Finally taking the leap and moving west, I am now enjoying life in the foothills of Western North Carolina with Seth and our two pups! Seth has been working hard, nearly everyday, on the Jones Family Farm and I have been diligently working on my brand new website for my freelance venture, Indie Danielle Creative. We’ve been on the left side of the state for over a month now (move date: August 16th, 2009 - both Seth and my birthday) and are still not completely unpacked. Moving really makes you realize just how much junk you have accumulated. Must - shed - extra - pounds, or at least get it organized!
The new house is so “us” - it’s just perfect. As soon as we get all of the boxes unloaded and everything has its place — paintings hung with care, furnishings just in the perfect spot — I’ll share a video walk through with everyone!
Since our move, excluding the endless unpacking, I have been constructing the perfect website for me! I’ve learned a good bit about languages that I had no clue about previously, specifically with my adventure in jQuery. I always love a design challenge, however frustrating it can be, and this site didn’t let me down there. Although it looks simple, it was more challenging than I guessed it would be to construct but I’m so proud of the results! Please take a look and share your feedback and constructive criticism. Next up — spreading the word that I’m here, open for business and looking for work in the Asheville area!
In other news, I started a pottery class that was recommended to me by my landlord and I have already gone through 6 weeks of classes. We started with pinch pots and coil work, moved up to slab creations, and finally worked on the wheel. I’ve made one really impressive vase (a slab creation), still just greenware / not fired, that I’m proud of and have gotten many compliments on, and some copies have even been made by my fellow classmates. I’m a trendsetter, what can I say?! I’ve had limited time to work on the wheel, with only one perfect cup completed , but am really enjoying working with slabs! Although it is time consuming, hand building is so much fun!
So there is my not-so-brief update! With that said, I think I’m going to start writing more often. Hopefully this blog won’t be so poorly neglected in the future! For now, I’m signing off but I won’t be gone looong…
It’s nearly August and the end of summer is just around the corner. Seth and I set a goal to be on our way out of Raleigh and on to bigger and better adventures by the end of summer, and it looks like our dreams are coming true! We are taking the leap and moving shop to Western North Carolina. We have found the greatest house, simply perfect for us, and have already put in our notice with our current landlord (this is really happening!). Seth has been diligently packing while I have been working on my portfolio and site update, as well as looking for opportunities in the western part of the state. Look forward to a brand new site in the next few weeks!
While you wait, you can feast your eyes on yet another of my film experiments – a short stop-motion film featuring some of my favorite vintage lovelies from my camera collection! Enjoy, and I can’t wait to present the new and improved site for Indie Danielle Creative!
I can’t believe it is already March! This site is way overdue for an update!
I have been neglecting my site simply because I have a new identity in the works for myself, my résumé, and my portfolio (both for the web and for my book)! Although I am still actively looking for a full-time position, I have been doing a decent enough job at supporting myself with freelance work. Even though, I still miss working with team and having coworkers to bounce ideas off of, freelance has proven to be a lucrative avenue of support until the right opportunity presents itself.
In between freelance work and the job search, I have been going out with a few of my photographer friends in attempts to learn some new techniques (lighting, style, etc.) and brush up on some that I am already familiar with. There are so many truly creative, and professional, photographers in this area so I have been learning so much and have been having a great time in the process. Photog fun!
In other news, I’ve been considering taking an intro to metal smithing class at the Carrboro Arts Center. I’ve always been interested in jewelry making and with a little extra time on my hands, there’s no better time than the present! Classes start on March 24th!
For now though, it’s back to work for me – thanks for visiting and look forward to a new site soon!
As the days go on, I’m getting more and more antsy for a full-time position. I’ve been lucky to pick work back up at ISA this week – the creative team’s project list grew quite a bit in the past few weeks so it looks like I’ll be working at least two days a week until we knock out that large list. I always enjoy working at ISA because they always have something new for me to design, whether it be large display banners, a logo design, a newsletter, a book cover design or web work – there is never a dull moment! The creative team is so great to work with and I really enjoy the fast pace and variety that I get working there. I just wish I could find that same environment with an opening for full-time employment!
In other news, I updated my “About” page and did a few tweaks to my HTML resume. Minor edits but being a little bit of a perfectionist, those little changes were a big improvement in my eyes. I’m beginning to think that this site is to the point where I’m satisfied with it until I can launch my new site. I am working on it and learning quite a bit along the way! Thanks again for visiting – more updates to come soon.
My favorite holiday is only minutes away and I still don’t know what my costume will be. Last year Seth and I went as zombies and it was a huge hit. I think the best part was transforming ourselves from the living to… THE UNDEAD! This year, I have to think quickly. We haven’t been to the Halloween store, we haven’t even really had a chance to talk about what we’ll be… we’ll be making the ol’ trek over to Rutherfordton mid-day tomorrow and arriving late in the afternoon where we won’t have much time to prep before heading over to the Dracula play! Seth’s brother, Luke, is playing the role of Jonathan Harker and we can’t wait to see him in it! After the production there will be a big Halloween party with lots of children, so we need to be ghoulish but not tooo frightening! The zombie costumes from last year may be a little too bloody for the kiddies and I’m sure there will be an over abundance of vampires so in an attempt to be unique, maybe we’ll go as mummies! Hmm… I’m going to have to dream on this tonight and make a miracle happen tomorrow afternoon, because I’m definitely not going sans costume.
In other news, I’m still on the search for a full-time position. The work at Sperry is still in full flow so I’m thankful for those precious hours of freelance work! But still, I’m so eager to get back into the swing of things and finally be working full-time again. To be a part of a team again would be a dream come true! Daily, I search all of my usual sites and I am continuing to network as much as I can. I know it’s only a matter of time before the perfect opportunity presents itself. I have to be patient and continue to be optimistic! Anyway, it’s offically Halloween now… It’s time for me to settle down with my book and try to get some rest. HAPPY HALLOWEEN, everyone! Thanks for visiting!
After a long weekend spent with family in Western North Carolina, I woke up and went about what I thought was to be a normal day. This day soon turned out to be a little bit more thrilling frightening than your regular ol’ run-of-the-mill Wednesday.
I went about my morning business, planned for an early lunch with former co-workers, left the house a little bit off schedule because my car keys happened to be in Seth’s car, all the way in downtown Raleigh. After sifting through a box of extra keys, I found my spare car key and off I went to lunch. Got to the restaurant just in the nick of time. Spent time with friends, chatted, ate a delicious pizza from the Loop, said my farewells and went on my way, heading to my afternoon freelance job at Sperry & Associates. After pulling onto Kildaire Farm Road (one of the busier streets of Cary), I thought I hit a pothole, shaking and grinding down the road, I started to get nervous and came to a halt in the turning lane. That was no pothole! Panicking and shaking, I immediately put on my flashers and picked up my phone to call my lunch buddies for help. At the same time, several nice gentlemen at nearby eateries heard my car screeching down the road and came to my rescue. One man dug through my trunk, found my spare and went straight to work but sadly what appeared to be a flat tire was NOT simply a flat tire. With me still shaking, tears welling in my eyes, he broke the news that he could not really help because what he thought was simply a flat was actually a broken ball joint, which in turn sliced through my nearly perfect tire. By this time two police cars had joined the spectacle and it was decided that I needed a tow. Clogging up traffic, embarrassed by my mishap on one of the busiest streets in town, I was told by the officer to sit in my car and wait until a tow truck could take me and my paralyzed vehicle to my mechanic. Twenty minutes later my poor car was scraping its way up the bed of a tow truck. Ouch! Thankfully, I didn’t hit anyone else or cause any damage to anything in the path of my swerving car. The situation could have been much worse if I had simply turned right instead of left. *sploosh* My car would have been submerged in the pond and I would have looked like a drowned rat!
After a $125 tow and $900+ in repairs to be done, today was a financial and emotional mess. Not only was my afternoon ruined because of the trauma I had experienced but the bank account will be feeling it tomorrow, and I missed an afternoon of freelancing. What a day! I’m just glad I made it through. *whew*
As for an update… it looks as if my days at ISA have come to an end for now. The workload has lightened and they no longer need the extra help of their freelancers. Sad, but I knew it was coming. Thankfully, I still have my freelance work at Sperry & Associates but I’m still looking for new opportunities. Any work – freelance, contract, part-time or full-time – I’m interested in! If you know anyone who needs a designer, photographer or fine artist, please keep me in mind. I want to work and any new experience is wonderful for the résumé! Although freelance and contract work has been a great experience and I want to continue doing that kind of work, I genuinely miss being part of a creative team and I hope to have the pleasure of working within a team, in a full-time position, again soon!
Thanks for stopping by and reading about my crazy day! =)
Again, I’ve fallen behind on updating my site with news. *slaps wrist* There’s a reason I’m so behind though – I’m working! Since August I have had the pleasure of freelancing nearly full-time. Exciting! I’m still looking for full-time work but freelancing has been a great adventure for me.
Let me just say, networking is a wonderful thing. Social networking via the web is now my friend, I say that as if it never was before, but now my social network on LinkedIn is my special BFF! “Why?” you ask. The reason is because I was lucky enough to get my current freelance position at ISA through, none other than, my LinkedIn profile! The art director, Colleen (jewelry-designer extraordinaire), was searching for freelancers in the area, came across my profile, followed the links here, to my website, and VIOLA! I was hired!
Hooray! I am working at ISA three days a week and the other two days, I get to work at the lovely, Sperry & Associates. Both are challenging jobs with high workloads so I’m staying extremely busy. Sadly, my stint at ISA is only temporary and will end sometime in mid-October, as the company’s workload decreases and the heavy season dissipates. It will definitely be sad leaving the wonderful folks and creative projects at at ISA but, alas, I guess that’s the nature of freelancing! Onto other opportunities!
Working at Sperry has been nothing short of greatness. I feel quite at home there with the other designers, and I am getting a chance to really see how fast-paced the work of an ad agency really is. Ads in, ads out and onto the next! They are so organized there, so it has been an easy transition from my previous in-house work. I have nothing to complain about except for the vent that blows cold air on me – so minor! Nothing a sweater can’t solve.
Rambling on – congratulations, if you’ve made it this far – today, I got to meet ultra-talented photographer, Elizabeth Galecke, at her studio. She’s currently hiring for a darkroom manager / printer. Seeing her work inspired me to finally set up my darkroom again. Now that we have the room in the house, it’s definitely time to start printing again! After seeing her post on Craigslist and responding to it, I have met with Elizabeth to see if she’d be interested in bringing me in to fill her printing position. When my job at ISA is finished, I’ll have a lot of free-time on my hands and it would be so wonderful to spend a few days a week printing! I’ll keep you updated on how that turns out! It may be that she needs someone sooner than I can be available but we’ve spoken about some design work as well, in the case that she finds someone else to manage the darkroom. Regardless, it was great to meet her because I admire her work so much, both her photography and her non-profit work. She has done so much and seems to be such great person, check her out! I hope that my work can one day emit as much joy as her work does.
Still, I’m searching for full-time jobs on a daily basis. I hope that one day soon, I will find the perfect position at the ultimate company. Until then, I’m enjoying the variety of work I’m getting to do while freelancing. I’ll update again with more news soon. Thanks for visiting!
It’s been a while since my last update but the job search is still going strong! Although I have not found a full-time position yet, I have gone on a couple of interviews for positions that I didn’t have quite enough experience for just yet (an environmental graphics position, requiring shop experience and a web design position that I was second in line for, I guess I’m just not there yet). I am keeping a positive attitude though – it’s a hard time to be looking for a job but I am making my way through it.
In the meantime, I have been filling my days with freelance projects, design challenges and personal adventures! OnWired, one of the companies I applied to, gave me a design challenge of building a site for a company (fictional or not). Although I came up with some pretty crazy ideas for bogus companies, I decided to take the challenge to one of my favorite places – the Farmers’ Market! I designed a delicious looking site, now on the design page. Although another lucky candidate got the job, the great guys at OnWired are keeping me in mind for future openings and possibly some freelance work!
In other news, I’m currently working on a calendar for Harnett County Schools and album art for local musician, Gilbert Neal. Both challenging projects to be working on because space and budgets are limited. I’m excited to see the finished products. Soon. Soooon!
Personal adventures! New studio = very nice! The studio is officially my favorite room in the house. I built a garden table, which has herbs and greens growing in it. Having never really built much on my own, with the exception of science fair projects, it was an interesting project. I’m proud of myself because not only does it stand, it’s sturdy!!! And it’s actually functional! Also, I taught myself how to embroider and then I made an embroidered farewell gift for Courtney. Super cute, little purse. Soon, I will attempt to sew with my machine that has barely been used since it’s purchase. And… I think I’ll learn how to play the piano. I must utilize this free time while I have it! Hopefully, it won’t last forever.
So, long story short… I’m still looking! If you know of a creative position, open for the taking applications, let me know! I’m in the market for a job that will both challenge me creatively and teach me a thing or two that I may not already know.
I am currently looking for new opportunites in the design world! A position that will engage my creativity, utilize my keen eye for design and allow me to expand my current design skills with challenging projects is ideal. Being comfortable in both an agency setting as well as an in-house design team, I believe I can flourish in any scenario. I’m eager to find a company that will challenge me every day and will stimulate my creativity, as well as allow me to grow and learn new skills regularly. Always striving to expand my horizons, I’m open to exploring any avenue in the creative world.
If you believe I am the right fit for your company, please contact me! Or if you know someone who is looking for a creative designer, who works hard with a smile, I’m that person and am always looking to build connections. Feel free link us up! I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Hmm… I’m going to have to dream on this tonight and make a miracle happen tomorrow afternoon, because I’m definitely not going sans costume.
