I'm curious... how much of 'worktime' do different folks spend on fun, inspiring stuff, COMPARED to what is spent on the yuck-but-necessary? By the latter I basically mean whatever in your business you really don't enjoy but DO because it simply needs to be done, or is horribly boring but pays well, or whatever.
Sure and a lot depends on attitude and outlook, perception of what is 'yuck' and all, and it's a given that any profession (like life) has its fair share of the menial and uninspiring...
But if you had to give a quick, rough answer, what would it be? 50-50? 90% Yummy versus 10% Yuck? Vice-versa? Or is it a question of every task having a different proportion of each and that's it? What do you think?
Posted by Si Allen (Member # 420) on :
ALL my work is enjoyable! It may not all be awe inspiring, but it is what I enjoy doing.
My advantage is that I am semi retired, so I can pick and choose jobs!
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
At our shop I'd say the ratio is probably up around 99.45% cool stuff to 0.65% yucky stuff. This 0.65% yucky stuff is generally some small part of the good stuff but has to be done a certain way to satisfy regulations (like a fire exit sign or whatever) Actually in thinking about it... the yucky stuff is so unusual even it can seem special at times because it is so out of the ordinary.
If you add in the projects we do for ourselves on a regular basis (which is ALL cool stuff) the ratio would be skewed much higher.
-grampa dan
Posted by Jill Marie Welsh (Member # 1912) on :
I think I get maybe one cool paying job a year. I just do the other stuff because I have to. But I still do it as well as I can, and try to please the client. They usually like my work. But I rarely am satisfied with it! What I really enjoy is making banners for Letterhead meets. love....Jill
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
A large portion of our work used to be "yucky stuff". Over the years, though, I began to push for the higher end stuff. I still occassionally do "yucky stuff" but that is getting fewer and fewer because I started raising the prices on "yucky stuff" which magically started to turn it into "whoopie! stuff".
For me the "fun stuff" is the more challenging stuff. I don't have the kind of talent that Grandpa Dan or Stevo have. But when I do get lucky and hit a homerun with a design or project, little else is more satisfying.
.
Posted by Bobbie Rochow (Member # 3341) on :
Most of what I do is not what I would LOVE to be doing, tho I am grateful I have work to do!
I can't give you a percentage, but I can say this.... I have been doing the fun stuff after hours, like pinstriping & gilding for practice & fun, & giving gifts!
Here is something I did for my girlfriend. I worked on this til late Friday nite to give to her Saturday. The words are ivory, not white. I know, I know, the stripes clash with the style of the leaves & gilding & everything, but it was FUN, FUN, FUN!!!!! Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
The only time I'm not having any "Fun at Work" is when I'm not making eoungh money on a job. I don't care if the Queen of England flys me up to her castle to re-gild her majestic toliet, if the job turns out to not all that profitable, I'm not having fun. You can even see it on my face when I'm doing a job that pays off. I'm singing, even dancing. But when I encounter problems, like forget vinyl, get the wrong measurements, mis-spell copy, etc. I'm not singing any more. But that's just me.
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Making most anything into fun is an exercise that we can learn, but it revolves around knowing yourself and understanding how to tweek your perspective and attitude.
Posted by John Lennig (Member # 2455) on :
Rick, most perceptive! That really is the Secret! When i'm caulking, i'm GIVING IT THE LOvE, as they say, as with any thing that we're doing, with our hands or mind...
John
Posted by Janette Balogh (Member # 192) on :
This is such a cool question Erica!
Okay, I really liked Rick's answer, and I could definately relate to Alicia's also.
To me, the lack luster jobs bring in money for me to do the neat things I want to do or buy. So, I like doing them for the money!
There is always that occasional really neat job that stimulates the creative juices, ... those are usually the ones that I'd probably do for free .... but I don't! (instead I charge WELL)
So, for the most part, I'm just grateful for most jobs, as they serve a need for me.
COOL to YUCK ratio ... probably about 85% to 15%
~nettie
Posted by Ricky Jackson (Member # 5082) on :
Yep, Rick nailed it. I don't care if it's a boring "INFORMATION" sign, it pays the bills and that makes me happy and I'm able to provide a needed service to my customers. It doesn't all have to be 23k with split blended shades and double outlines and tricked out backgrounds; sometimes tasteful simplicity gives me just as much satisfaction.
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
90% spent on boring work (Pays well)
10% spent on agonising on new stuff, which ends up Paying well.
Bottom line..do NOTHING for free...
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Enough of each to continue doing this for a living.
Posted by Murray MacDonald (Member # 3558) on :
Never thought I'd agree withh Ricky about anything...but....Yeah. if the brush is working well and the paint flows nicely, even a "No parking" sign can feel good. The Unreconstructed Canadian MUR
Posted by Erica Taylor (Member # 4952) on :
Wow, thanks all you guys for responding! I hoped I’d get lots of interesting answers. I totally agree that it is a matter of perception and attitude, and that satisfaction can be gained from any task, be it humble or awesome. I’m also learning, and business and business and profit is the bottom line (!); it all pays my paycheck and believe me, I don’t take that for granted.
This all came about as a result of a discussion I was involved in: I am an employee, and I was lamenting the somewhat unexpected passage of a perpetual ‘fun’ job of significant volume (not without its small percentage of tedium, but anyway...) - it had involved a couple of years of the client being extremely pleased with my work, ecstatic - and the work was all from my head, and my brush, and my boss was pleased too, of course; it did the business good and it played a large part in defining my value... recently that client has evolved, decided to go with a different look, which is fine, that’s business, and I understand their thinking.
I know I was very lucky to have had the opportunity to do so much lettering, develop, and show what I could do. It also gave me a taste of what I could do creatively and I derived a lot of joy from the accomplishment, and I was looking forward to further development. Fact is, like anyone, employee or employer, there’s no promise or guarantee of ‘fun’ stuff to come, and I was just really frustrated. I can sweep the shop with a smile on my face as well as anyone, I love variety, I am very versatile, I’m always the one cracking jokes and making cartoons, I do my best at whatever I’m given, I like everybody, I do make stuff fun... but it was a bad day and I was FRUSTRATED.
I was told, very kindly, to take a reality check, I was no different from anybody else, and that this work is pretty much 90% drudgery and 10% fun... hence the post.
I respect this wisdom, and yours. I am learning. I got a little taste, is all... and like a kid I want more. I don’t want to go back into the box.
I’m reminded I can still play on my own time and keep developing and access that particular joy. I know everyday can’t be a Letterhead meet. Thank God for Letterheads. I am learning, and all you guys are helping.
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