. be kind. be blessed.
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