While I really don't agree with saying anything negative about a work experience or anyone online-except for satirical posts and or total ranting in general-like why do people still text and drive??? ARRRGH But I digress.
Last Sept I was hired as an illustrator at a job that I LOVED. I was excited every single day to go into this job. I got new assignments daily and got to draw Disney characters-which from my background at Disney animation was a definite bonus; as well I got to draw tons of stuff that I had never done. I did about 30-50 new illustrations a week-yup a week-it was awesome. There was one problem, someone there didn't like me and made my life a living hell, but instead of giving up and quitting, I stuck it out and showed up every day. I was called names, insulted, threatened, talked about, etc.. pretty much every day for 8.5 months. The people who brought me, (well convinced this other person to hire me), in have apologized for the "bad situation" I was in for almost a year-and at low pay-I have to add that because being there did cost me a.....LOT...of money as I was making less than I made at the Cheesecake Factory in 1994 and less than when I started at Disney in 1996...just because some people have the idea that it's okay to take abuse if you are making good money. I was not, but I LOVED the job. Despite this person's horrible behavior I LOVED the job. I still tear up when I think that I am not there anymore. It has taken me about 3 months to get past the anger and hurt I have for what this person did, but never ever have I regretted going there. Here is what I am grateful for:
1) Now I am 100% digital-YIPPEE!!! I have been working on computers for years-but after 300+ illustrations I am really a full fledged digital illustrator and I get constant work doing children's books and other illustration projects. I have been doing kids books for years, but not like this, so that is a HUGE plus and I am grateful.
2) I am also grateful for all the new skills I have now, I went from beginning to expert in Photoshop, Illustrator and Sketchbook Pro-I love Sketchbook Pro-any and all artists should get it and it's less than $60-hurry before they realize what a great product they have and up the price!
3) I met many great people and have so many new friends from there. That is priceless.
4) This is the best part. I met the love of my life there. When I met him, I thought, "This place is too small, I can't date him, no way." But the universe had different plans for us and we fell head over heels in love and now I have this amazing man in my life that until this year I didn't even believe love like this existed. I thought true love was something Walt Disney made up to sell movies, but wow I have it now.
So while there were some hard days at this job, I have NO REGRETS, and never have. I am sorry that this person didn't like me and didn't want me there, even though I was a model employee. I was never late, not even by a minute, I never called in sick, I did above and beyond what was expected of me, I had a smile on my face every day and was always grateful for the opportunity. I leave with nothing by gratitude to this person who made my life hell, because he was also the one who hired me. I should have known things weren't going to be smooth on my first day when he said, "I didn't want you here, you have no talent, you can't draw and I don't think you can do this, but my staff feels otherwise." and maybe somewhere inside I did know, but the universe had other plans that I will always be grateful for. My life has changed for the better in so many ways that I can't even begin to describe, so I say to this man, "Thank you for giving me the best gifts anyone could have ever given me. With gratitude always. I believe that everything happens for a reason and while I am sorry that you didn't like me or my work, I am grateful that I was there."
I write this blog today because so many of my friends are going through something bad right now, maybe a bad job, stress at home, work, life, illness and I really believe that after everything bad that happens something good will follow, or there is always a silver lining. I know that it's hard to see sometimes, especially when emotions are high, but really the worst times in my life have always turned out to be the best. Even after this experience, I look at it as one of the most positive things that could have ever happened to me and I am grateful for everything that it taught me, and gave me.
I'm just sayin'
Last Sept I was hired as an illustrator at a job that I LOVED. I was excited every single day to go into this job. I got new assignments daily and got to draw Disney characters-which from my background at Disney animation was a definite bonus; as well I got to draw tons of stuff that I had never done. I did about 30-50 new illustrations a week-yup a week-it was awesome. There was one problem, someone there didn't like me and made my life a living hell, but instead of giving up and quitting, I stuck it out and showed up every day. I was called names, insulted, threatened, talked about, etc.. pretty much every day for 8.5 months. The people who brought me, (well convinced this other person to hire me), in have apologized for the "bad situation" I was in for almost a year-and at low pay-I have to add that because being there did cost me a.....LOT...of money as I was making less than I made at the Cheesecake Factory in 1994 and less than when I started at Disney in 1996...just because some people have the idea that it's okay to take abuse if you are making good money. I was not, but I LOVED the job. Despite this person's horrible behavior I LOVED the job. I still tear up when I think that I am not there anymore. It has taken me about 3 months to get past the anger and hurt I have for what this person did, but never ever have I regretted going there. Here is what I am grateful for:
1) Now I am 100% digital-YIPPEE!!! I have been working on computers for years-but after 300+ illustrations I am really a full fledged digital illustrator and I get constant work doing children's books and other illustration projects. I have been doing kids books for years, but not like this, so that is a HUGE plus and I am grateful.
2) I am also grateful for all the new skills I have now, I went from beginning to expert in Photoshop, Illustrator and Sketchbook Pro-I love Sketchbook Pro-any and all artists should get it and it's less than $60-hurry before they realize what a great product they have and up the price!
3) I met many great people and have so many new friends from there. That is priceless.
4) This is the best part. I met the love of my life there. When I met him, I thought, "This place is too small, I can't date him, no way." But the universe had different plans for us and we fell head over heels in love and now I have this amazing man in my life that until this year I didn't even believe love like this existed. I thought true love was something Walt Disney made up to sell movies, but wow I have it now.
So while there were some hard days at this job, I have NO REGRETS, and never have. I am sorry that this person didn't like me and didn't want me there, even though I was a model employee. I was never late, not even by a minute, I never called in sick, I did above and beyond what was expected of me, I had a smile on my face every day and was always grateful for the opportunity. I leave with nothing by gratitude to this person who made my life hell, because he was also the one who hired me. I should have known things weren't going to be smooth on my first day when he said, "I didn't want you here, you have no talent, you can't draw and I don't think you can do this, but my staff feels otherwise." and maybe somewhere inside I did know, but the universe had other plans that I will always be grateful for. My life has changed for the better in so many ways that I can't even begin to describe, so I say to this man, "Thank you for giving me the best gifts anyone could have ever given me. With gratitude always. I believe that everything happens for a reason and while I am sorry that you didn't like me or my work, I am grateful that I was there."
I write this blog today because so many of my friends are going through something bad right now, maybe a bad job, stress at home, work, life, illness and I really believe that after everything bad that happens something good will follow, or there is always a silver lining. I know that it's hard to see sometimes, especially when emotions are high, but really the worst times in my life have always turned out to be the best. Even after this experience, I look at it as one of the most positive things that could have ever happened to me and I am grateful for everything that it taught me, and gave me.
I'm just sayin'
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