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May 2001 ArchiveSunday, May 27, 2001What a fantastic day yesterday. My friends Diane Cross and Peter Durand came Mrs.and Mr. Durand. The week before their big day, my mind was occupied with my responsibilities: collecting the last odds and ends for 12 centerpieces, making Diane's tiara, learning my lines for the pageant at the reception and enjoying the bachelorette party. I wasn't so preoccupied with the tasks at hand as to not enjoy myself. But I have been in 110% work mode pretty much since last September. This last week was the first week on a MUCH needed month and a half off. I was sort of moaning that the wedding prep wasn't conducive to being on "vacation" but it turned out to be the perfect transition into this time for myself.My
freelancing career really hit its stride last September, and has
went from brisk walk to gallop to sprint up until last week. There
are certainly worse problems in the world than having too much
work. But I was anticipating taking January off, since it is naturally
a month of work lethargy, being just after the holiday boom. Well,
January was chocked full of interesting work, as was February
and March. I then decided that I had to make this month off happen,
otherwise I'd get pulled in the undertow of referrals and more
work. So, I set my sights on mid-May to mid-June. During the weeks
before, I could feel just how spent my energy was, and really
saw the time off from client work as a necessity, not a luxury.
I
really do love the professional work I do and I have great clients.
But I hadn't been doing any personal work since September
(minus updating this blog every so often and keeping my apartment
marginally clean). That total service lifestyle was really taking
a toll on me. I have definitely lost my sense of self in my work.
I haven't been working on all the ideas in my own head. Well,
ok, so I am enormously busy working on things for other folks
and forgetting that I have a self and all that. So, I go to this
wedding yesterday that is a culmination of so many things - most
importantly the love of Diane and Peter. The room was filled with
so much love and friendship for the bride and groom and each other.
As Diane walked down the aisle, I saw the tiara on her head that
I made. Before that moment, I knew that I was making a tiara that
Diane would wear on her head during her wedding. But it was in
that moment that I realize my part in this bigger picture. At
the reception the centerpieces were a big hit and people were
truly grateful of the time and talent I put in them and the beauty
of them. Our pageant was fantastic and really contributed a fantastic
story and energy to the evening. Rave reviews all around. And
I got to be with so many people I love from my past, present and
future. So,
here is why I say that this was the perfect transition from this
client-work-mania to my time off for myself - Before yesterday,
my perspective was a list of things to do. Yesterday, those things
done were transformed into my contribution to an amazing day.
Diane and Peter asked for my help, because they wanted me
to be part of their wedding and add my abilities and energy to
the mix of so many talented and caring people. After months of
working at home alone and on all these separate projects, it was
incredible to be able to give myself and feel like such an integrated
part of a whole. I
am not particularly romantic or sentimental, so in summing up
things like this and days like weddings, I am not terribly erudite.
But the timing of Diane and Peter's wedding in my life and their
inviting me in to be such an integral part of it all means more
to be than they will ever know.
Thursday, May 24, 2001Long time, no blog.All
work and no play has made Brandy a dull girl.
Tuesday, May 08, 2001This is what I have to say about the Monkees:I
love the Monkees. A
UHF station in the Twin Cities started running the Monkees in
1986, where I was a sixth grader (apparently) just waiting for
them. Before too long I owned all of the original albums, from
the Monkees to Changes. They were my sandwiched between my first
and third musical obsessions - The Cars (fifth grade) and Rocky
Horror Picture Show (eighth grade) - and enjoyed a strong 2 year
focus. In '87 I saw them at the Minnesota State Fair. I was so
full of anticipation that day I barely ate, but I still had the
strength to endure Weird Al Yankovich as the opening act. I
had thousands of hours of listening pleasure until I sold all
my LPs before embarking for college. I haven't heard these songs
for 9 years at least, probably 12 years for most of them. Today
I got my third Monkees cd, Headquarters (following Instant Replay
and the Monkees Present), and I sing ALL the frickin words STILL.
A fact that I find both scary and delightful. I've
always had a voracious appetite for "oldies" music. Ask me what
2 oldies musical entities I cannot stand and I will quickly answer
- The Beach Boys and Neil Diamond. Well, HORROR of HORRORS - [head
shook in disbelief] As
I get a more complete Monkees collection, I'll be sure to make
my list of favorite Monkees songs on the site. Other
Monkees notes from my past: As
I type this I harbor no feelings of goofiness for my adoration
of the Monkees, past or present. Most folks have a musical skeleton
in their closet that makes them wince while they confess it to
others. Now as I belt out my favorites 15 years later, I still
totally dig the Monkees.
Monday, May 07, 2001I'm giddy!It's finally raining worth a damn. For the past couple weeks, we've had threats of thunderstorms. To my non-meteorological eye, it's been humid and the barometric pressure has been superhigh. I've been eagerly awating a good Spring thunderstorm, but to no avail. Finally! Hooray!!
Wednesday, May 02, 2001I just had a Dunkin Donuts napkin flying outside my twelfth floor apartment window, and then a mylar happy birthday balloon. Less poetic than the scene in American Beauty.Posted on 5/2/2001 12:17:25 PM Things
are much better than the last post. Mom sent me a email reprimand
for it, so I thought that I better update my report. I feel much
better "confessing" to myself and my client that the aforementioned
project was over my head. I did 85% of the project very well,
but couldn't complete the last 15%. That last 15% was holding
me hostage for several weeks. But I only realized the extent of
the hostage-age in hindsight. Ate
ice cream, took great photos and played mini golf last night with
great people. The rest of my client projects presently work with
my strengths. I'm 17days/400 hours away from my month of clientless
work. Heading in a very good direction. |
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