Running in the dark

Another advertising class in the books.

The day after a class ends is the most important day of the semester. This is especially true for those who take Continuing Ed. classes. I woke up today and asked my self if I really want to abandon what has become comfortable in my life and career only to chase after something that I might not be able to catch, something that might prove to be, for any number of reasons, out of reach.

The answer: You bet your sweet apples I do.

I've always felt most alive when I put my self "out there". The times when I felt like hesitating but decided to go for it anyway are the moments when I really learned the most about my self and what I'm capable of. I'm not saying that you, me or anyone should live a life guided by rash decisions just to keep things exciting. Instead, I think that after asking your self the tough questions; what do I want out of life, what will it take to get there, etc., you've got to be brave enough to take the next step.

It's important to recognize that in every situation you can either lose or you can win. You have to accept that certain things will always be out of your control (it's that way for everyone) and how you respond to those "tests" will go a long way in determining whether or not you ultimately achieve your goal.

Don't let the moment paralyze you; instead, choose to rise up and meet it. It's true, if you run in the dark, you might fall down (or smash into something) but you also might just accomplish something great.

As I've mentioned before, I play a lot of tennis. And one of the best matches I ever played ended in a loss, but what I learned about my self during that loss has since led to many wins. Before every tennis match, I tell my self:

Accept the conditions, do not get frustrated
Accept the challenge, believe in your game
Rise to the occassion. And fight

Right now, I'm staring at a pile of potentially "book-worthy" ideas and, a disproportionately larger pile of crap (ads). Aside from help (on the ground and in the sky), the following is what I need to do to develop a "slick" portfolio (from what I've heard, this is an industry term and is all I should be striving for). I read once that, "goals are dreams with deadlines," so I'm going to attach some dates to make things interesting.

• Identify the best ads I've developed to date (End of August)
• Work to improve overall concept of those ads (End of October)
• Get feedback on newly improved ads (End of November)
• Decide on Ad class to take in Fall semester (any suggestions??)
• Identify Art Director(s) that can art direct my ad campaigns (End of October)
• Create Ad Portfolio (End of December)
• Land job as Copywriter at an ad agency (Q1 2010)

Thats all for now, I really should get to bed. I started the day with a visit to the Doctor for a routine physical and blood test and ended the visit by passing out during the blood test. Not really sure how it happened, I just got so lightheaded. Next thing you know, I'm lying down on the "butcher paper" they laid out for me and the PA is handing me a cup of munchkins. Turns out they didn't draw enough blood to run the tests so I will have to go back. Thats how it goes I guess; another day, another challenge.

Joe
http://twitter.com/joeyz101