Some of that happenstance occurred recently but was mostly ignored until a little distance (a few days in this case) allowed a better perspective to be reached . . . one which was part of me, well, most of me and was just thinking, Why not just play it as it is . . . as I have already exorcised and presented on my own website . . . include it in an application?

As has been propositioned, or a least as I had interpreted it, it seemed a goer to just present me, opinions and views and all, rather than the ‘classic’ sort-of-true (maybe slightly stretched versions) typically seen, even done, by me throughout my career that ‘sell’ the individual and their potential to prospective employers.

That I had a history with the organisation might have actually held me back from being considered. If so, fair enough, but it was that there was not much for me to lose, certainly given my life and approaches more so these days to using my accrued knowledge and skills (in my trade and recently my life adaptations) to guide and help myself and others, and that this could (or would?!) be of some use and merit to an accommodating and possibly forward-thinking organisation.

And, you know what? Sod the ‘typical’ presentation (of visuals and words) to showcase my skills and abilities and just present myself without flare or faff in the obligatory covering letter and CV so as to get to the barebones of a livelihood and (possible?!) potential, complemented by my website (this one) that presents a little more.

If there are no bare bones, no skeleton, then no amount of ‘colourful’ presentation disguises that absence.

Well, there are plenty of words (under Previously on this website) supported by a reasonable selection of my total career portfolio of near-eighteen-year effort in operating; looking back on that it likely wasn’t as good as it could have been and despite trying to be hopefully honest and direct, probably didn’t help matters . . . but, you never know!

My overriding impetus was just to be frank and straightforward about the work and its practices in and around my trade and experiences, in the hope that operating that way can be a good and helpful thing and one I have tried to follow, despite my quirks.

Thank you to anyone that may have given their time and attention to my application and possibly even fought a little for me getting an interview but, being honest, hopefully their efforts were given to better talent (with short(er) teeth!) and maybe even internal potential, certainly given likely wider departmental intentions and ambitions for shaking it all up a bit; to have potentially exercised a little benevolence toward a wizened old-codger that can mostly (just about, given some of the new fangled updates!) still use a bit of the relevant software would have been well-meant but possibly too much . . . especially given he holds (quite often but hopefully well-informed) views, opinions and perspectives (more so these days) and doesn’t always, if at all, play appropriately when left out of wider organisational pictures (that certainly don’t just involve the look of items, as design is, first and foremost, about the why) that can generally seem a bit misplaced, so that any effort tends to just get turned into delivery, not point and the realisation it may in fact have not needed to happen.

Anyway, as an anti-presentation effort it was worth a punt even though I knew it was more of a (cheeky?!) excuse to possibly raise some awareness of my livelihood (and recent experiences of keeping it going) to old connections; the approach was honest (which may come across as a bit scathing in places!) in the realities I experienced and likely didn’t always give myself the best chance to assuredly climb career rungs.

Hopefully in a tiny way, the perspectives I have written may have helped someone who read them and could gain some additional clarity or confidence knowing similar things might or have happened to them and gain an appreciation, understanding or learning that can be taken from my words into their own efforts and practices.

My career in graphic, digital and creative design has likely fizzled out properly now. But, ending it completely is not necessarily a given, as it remains a large part of my operating system – it just really depends on what is being asked of me as to whether I might wish to get involved – and just delivering someone else’s ‘vision’ is not really a motivating factor for me and so a real and decent opportunity of my involvement must be meaningfully ‘sold’ to me, certainly given what I have survived (with all its own economic, social and civil meanings attached) and now have to work with and around to function and live.

It’s why less is more and when I see more stuff that really doesn’t need to be (or for me even to be part of making it) and seems mostly motivated to be in existence because of slightly self-fulfilling requirements, not genuine reasons, means that I choose not to be a part of that, if I can.

In a small way, the process has been a confirmatory one that I was pretty much aware of anyway, more so post-TBI, in that I had not so much enthusiasm or aptitude these days for putting up with organisational (and sometimes individual) politics (and ambitions), management (and managerial progress), administration and the general ins and outs of daily work (and expectations) in offices, or even just quietly getting on, when left alone, with a bit of layout, composition and decent typography, analogue or digital, that was actually relevant, meaningful and not just someone’s pet project.

Given quite a bit of my previous efforts in original, thoughtful and just well-placed common sense ideas, were seemingly valued but often steered away from (intentionally or otherwise) as they didn’t fit in or play along with the expected way(s) of projects, schemes or others’ intent and so I felt I was just seen (even just used) as a means to help the organisation, or just the (swaggering) marketing directorate, ‘look’ progressive, whether through apparent work or ‘play’.

Methinks that’s a fair assessment of my previous – certainly my charitable, near-decade – efforts and a reasonable conclusion to a livelihood spent mostly fulfilling others’ project requirements.

Dust

Still, in regards to me: like I have said about other pieces of heritage, sometimes it just isn’t worth the effort and or hassle to keep a certain piece going!