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1. Me time. After 9 months of pregnancy, 3 months of taking care of a newborn and 3 months of healing, I finally had my first real "ME" time. I took a few hours off in the day to go to the mall and spend time doing things I haven't been able to do in a long time such as sitting at a cafe to sip coffee, window shopping and reading several different books at my favorite book shop. It felt great and I didn't feel guilty one little bit.2. Us time. Allan and I are leaving for a couple's weekend retreat in the mountains. It's our first time to be together away from our kids since I gave birth. Though I feel a bit anxious about not being with Keira that long for the first time, I know it will be good for me to take a breather and to focus my attention on just "us".3. Allan's time. I am thankful for the hours that I get to spend with Allan in a day. He recently took on a new project away from My Left Hand, where almost half of his week is spent at his other office doing meetings and presentations. The adjustment to this new schedule and routine has been a bit difficult for me because I have been accustomed to being with him all hours of the day, every single day for the past 5 years in the business. I miss him so much when he is gone long hours. I feel helpless in the office when he's not around because I've gotten used to him taking care of things that are usually outside of my creative territory. But I know that this is all meant for our best because aside from it allowing us to earn even more income as a family, it will allow us to grow indivdually in our careers and in our personal lives.
This cartoon which I found on one of my favorite blog haunts, pretty much sums up my life as a graphic designer, and what I have to deal with on a daily basis.But don't get me wrong, I love my work. I love everything about it -- the meetings with clients, presentations, conceptualizations, the actual design process, watching how your idea becomes an actual tangible object, and the ego boost you get when the clients absolutely love what you did for them. It is a surprise to me that I actually lasted this long in the work that I do, that alone being a true indicator of my love for my profession. There are moments when I get an absolute high from the daily grind especially when I love working with the client, or when I love the project and I know the hard work will definitely be worth it in terms of beefing up the company portfolio, profit, and investment in the relationship with the client. But of course, like any job, there are "those" days where nothing seems to be exciting or interesting enough to make me want to jump out of bed, nothing seems to be leaping out of my monitor despite hours of sitting in front of it, or nothing that my client says or do is worth the money they're paying us.For all those who have no idea how the business of advertising and graphic design works (and I speak to all my friends who have known for quite a LONG time and still don't understand what I do and what I have to deal with, thus causing me so much stress), the cartoon on top should explain why my job is not always as fun as it seems. I think every single designer in the world will agree that they have come across each of the examples depicted in the illustrations. THE WAFFLER and THE WET BLANKET alone are enough reasons for me to just throw in the towel and close shop. This plus of course the long, unpredictable work hours, the stress of meeting impossible deadlines, the worry of whether we are actually meeting the client's expectations, and the nightmare of running after overdue receivables. Every single white hair sprouting from my scalp and every tiny wrinkle found at the corners of my eyes are attributed to the 5 years I have spent in front of my computer preparing a brochure, a print ad or a glossy magazine for a client. I have eye bags down to my chin and dark circles that can rival a panda's. Is it all worth it, you ask? Probably not for most people. But for me, it's what I do. It's what I love. It's what I see myself doing until I get sick of it. It may not have brought me clearer skin and healthier hair, but it's given me a clearer, sharper mind and a healthier understanding of running a creative business. It may not have brought me wealth and prestige, but it has allowed me to have treasured moments with my family -- something I never had a lot of when I was a manager in a top corporation. It may not have taken me up the corporate ladder, but it has allowed me to reach greater heights in my skills and my talents which I never felt confident exploring on my own before. I've known quite a few people in my life who've criticized me, not for my work, but for my choice of work and for the career path I chose. But God chose this path for me. He has blessed the works of my hand with a flourishing business which has allowed me to meet amazing people in different fields of work, the opportunity to work 24/7 with my husband for the past 5 years, a chance to spend time all hours of the day with my 2 kids, and the means to earn good money to provide for our family's needs and wants, as well as being able to provide work for people around us. Through my work as a graphic designer, I have seen more of Him in the people I interact with. I have seen the beauty of His works and the miracles that faith and trust can bring to every impossible situation. And most importantly, I know that I am able to bring glory to His kingdom by being the best I can be in the work that I love.Do I think it's all worth it? Mmmmm, yes, i guess it all is.
I would like to announce that I have passed on the torch as hostess for our weekly Thankful Thursday to a dear friend, EPH2810. Due to my divided time between my new baby Keira, Nicky, my husband and time for my work, I have to let go of my hosting "duties" and bequeath it to someone who I feel will be able to bring more life to Thankful Thursdays. I am and will be forever grateful to EPH2810 for accepting my offer to be the new hostess. Thankful Thursday means a lot to me because it reminds me on a weekly basis to be grateful and thankful to our dear Father for all the blessings, big or small, that he bestows upon me. It also serves as a reminder for all the goodness that people around me show that I normally take for granted. I am indeed thankful that this wonderful weekly meme will not have to fade away due to my lack of maintenance. Because of EPH2810's graciousness, its legacy will continue on. Thanks EPH2810. Thank you also to Running2Ks who started Thankful Thursday, and who trusted me to take over her hosting duties. Lastly, thank you to all those who participated in the past and who are new to the meme. I hope you all learn to make Thursdays, and everyday as well, a reason to be thankful for all that you have in your life. :-)
Found this really cool online game on my friend Melanie's blog, and i asked permission to post this on mine. As a marketing gimmick for their new dark chocolates, M&M's challenges you to name 50 dark or scary movies based on clues from a Renaissance painting in this Flash based game. Name as many as you can, then post your answers here by leaving me a comment. I will post the answers after a few days, so name as many as you can!To start the game, click on the pic:
FINALLY, Blogger is being nice to me again! Just when I was ready to pack up my HTMLs and GIFs, I am now able to post at the right time and speed. So as promised, I am posting our Holiday photos to show how Keira celebrated her first Christmas and New Year with my entire family. Enjoy! :-)
"What? Can't open Blogger?"Blogger has been very, very, very frustrating this past week. Would you believe that after one whole day of trying to open Blogger's dashboard, it's only now (12 hours later) that I was able to access it? I can blame it on the recent earthquake in Taiwan, which affected almost all our internet connections and phone lines. Because of the quake, we are all still having great difficulty with our Yahoo emails and Yahoo Messenger services, which has lead me to revive my dormant Gmail account. Or I could simply blame it on Blogger's poor service. Either way, it pisses me off so bad that I am contemplating moving my entire blog to another space. I actually have another blog account at Multiply, which I've been using as a mirror for my Unicorn Child blogspot site. Right now I use it as a photo album to store my photos. I haven't really decided if I want to migrate to Multiply because I don't think I can customize my blog to the look I want. And because I'm a cheapy, I want my blogging service to be free. So, if you've been dropping by these past days expecting to see photos of my recent Christmas and New Year celebrations, as well as my latest Thankful Thursday post, I apologize. Not my fault that the internet connection sucks and Blogger sucks. I will be posting our holiday celebration photos, by hook or by crook! And if you come by in a day or two and still find this same post, then understand that Blogger is being BAD again and is not letting me in! Instead, go straight to my Multiply blog and view my photos from there. Here's the link (I suggest you add this to your blogroll already just in case I never show up here again!) --> http://chrixean.multiply.com.Any suggestions where I can move my blog to? I need an alternative address, quick!
