[design, bloggage] Tales From The Fray: More Than I Had, Less Than I Needed

On The Subject Of Employment:

As it would happen, my search for a continuing gig in production design has actually borne fruit. The downside: part-time.

In my current 'day-job' (which is actually a night job, but never mind), I work 4-10 hour shifts. This is third-shift work. While it is a little enervating, it does leave three whole days to send out resumes, make calls, do what I have to do.

I have secured employment with a firm which will let me design in QuarkXPress (do not fear the QuarkXPress, remember) and develop mad skills at doing specialized photography. I could take this quite far, though my immediate goal is to prove to the company that acquiring my services on a full time basis would be quite mutually advantageous.

The fact that it takes two of my three weekend days is more than made up by the truth that it is something I want to do, and will therefore amount to fun and play.

I'll prove to them that they need me full time. It's a cool company that does cool things with pretty objects. There's a niche I could carve for myself, I'm certain.

I Was Actually Quite Popular, A Short While Ago

That the Times is hardly the crossroads of the b'sphere need hardly be said, but is necessary for the following predicate: for a glorious few weeks a month or so ago, I was, for me, mad popular.

Up until I started 'blogging about Hell's Kitchen, I was puttering along on as few as 15-20 hits per day. Then, quite suddenly, I found I was sometimes notching as many as 100 hits per day...once or twice, I got 200 visits in a single day. This was intoxicating.

At the the time I hadn't done any research into why I was suddenly getting so many hits, but eventually Google Analytics delivered the unmistakable answer: it was the posting I was doing about Hell's Kitchen. Not bad, still, I though: You'll come for the Gordon Ramsay, but stay for the design talk and pithy observations of Portland life.

Sadly, no. As of now, I got barely 20 visits yesterday, and not even 15 so far today. Weekdays have gone similarly lackluster.

Now, I don't do that to evoke pity or to beg for hits (well, not necessarily anyway, but nevermind that for now) but to mention that such a turnaround makes one think again about why one (well, me) blogs at all.

I understand a little better why. I blog because I am opinionated. I do it because I love design and I love design tools. I love writing and the act of writing. I love working without a net when I write (I rarely write up rough drafts–maybe sometimes it shows, I don't know).

Above all I do it because it's free and its fun. Sure, It'd be nice to be the most popular kid on the block, but maybe that comes with too many obligations.

But, hey, if all y'all do care to link, please feel free. I'll certainly reciprocate.

Technorati Tags: design, bloggage, Hells kitchen, QuarkXPress, employment