Madge Muses

Image Copyright Rodney White

Did you know it was THURSDAY?!  All day today?!  I could swear it was Monday yesterday.  Did anyone see Tuesday or Wednesday?  I seem to have misplaced them.  Maybe they're in a drawer somewhere or perhaps they've run away to parts unknown.  I'm sending out a search party as I type.

An invisible search party.

A party of one.

Okay there really isn't a party.

Never mind.

I've been thinking a lot lately about who I am, what I do, why I do it and where I'd like to go.  This is an accidental career. I saw a pathway and a small sign and I decided to follow it because it made sense and it made me happy and the pathway I'd been on became impassable.  So here I am in the thick of things and because so many people in my industry are asking some rather big questions...so am I.  What is a 'designer.'  What do I do and why does it matter?

I had an illuminating conversation recently with someone who revealed that they and their colleagues had an absolute distaste for the entire craft industry based on a series of incredibly negative experiences with a group of 'designers' who apparently acted like spoiled divas in a professional setting and created such a shipoopystorm of bad blood, that the people in this professional setting are thrilled to be completely finished with the craft industry.  Wow.  That's pretty dang sad, isn't it?  In fact, this has rippled outward and affected the craft industry in a myriad of ways.  I honestly had no idea this had happened until I had this conversation.  So let me state for the record, I do not delude myself into thinking that I am more important than anyone else or that I should be treated differently than anyone else.  In every professional setting, I treat everyone with whom I am working with respect.  I try to keep things in perspective and not to take myself too seriously.  I'm just a part of the total equation and therefore it's imperative that I honor the other folks involved.

In point of fact, I don't even think actual celebrities should be treated differently than everyone else.  No one is more important than anyone else.  Period.  Doesn't matter what you do, where you work, how many awards you've won, how much money you have, what your bloodline is, where you live, what car you drive, how fancy your clothes are or how many people tell you that you're the shiznit.  We're all just humans on the planet doing whatever we do and most of what we do is of little consequence to the greater picture.  Even the stuff that seems really, really important. 

So does what I do matter...at all?  I think so, yes.  If I have to label what I do, I'd say I'm a visionary.  I'm a possibilitarian.  I'm a pied piper of creativity.  I get paid to forge new creative pathways, to see things from fresh perspectives, to dream big and make those dreams real. I'm inspiring others to do the same.  So what I do has measurable impact and value.  What all of the creative professionals in my industry and in all creative industries do has measurable impact and value.  We are idea people and we've got a lot of big ideas.

What is important is that the people in my industry remember to respect ourselves, each other and our clients.  When some of us act badly, it reflects on all of us.  When some of us work for peanuts or for free stuff, it makes it tough for others to be paid fairly for our work.  When some of us get hyper competitive and forget to pay it forward and to be kind, it makes all of us seem petty and self absorbed.  When some of us undervalue ourselves, we all become undervalued.  There is room for each of us to shine and the more we do so and encourage each others to do so, the brighter we all become.

I think it's good for every one of us to take stock of what we do and why it matters.  I also think it's imperative to remember that what we do does not define us, how we love does.  Everything we do can be done with love and compassion. 

Love
Madge

R E S P E C T

Image Copyright Enoch Bolles

I have been waiting for months for six of my designs to be returned by a magazine publisher. One of them has been held hostage for over a year. I’ve emailed them, messaged them and sent smoke signals begging for my projects back...and I occasionally get a reply that yes...my six projects will be returned...after they find them...and then nada. What...did they send them on vacation? Are they wearing them?

I love these designs. Several of them are made with one-of-a-kind materials I simply can’t replace. I sold them the right to publish them, but I did not sell them the actual pieces. The understanding was they’d return them to me. They’re fully aware of that...but they keep stonewalling me.

Then today I returned home from the hair salon feeling like a Breck girl and in a lovely mood only to find a thinly padded envelope with THREE class samples tossed inside. Where did the bubble wrap packages I created for them go? Why couldn’t they have used a box? I’m amazed they weren’t shattered into a zillion tiny pieces. PLUS they actually GRADED them with RED PEN! What?! Are you friggin’ kidding me? I got a low ‘B.’

Uh, okay, what...ev...er.

I give them a big red ‘F’ for packaging followed by a very juicy raspberry.

Sheesh.

I don’t think it’s asking so much from my clients that they treat my work and me with the respect we deserve. They don’t have to like my pieces, but they should return them in a timely manner and packed with some semblance of care and respect. I’m seriously considering not working with either of these companies again. Sorry, Charlie. I’m not going to let people walk all over me.

The point of this rant is to remind everyone that we do not have to allow other people to treat us like crap just because they think they’re in a position of power or because they appear to wield so much importance we’re afraid of standing up to them. So maybe we won’t do business with them again, but who wants to work with people who don’t respect us? Everyone deserves professional courtesy. After 12 long years waiting tables...I made a deal with myself that I was NEVER going to do a job I hated again.

Find another sucker.

I know some folks are willing to work for the honor of associating their name with something big or are so happy to get a book deal or a magazine article they’ll pretty much do it for nothing and suck it up. I’m just not there anymore. I’ve built something and when you get me, you get my considerable talent, insight, hard work, dedication and my brand. It’s a mutually beneficial situation.

Aretha was so right on. Sing it, sista.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

It's a damn good thing my hair looks this good or I'd be a mighty grumpy Gertie.

xoxo,
Madge