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Barb taught me how to post photos today - and I am too excited!!
So, after successfully posting John Lennig's picture (in the post about the Wood Graining Students returning home ) I wanted to post this one in the "ugliest signs ever seen" post and thought better of it.
There are those who will never learn - and we saw some of them - vomitous most - in the ugly sign post.
There are others whom I would hire as a student, or an apprentice under the right mind set, and I think whoever did this truck qualifies, it gets an A for trying and even has a bit of humor in it in my mind.
I have always wondered about the premise of pitting talent versus persistence, and that the logical and more lucrative choice for all involved is persistence. The conclusion of the musings about it was that an employer would do better to chose persistence over talent, because talent is a dime a dozen. Though I am a person of quite a bit of inborn talent and a good eye, I know about how persistence in practicing with the brush and correcting mistakes, and asking questions, and the willingness to go the extra mile and spend extra time is what really made me stay in business for these 25 years (etc., etc) How hard it can be to never give up.
I have had young upstart whippersnappers in my face talking about "their art". And wanting to do something with it. And wanting to GET PAID for their ability to draw, immediately. And wanting to never pick up a broom. Who do not just hang around and watch in order to learn and who don't try something unless they are on the clock, and who are blind to what's involved in the whole picture of serving a customer and taking their money because they have been TOLD they have so much talent, that the peripheral things can be done by those who don't. And they actually may have that base raw talent, and impressed me on that end, yet still had to move on because I found them unteachable.
ANyway- I don't know what made me ramble on about that Here is the Van done by a teachable amateur
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Looks like some of my first attempts, way back when. It wern't easy...!
-------------------- Wilson Ardmore Sun Signs 164 Team Track Rd. Auburn, Ca hatfield@vfr.net Posts: 100 | From: Bowman,Ca | Registered: Aug 2002
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Good post Myra, I feel that in order to succeed in this business of "art on demand" You FIRST have to be willing to fail. Fail at.... layout brush technique customer relations business practicies pricing etc.etc.etc. Not many are willing to go through this process in order to master all of the above! Some are satisfied with the bare mininum of punching the time clock,while expecting the rest to just RUB off on them. Some HAVE to work for others,rather than to strike out on thier own. Ther are LEADERS and there are FOLLOWERS GIVERS and TAKERS always improving thier skills or satisfied with the status quo. Teachable and unteachable. It is ALWAYS the successful ones that are NEVER quitters. SEEMS "Letterhead" is equal to the LATTER
-------------------- PKing is Pat King The Professor of SIGNOLOGY Posts: 3113 | From: Pompano Beach, FL. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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We all have to start somewhere. I don't think it matters what our first attempts look like as much as it matters how much passion and persistence we have in us. I have posted my first sign here before. Not at all because I thought it looked great. But because I loved doing signs so much. And to this day, am still learning. Posts: 3729 | From: Seattle | Registered: Sep 1999
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well it looks like a do it myself job because the money ran out opening a new biz. But you are right about one thing the sign biz is not about talent. It is mostly being able to bend the asstorted media we use in the sign biz to your vision of the finished product. talent does help but its mostly sweat, and like a doctor, You bury your mistakes. and being able to try new media to see if it will do things it wasn't made for.
-------------------- PTSideshow, been there, probally done that. Wizard Works Show Supply Magic Props FX Signage Banners Ect. Posts: 120 | From: Mount Clemens,MI,USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I've been around long enough that all my early stuff is well stored or thrown out but...I still remember them.
Over the years I have hired and fired many a person in the sign trade and have always been of the belief that DESIRE is 80% of the total package if you have it you can't be stopped...if you don't have it all the talent in the world won't get you thru.
Of all the people I ever had to letgo none of them had the desire.
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
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