I enjoyed chapter about the 8th Practice. It reminded me of an experience I had just after graduating from my B.S. program. I landed a job at the advertising agency that I had wanted to work for since I first visited it during high school. I aced the interview, impressed them with my portfolio and began working part time. When I began this exciting new job I was finishing up as a temporary employee for my colleges Marketing and Communications department. I enjoyed the design job I was working at the college, so it was difficult to leave, and in light of my new permanent position I was not chosen to fill the opening after my temporary stint ended. It was an exciting time for me and I told everyone about my new job, the possibilities seemed to open right up. When I began my new job I found that I was not really fitting in. My fear over my performance turned into a huge roadblock to my thinking processes, and I failed to produce the kind of work I was capable of. After two weeks my boss came to me and said, “I think you are very talented, and you will be fine, but I don’t think this is working out.” I quickly put on my sunglasses to cover up my sprouting tears and scurried out the door. So I had lost the position in the comm. & marketing dept at my college and my big opportunity…I was pretty devastated. Soon after all the disappointments I went to visit my main communications professor from my undergrad. He seemed excited to see me and said “ How is the new job at so&so’s.” I could feel my face turning red and the tears starting to sprout out again and I said defeated. “Well I was there two weeks, and they said I am very talented, then they…fired me.” To which my professor replied. “Well…fuck them.” This statement was not the type of thing I regularly heard come out of his mouth…it was really empowering to me. I thought,”Yeah, fuck them.” I couldn’t quite figure out why it made me feel so good, to hear those words…but it switched my thinking from victim to proactive, participating, and capable.
At the time this series of letdowns began, I was stuck in this mindset of…”Why is this happening…I don’t need anymore character building experiences.” And now I look at it as the opportunities that lead me to my wonderful experiences at Full Sail. I had a desire to come here since I began my undergraduate program…and I have learned so much this year…began a crossover into education…and discovered a whole new realm of possibilities for my career that do not involve salesman…☺
You see, during this phase in my professional life I was feeling torn about pursuing graphic design and advertising. I had been set on the idea of working in the field for so long, but found myself in a tug of war with my feelings about all of the noise in media. The advertising of useless items, working towards monetary goals that didn’t enrich people through meaningful ideas…I didn’t want to sell sneakers, or devise ways to make useless objects appealing. A major shift happened for me in this time…I would only sell things I believed in…education, photography, etc. I still do some advertising work for some small businesses and friends…but I feel more in tune with my values and purposes now…I am happier, more engaged, and closer to finding the purpose and passion in my work.
I think much of this self-discovery came out of that simple, malediction from my professor. He gave me a BTFI attitude and freed me from the confining parameters I had set up for my self.
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