It was a year ago last Saturday when the S really hit the fan in our life. It was funky-awkward to say the least at our DiscRevolt office that Thursday morning when our head IT guy was walking around with a one terabyte hard drive randomly backing up everyone’s data. (only the smoothest of moves for DR) Later that day just after lunch I got the rough call from my dad to tell me my grandpa had passed away. That sucked. I had to leave work. I was wrecked.
As I was waking out to my car to leave and not come back to work for a few days, my boss followed me out. He asked if he could sit with me for a second. My first thought was “great… here comes a sunday school lesson about death.” Instead he wanted to tell me how me and all my friends were getting let go. Once again…smooth.
With a “what the?” sorta thought bubble hanging above my head I had to call Leah and fill her in on the double whammy. That sucked. I was a mess and I had way too much to think about and deal with on the drive home.
The whole trip back to Ohio for the funeral was just a really numb weird time. What do you deal with first? death or lack of job and $? At the viewing for my grandpa I had to lie through my teeth about how great Atlanta was, how great my job as a designer was and that I actually had a job. I didn’t. I was a phoney and I hated it but then again in was in Bryan, OH where no one really wants to hear the truth, only that all is well with the world. Done and done.
It was a relatively miserable time with lots of Kentucky whiskey and Camel lights consumed. I applied for jobs and jobs and jobs to no avail. But it dawned on me one day while smoking my old-man pipe; an out of work designer is still a functional designer, but has to go find the work. And I stopped tracking down crappy production jobs online and started talking to people I knew in Atlanta and California. Before you know it I was getting a few small jobs here and there. Slowly keeping busy with the most random work from metal bands to small churches.
I don’t know what it was, I mean I do, but people kept calling and email me for work. I had been a “designer” for about 9 months – and somehow I was getting work and staying busy. I actually was making more money doing the freelance thing that I did at DiscRevolt.
That was a year ago and today I sit here with an inbox and a ‘to do’ list full of projects and clients. I am beyond busy lately and have begun to slowly outsource work that I just can’t take on. Its weird, I’m a boss, a business and, dare I say, a professional designer. Its weird.
What an F’d-up but amazing year. Ok, I need to go back to work now.
i’d gladly trade-up any day.
love you brother