I’m a workaholic by nature, so when I got into the design industry, I was well suited for the multi-tasking ahead.
Coming in from the arts, I had to learn industry standard software, bookkeeping, client juggling, and the dealing of difficult and sometimes errant printers. All while learning design.
Hours were often long, 12-14 and up. Weekends off were few. Holidays were spent passed out, with the scenery a blur.
(I still need to see Bali again… for the first time).
It wasn’t unheard of for my system to crash after a large project.
Feast. Crash. Famine. Recover.
And a given, it was during the Feast, Feast, Feast times where I suffered the most.
Blurry eyed and soggy brained, I’d make decisions impacting the success of a project. And unknown to me at the time, they also impacted my future reputation.
And that’s how I learned an important lesson the hard way (quoted in Jeff Fisher’s must have book for budding designers, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success).
Get a life, preferably your own!
I was lucky in that it only cost me Singapore $800 to fix that snafu. But, my reputation with that one client was forever changed.
Which brings me to the reason for this post… forever changing.
When I moved to Thailand (needing a change), I went into a sort of semi-retirement from design. But not from all things design. I just moved my interests sideways.
But not sideways enough as I managed to forget my hard-earned get a life lesson.
Sliding into total burnout, my design brain was in fear of a total blackout.
And I guess the combination of the tsunami, then the coup, then the bombs (and now the Yellow Shirts taking over the airport) haven’t helped.
Catching myself, I searched for a non-design outlet.
And face it. Designers don’t just design. Or talk about design. Or eat, sleep, weep design (even though at times it feels we do).
Designers write. They travel. They have wonderful babies and make incredible parents.
And yes, designers learn Thai too…
Women Learn Thai is where I try out my writing skills and photography skills, with a wee bit of Thai thrown in. Oh, and a smattering of design… there’s always that.
And just to show you that I haven’t lost my competitive streak through all this, Women Learn Thai has been put forward for voting at Thai-stars.com
(yes, you can vote too!)
Ps: and now back to DWB’s regular schedule of fabulous design blogs…
And THAT’S a promise :-)
Technorati Tags: blogs, design, designer, Photographers, Thai, writing
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Hey there — this answers my question as to whether you’re able to access the site! Love this post!
Veldas last blog post..Beware The Sheetrock!
Hey, hey back! And thanks :-)
Yes, I was able to get online after a bit. Conor believes it has something to do with Thailand (go figure… as everything else does out here… oh dear…)
Cats last blog post..Designers DON’T Just Design!
[...] Why? Because Designers DON’T Just Design. [...]
Great to see Women Learn Thai towards the top of the list! It gets my 10 stars.
I’ve missed these posts of yours, Cat. The more personal ones are always more interesting (but it’s also great to see new design blogs too).
Here’s hoping things in Thailand settle down a bit now!
David Aireys last blog post..Design agencies vs freelance designers
Hey David, Thanks for your support!
I missed writing them too (and I’ve always loved the personal ones but thought they might be boring people so kept them sparce).
But when it comes to blogging (or anything else in life) if you look at it with glazed eyes then it’s time to take a break. I took mine and I’m ready to come back.
As for Thailand… well… I love this country and its people and only wish the absolute best for them all.
Thailand needs to settle down so very much as the rubber band has stretched to the limit.
2009… will this be the year? I can only but hope.
Cat, I for one am very happy that designers also write :-)
Given women learning Thai my 10 stars.
And a huge thanks goes to you, Joanna. My confident writing coach :-)
Haaa, i so know what you are talking about, great post, very authentic…
Happy New Year, Cat! You sound to be in fine form and ready for the year ahead. Hope things settle down in that part of the world. Chris
Chriss last blog post..Wet feet, again…
Hey Chris! Nice to see you on the other side of 2008 :-)
You got that right. I’m more than ready for 2009. 2008 was totally strange to go through. And unless Thailand has more to throw at me… it’s looking good!
New year, New resolutions and entirely new goals to achieve. I like that spirit and we should have fire inside to achieve any unachievable goal.
Somewhere I read this: “Designers are meant to be loved. Not to be understood.” hmmmmm… why so many workaholic designers out there, I don’t understand.
The Women Learn Thai site is great. I tried learning it while my last stay in bangkok, but it seems that learning new languages is not one of my talents.
Anschis last blog post..ORDOS 100 // Rafi Segal
Thanks Anschi. It’s a labour of love, for sure.
(I’m not great at learning language either!)
Catherines last blog post..Designers DON’T Just Design!
It’s so easy to get burned out, especially with something you love so much with love and hate being on different sides of the same coin and all that. When I start feeling burned out, I switch mediums – design a Web site or a redesign a product package, say a simple shoebox, just for fun to get away from the brochures, posters, business cards, etc. Switching to another medium in my spare time seems to rejuvenate the rest of my creative brain and then I can get back at it.
My problem was that I let design take over everything. When I wasn’t working for a client, I was donating my time to Creative Latitude or the NO!SPEC Campaign or others.
So it is possible to have too much of a good thing!