Xanga, LiveJournal, chatrooms, blogs, forums – I used to be heavily involved in social media and didn’t think too much about what I was putting out there, but it was easy and passionate and awesome. …at the time anyway.
It’s been about 8 years or so since I’ve had any kind of consistent blog, so bare with me. I think the easiest way for me to start is with an interview with myself:
Q: Holly, why in the world do you want to blog again?
A: Initially to network and connect with people. Most of my clients I rarely meet in person and maybe this is a good way to personify myself to others a little bit better than just an email address.
Q: Why did you think a blog would help you with that?
A: My longest standing ever so patient client David Deeble told me it was a good idea to have a blog – he’s the most successful juggler/comedian I’ve ever known or heard of so it seems like sound advice. (…ok, so I don’t know that many juggler/comedians – beside the point.)
Q: Why are you a Graphic Designer?
A: I love colors, fonts, and shapes. Lines, contrast, hues, tones, alignment, composition, grids, asymmetry – it’s all pretty magical to me. I’ve tended to fall in place for those people that don’t find it so magical or just don’t have time for it. It’s the perfect balance of contribution and creative outlet for me.
Q: What do you want people to know about you?
A: I really enjoy people. I see myself as a superhero. I’m a bit mystical, a bit beatnik, and a bit overly idealist. I’m kindof a Gypsy/Joplin/Poppins mix.
Q: A superhero. Right. All superhero’s have a weakness, what’s your cryptonite?
A: Time. I don’t understand time at all. It’s one time one place in the world and a completely different time in another place?! What is that wizardry? Don’t even get me started on Daylight Savings Time. Or anything with numbers really- Brian, my husband takes care of the financial side because numbers are just shapes to me. I’m fully aware of my shortcomings and where I need to improve (see above). The biggest obstacle by far is time management. Thanks to working with one of my best clients, Rick Lewis (motivational speaker/entertainer), I learned the most effective way to overcome this is to just start immediately and don’t stop until I have something to send. That takes extreme discipline.
Q: What will we be reading about in your blog?
A: Mostly how I work to improve my work methods and myself. I will try just about anything to get myself out of a rut – usually saving the most obvious simple solution for last, because I see myself as just a life sized test subject. I’ll most likely be blogging about how to balance life and work when it’s all muddled together. Ulterior motive: Sometimes I get stuck in a project and don’t know where to go with it, then I get stuck in paralysis for a few days in anxiety ridden terror that I suck at what I’m doing. Writing comes pretty easy to me, so I’m hoping if I have something ‘easy’ to update, it will give me some momentum when I’m stuck in the mud.
Q: Will there be pictures? Sometime I don’t feel like reading.
A: YES! Even though I’m well typed and don’t need spell check too often, one of my goals is to create visuals without words where people just “get it”. Possibly some poetry, scrap art, things like that.
Q: Anything else?
A: I’d like to throw this out there – a big Thank You to my parents who’ve always supported me, even when I didn’t know it. Both of them encouraged me to develop creative outlets and go with my own inspiration (which, probably bit them in the butt more than once).
Q: Aww, that’s sweet. But aren’t you forgetting someone?
A: AND a huge thank you to my husband Brian (who gave me the idea to pursue graphic design in the first place!) and stepdaughter Rachel for supporting me to keep going and keep creating – even when they have to make their own dinner, or I have to skip movie time, or I get grumpy because I’m having trouble figuring something out. Thanks to you both for your patience and encouragement. ❤
