Tag Archives: Opportunity

Ain’t I lucky!

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I didn’t get much sleep Monday/Tuesday night because I had one of my work fits again so I stayed up till 04.00 in the morning to finish a website for my wedding photographer friend in Scotland. I had an appointment with the dentist at 10.45 who is situated at the High Road. Since last week I have been working on business cards for the glove company based on the design I did for their eCommerce website. I sent them a quote along with my terms and conditions translated from ‘lawyer Dutch’ into ‘lawyer English’ language thanks to the skills of MvdM. He translated my version while I was at his place for lunch to discuss business, last week. I’ll design the bi-monthly email newsletter for his stock photography company! *yay!*

Back to yesterday: while I walked down the High Road I passed a large window covered with several posters and one particular poster caught my eye although it wasn’t very clear what the place was about. The poster referred to having business cards printed so I wondered if it was a print shop. I noticed another poster which said that they were looking for a part-time graphic and web designer. I still couldn’t figure out the deal so I went in and asked the woman at the desk if she had a price list after I asked her about foil print and spot UV varnish. She couldn’t answer my questions but a guy came from behind the partitioning wall. He must have overheard my conversation using jargon that the woman didn’t understand.

He answered my questions and offered me a generous discount on the business cards. I told him I’d moved from Amsterdam just over two years ago and that I’d never noticed this place before. He asked me something in a weird language that I somehow recognised: I understood what he was saying but I thought I misheard. Then the penny dropped, it was South African so I answered him that I was good. Too funny… He asked if I’d seen the sign on the door about the web designer and if I was interested. I told him I was but I explained that I really should send him my CV so he could have a proper look at it. I did show him the website that I had been working on all night and several others.

The conversation went really well and both of us were extremely enthusiastic about the whole thing. So today I will go over there to discuss a quote for the business cards, give him my CV and show him my portfolio.

Ain’t I lucky!?

I tell you I was extremely hyper yesterday when I got home… And the cool part is that I found out that this place is part of a social plan organised by the borough I live in to develop local businesses. So, it seems I have finally found my way into the local community. Even if I wouldn’t get this freelance position I still have found a good printer who’s only an eight minutes walk from home. I know it sounds weird but I finally start to feel that I’m settling in in a way. This opportunity will open so many doors for me and not just business-wise also social-wise and I’m really excited about it! The Universe has wicked ways of showing me that patience will be rewarded *hehe*

Latest update: I’ve got the job, I’m now their official graphic and web designer, all freelance and with a steady flow of work coming in. I think that calls for a tiny celebration *hehe*

I’m Fried…

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I’ve disappeared from the surface and didn’t respond to any emails due to a deadline that I had before 20.00 today. I’ve been in my insane work-all-thru-the-night-mode again since yesterday and didn’t get much sleep at all, about three hours this morning when I went to bed at about 06.00. I’ve been working non-stop for days, my brain is fried at the moment so I can’t think much but I will try to explain why I have been up all night and invisible last week.

While the economy is getting worse things are getting more uncertain for a lot of people, including myself. I’m still living in a place due to circumstances with the ex where I don’t want to be, although we’re friends: I want to move on… And fact is that I’m getting more and more work in, but it’s not enough to be able to move out and pay all possible expenses. London is number two on the World list of most expensive cities to live after Moscow and I feel it, trust me!

Last week, I accidentally found a most appealing opportunity to change the situation for the best. Yes I need stability in my life, especially with all the chaos going on around me I need a center point of calmness and certainty. That said, I knew I had to leave an impression so the creativity started to flow all week last week. But it felt wrong somehow and although I asked some if they liked my ideas and my creation [which they did] it still didn’t feel right to me…

So last night I realised at the last moment that I shouldn’t do what I’d planned to do. Indecisiveness is what it boils down to, I just couldn’t make up my mind and the pressure was there big time. I couldn’t afford to take unnecessary risks, I mean it looks really nice but it didn’t feel right for the occasion. By the time I actually trusted my gut feeling it was already midnight and I needed a change in strategy so in the end simplicity won over complex beautiful design.

I’d planned to send it off yesterday but that was before I changed my mind. I had less than six hours to adjust a letter, CV, add extra pages to my portfolios and export it all to an acceptable pdf format which was the tough bit. I need a good book about making pdfs: no it’s not at all simple to produce a high-in-quality but low-in-bit-size pdf, there are just way too many options and way too many unsatisfying results. Or am I too much of a perfectionist?

At the moment I don’t really care, I had my panic attack right after I sent my email with attachment. The ‘what ifs’ started to bug me big time and I can’t remember how long ago it was where I felt this insecure about things but I guarantee it was at least 15 years ago. Insecure… only because I really really want this position. It means a way out for me, a way to fly and spread my wings. A way to start afresh again and face exciting new challenges.

To my surprise I got an email in, an hour after I had sent mine. It said that they had received several hundred of applications and that they would get back to me at the beginning of next week. They’d done an initial check of applications as they came in which mine had passed and they’d be actively considering mine. I’m happy I listened to my gut feeling, tonight I can finally relax after a hectic week! Below a few details of my design that I didn’t use in the end.

I’m sure I will one day on a different project, these are drawings that I did using Illustrator but they weren’t meant to be, not today…

Details of my illustrations