The trip totally killed my NaBloPoMo goal. Blah. Still going to keep going. I'm exhausted from the trip, but I did come to the conclusion this weekend that I would like a new laptop. The DVD drive on my laptop is on the fritz and our old Macbook is on it's way out. I'm thinking the 15 incher. We'll see.
i am WFH/out sick today. i've been fighting something mild for a few days and the stupid flu shot from yesterday probably sent my body over the edge. a friend is bringing over wonton soup shortly so help feed this cold, so yay! sadly, my plans for awesome sushi and jaunting around in the city tonight will have to be rescheduled since i have a pretty full weekend ahead and it's more sensible to take it easy so that i can give my body the rest it needs to recover quickly.
other than being a sickie, life is moving along and it's becoming pretty swell. several life adjustments had to be made recently, some of which were extermely difficult and took a LOT of self-discipline but in the end i knew i had to do what was best for ME. i think i spent too much time worrying about what other ppl wanted, what other ppl thought, and how i could help THEM. i didn't stand behind my own values b/c i thought i was this all-powerful, influential, giving and caring person who had what it takes to make a difference in someone else's life and in the process, i somehow got myself caught up in an upside down, topsy-turvy world where nothing was quite what it seemed and one where i lost trust in myself and in others. that was probably the worst part; losing trust in myself. i didn't trust myself to communicate my desires and expectations effectively, i didn't trust that i was saying the right things, and i certainly didn't trust myself enough to have it in me to put my foot down and put the brakes on a (self) destructive cycle. with the support of a few key friends, old and new alike, i was able to pull through it and start 'normalizing' my life.
one day, i might write about what i've learned in the last year but it might not be anytime soon since i'm still trying to understand WTF it is i did learn, if anything.
i leave you with pics of 1) memo-holder robots that someone made/gave to me this week (robots, robots, robots!!!) and of 2) halloween w/ 'ass backwards'.
seriously, a guy coming out of a donkey's ass, d*cks in boxes and a banana pug (get it??!?!?! a BANANA-PUG!!!). too awesome.
... another sad day for us :(.
nothing much to say at the moment so here are a couple songs which are more 'uplifting' than this post (i meant to rave about these songs earlier in the week and am now realizing i won't be in the right mood to do so anytime soon) and a quote someone posted this morning on their FB.
".. and the air is thin
and it blows through your skin
and you feel like something
is about to begin.
and the walls spin
and you're paper-thin
from the haze of the smoke
and the mescaline ..."
Freelance life can be tough. Long gaps between commissions. Accounts departments who just can't seem to find your invoice. Not to mention the ever-present need to get your work seen by the people who count.
Jonny Wan, a freelance illustrator from Sheffield, knows all about that. A graduate of the Manchester School of Art, he's constantly striving to ensure his unique illustrative style (think abstracted facial expressions, patterns, symmetry and hand-drawn lettering) snags the attention of creative directors everywhere – and he does so via Business Cards and Postcards from MOO.
MOO first caught his eye at his university degree show, where he noticed that all the students' cutest promo materials were produced by the same company – MOO! Then we tempted him with a free Business Card sample, giving him a chance to try our ordering software ("simple, logical and gives the user complete control") and evaluate our print quality and finishing ("very pleasing"). Duly hooked, Jonny ordered a set of Postcards and some Business Cards featuring a range of his work, and is preparing to send them off to art directors as we speak.
As an illustrator, working in a visual medium, presentation is very important to Jonny. "I like to make little promotional packs of my postcards and business cards", he says. "I send them out packaged in self-seal clear bags. It's good to put real thought into how the art director receives your promo materials – it's boring to just whack some cards in an envelope."
Like many creative types, Jonny's happiest when he's working, even between commissions. An example of this is his self-initiated "Can't Afford It" project. Whenever he wants an item of clothing he can't afford, he draws it instead! Eventually to be self-published as a book, working like this helps him improve his work rate, hone his Photoshop and Illustrator skills, and keep his unique style fresh and ever-evolving.
No matter how his style develops, MOO's short print runs means that his promotional materials are always in step with his latest work. "As an illustrator, your style is always changing and improving. The last thing you want is to end up with a thousand cards of the same design. You need to keep existing and future clients up to date with your freshest, latest work, because essentially they will hire you based on what they see on your promo material. It's no good for an art director to commission you only to find that your illustrative style has changed or moved on." He laughs. "After all, you wouldn't be happy buying a Jay-Z CD to find a Metallica disc inside, right?"
When designing his cards, Jonny also took advantage of a new feature that allows users to upload images for both the front and the back of the Business Cards. "Anything that gives you more options allows room for creative control – and it's that kind of flexibility that keeps me coming back to MOO. The ability to upload images for both sides of the Business Cards enables you to make the cards completely unique."
"A business card is usually the first point of contact between a new client and an illustrator, so it's important your card jumps out at people while being straight and upfront with your contact details. The fact that the cards can be individual rather than generic also gives a sense of professionalism – people can be impressed that you've put the effort into designing your own cards. A little effort can go a long way."
Jonny's constantly thinking of new ways to promote his work using MOO products. "I love the Stickers – I can see them being a very unique selling point. They're a little different and unexpected, which is beneficial in an industry where everyone strives to promote themselves in a unique way."
MiniCards appeal to him for the same reason. "MiniCards are great because they get straight to the point and don't take up a lot of space. Art directors get bombarded with samples every morning. They open their mail and have to make snap decisions about what to keep and what to chuck."
"They're more likely to pin a MiniCard onto their noticeboard than, say, a leaflet, because they know it won't take up a lot of space. And if your work's on their noticeboard, they're more likely to bear you in mind when it comes to commissioning. And that's what it's all about!"
Thanks for talking to us Jonny! We look forward to seeing more of your work soon.
Like Jonny's work? He's available for commissions so get in touch, and say hello from us too.
I picked up my preorder copy of Windows 7, installed it and was a happy man ... not. Seriously no ! ... I've had to reinstall windows around eight times and spent countless hours dealing with the crashes, bugs and drivers. No going back to Microsoft !
