And here is yesterday’s blank napkin with a quote. The quote is from Lou Brock, one of the best base stealers, runners and defensive outfielders in baseball history.
Starting Over
I switched careers when I first moved to Oklahoma. I had been a college art instructor (part time at 3 different colleges) and a restaurant manager. In Oklahoma I became a commercial computer artist helping to create interactive educational software for kids. I started out at the bottom at minimum wage by scanning animation cels that an other artist did. I used Photoshop to clean them up and hand them off to the animator. The artist who drew the original drawings was the top dog in the office. He also used Photoshop exclusively.
Saying Yes to Looking Bad
At one point the producer came to the creative group and said she needed someone to start to learn how to use Macromedia Director, the software that actually animated the individual drawings. The top dog artist, who had first choice, was intimidated by that prospect and said he had no interest in learning it. I, on the other hand, when given the opportunity, jumped at it. I didn’t care if I didn’t know the program. I didn’t care if I was going to probably mess up at times. I didn’t care if the other creative people in the company would laugh at my attempts at animation. What I cared about was learning, growing, getting better, becoming indispensable to the team.
A Cautionary Tale
4 months later we had hired veteran professionals to draw much better animation cels and I was assisting in animating them, using that software. The Top Dog artist had been pretty much shunted off to the side and soon left the company to do roofing in Texas. Within a year and a half I had become both the Producer and the Creative Director of the company. Why did it turn out that way? Because I said yes to a task I KNEW I would look bad in at times.
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Drawing by Marty Coleman
Quote by Lou Brock
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In the early 80’s, desperate for a full time job, I took one which meant using a computer. I had not touched a computer, but thought since I typed, I could learn. As soon as I learned the program, it was changed, and learning began again. I wasn’t afraid to ask for assistance and look bad during the learning process. I had good promotions and raises and soon was in charge of computer programs. This was the old DOS. Then, here comes Windows. I already had a solid career.
When I first started playing the organ for church, I didn’t mind sounding bad and accepting instruction and advice. Sixty years later, I’m still on the bench. I’m still open to any suggestions and new ideas.
Thanks for your drawings and comments.
outfielder (center), not infielder — otherwise an immensely enjoyable read…
Correction made, thanks for that Ansky!