29 January 2006

[42] Those Were All Personal Days

While this humble chronicle isn't even near the most read blog locally, there are a few stalwarts who check this place on a regular basis. You will have noticed that my participation and presence have dropped rather remarkably.

I may not be the most popular kid on the block (and certainly not amongst the cool) but I have valued my consistency.

The unexpected hiatus began with my catching What Was Going Around™ back during January, Week 2. This developed into a cough that was pretty much a twenty four seven thing, with concomitant effects to my sleep. Things just kinda went downhill from there as my health, then my sanity hit something of a rough patch.

Midway through that illness, a hoped-for opportunity not only didn't pan out, but didn't pan out in the most despicable way. I'll not write on that just this moment; it is a sort of post that every aspiring designer passes, though, and as such is germane to the writing that I do do, so I'm developing something out of it.

Life, lemons, lemonade, that sort of thing.

I have suffered the disappointment of still not being paid to design more than six months since leaving school with a diploma. That certainly contributed to it.

But, mind, I'm not going for sympathy. Perhaps I'm just thinking this one out loud. If, in life, one must taste failure so as not to take victory for granted, that must go double or more for design, where the right combination of happenings can combine, so far as I've seen, to one very sweet success indeed.

Sure, I love design. That's a given. I also am uppity enough to think that I deserve to make a living at it.

So, I'm getting back to arranging a few things I'm working on as continuing projects:
  • First, I so very much enjoyed that bit on Burnside Street I did a few entries back, I'm very much leaning toward making a series out of it. It's hard right now, for me, a night worker in a season with short days, to get the pictures I want of the street signs. So that one will start out slowly.
  • Second, I'm going to continue finding local logos I like and pontificating. A love of logos is one reason I decided to become a designer to begin with (amongst other factors).
  • Third, I have a goal of landing a regular design paycheck by the end of 2006. This has exactly one moving part right now: 1. Get a design job. It's a little weak, but I've learnt the value of starting small. I'll work it out.
  • Fourth, me. That should go without saying.
Okay, enough self-obsession. The next entry down here will not be for a few days; I have a few article deadlines to meet, and I am way behind in planning.

Tomorrow is a work day. Writing, writing, writing. Tuesday we visit The Squirt™, who stays with The Mom™ and The Dad™ down in my old home country, about an hour away.

8 comments:

Radio Gretchen said...

Sorry to you haven't been feeling well. Hang in there! I too am discovering that landing a design job in this city isn't easy. However, you have some things going for you that many others do not - and it will pay off in the long term. You have a genuine love and talent for what you do, the ability to network, a knack for writing, and a positive outlook.

stan said...

I might be able to help you out on your first item, the business of snapping photos of street signs. Let me know which streets or intersections and I can help contribute some of my own Sign Blade Photo Nerdery™ to your cause (though on weekends, on account of the still-short daylight hours).

Samuel John Klein said...

Gretchen:

Thank you for your words of support. I much appreciate them. They really made me feel a bit better!

Samuel John Klein said...

Stan:

Your offer is very generous and I accept.

What I can never find time to do during the day is get pictures of the special signs on the TriMet mall downtown (they're alternative versions of already-posted signs and I think notable).

Of course, if you can't get to downtown Portland, some signs from around your neck'o'the woods that you think is interesting would be good too.

stan said...

Are you talking about those big box-shaped signs, they're black or really dark brown, attached underneath the signals?

(Tried to find an example of one on a Google image search; this, this and this are the closest I could get)

stan said...

Monday: I haven't made it downtown yet, but with the sunny weather we're expecting all week, I imagine that I'll be able to venture down there on one or more lunch breaks. Don't worry, though—it's not an imposition by any means, since you know I enjoy this nerdery as much as you do.

Today I just shot the signs right around my office: (NE) 6th, Multnomah, Hassalo, Holladay, Grand and MLK Jr. Tonight or soon thereafter, I'll upload them to Blogger, Flickr or another free image host, and send you the image URLs.

Incidentally, I once created a blog with the intention of displaying Funny Street Names, and not just those around this area. I haven't launched it yet, but you can take a look right here to see what I'm talking about.

Samuel John Klein said...

Stan:

I saw your images on your 'funny names' site. Nicely done. The photos of the MLK blade are particularly nicely done.

So, "Irving" is funny-ha-ha, not funny-strange? Interesting.

You wrote:

Don't worry, though—it's not an imposition by any means, since you know I enjoy this nerdery as much as you do.

Yes, 'tis a fine madness, no?

Happy to share it.

stan said...

I started the funny names site long ago; then yesterday, I figured it was the best place to stage any photos of sign blade images. So no, I don't think that any of the street names are actually funny. :)

Well, except NE 6th Ave. Whoever came up with that one was quite the comedian! Giggle-ha!