MAYBE DIGGING DITCHES WASN’T SO BAD

As I begin to write my third post, I am again reflecting on the enormous amount of time, money and effort that I have put into learning and applying my creative and technical know-how. In regard to all three, I question the actual benefits gained compared to doing nothing at all? It’s an interesting and sobering question, but it’s also a meaningless question because there are just too many variables to consider. Since beginning this blog I’ve questioned if ‘it’s’ even a good use of my time? I could easily argue that my time would be better spent designing and coding more web pages to promote my products, creating the tangible products themselves, or applying for grants to help finance the startup business I have been eluding to in previous posts. I try to prioritize projects, but through experience I’ve learned that it generally doesn’t matter in the end. Typically something else always pops up that requires immediate attention to have any hope in making the new deadline, which of course is always sooner than the previous project required. Deadlines or not, I always feel like whatever I am currently doing is taking away time and progress that could be made on something else.

If I could choose an area that I would prefer to work in full-time, it would be the creation of tangible products. As an artist, it’s possible to get almost immediate satisfaction for my hard work simply by showing at a charitable or art fair to conduct business. I can develop an infinite number of web pages, but they would offer zero satisfaction compared to a ‘real’ human being who walks up, admires my products and hands over a payment for one or more of them on the spot. The problem is that I am reaching a tiny fraction of my potential customer base, and so once again I find myself back in cyberspace creating content such as what you are currently reading to not only showcase my artwork, but in the case of this blog to humanize it by describing the journey that lead to its creation. Of course, there is always the hope that someone somewhere will see something online I’ve created, and decide they can’t live without it. Likewise, they will see the art accompanying this post and remember that their uncle Larry is really into collecting toasters (yes, that is a real hobby), and might love some crazy-cool sci-fi atomic toaster art for his kitchen wall, office, cafe – or wherever. To learn more about the artwork titled ‘The Toast Age’, and others just follow this link: www.everscenestudio.com

I am determined to prove that the final result will have been worthwhile, but the path forward often seems more obscure than ever. Why? Because there isn’t a playbook available to confirm that I am following best practices to achieve my ultimate project goals. I will begin to describe those in detail in a near future post. Needless to say, I’m not eluding to how I can become a better traditional print or web designer, although along the way no doubt I will. To pay the bills, I will likely continue to do that. Better yet, I would be happy to attract a symbiotic employer that really ‘gets me’ and knows how to generate great wealth by capitalizing on my awkwardly eclectic and yet compelling mix of education, experience and innovative thinking. Hey,… I’m sure stranger things have happened.

Considering the endless obstacles that have slowed progress, I have every right to proclaim ‘enough is enough’ already… take the thermometer out because I’m done! That would be such a heavy weight off my shoulders. At this point in my life, doing anything that creates less stress should probably be given highest priority. The problem is if I followed through with all of that, I’m sure I would create an entirely different reality with its own associated headaches. The new headaches would not be caused by the difficulties of a new career path and lifestyle change, but instead by my own realization that the most interesting and intriguing goals I have worked towards for so long will no longer have any chance of being achieved. When someone has become synonymous with their work like I have, then who or what do they become if their work ends prematurely?

If not for the understanding of my own potential and vision, I would foresee my future in the field of visual design as quite bleak. For clarification, it seems bleak only if my work is to be judged solely on predictable industry trends set forth by the likes of creative directors that are anything but creative.

I try to be a glass-full kind of guy, so I will continue to forge onward and do my best to remain optimistic about the future.

I end this post by essentially asking the same question that I essentially ended my second post with. Am I really making progress, or just trying to convince myself that I am? Eventually this post, and those that will follow will likely provide the answer.

The Toast Age