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Monday, February 27, 2012

Jet Airliner









Big ol' Jet Airliner. This song keeps up with the ear worm. Ya know that song that just won't leave your thoughts. Keep singing it and hearing it in your head all day long? I'm not even a Steve Miller Band fan but the friging thing won't stop! "But my love light seems so far away And I feel like it's all been done Somebody's tryin' to make me stay You know I've got to be movin' on". Makes me wonder about beginnings and endings, where I started and where will the finish line be? 


Humble beginnings, born and raised in Des Moines Iowa. Middle class family with one sister and two brothers. My father worked really hard to raise the family, traveled on the Big ol' Jet Airliner. In his younger days, hopped the train to get to the job. Many times he would drive, he could save the money it cost to fly and sometimes he would camp instead of spending the jack for a hotel (His name was Jack...I get some kind of kick out of that, Jack brings home the jack). All to give us a beautiful home, picket fence, all the things kids want. We didn't want for much because we had it all. Maybe we didn't know that as kids but we had it better than most. I think about my fathers journeys and wonder what he was thinking while out every week away from his family, working to bring home the jack. That song again, Big ol' jet airliner Don't carry me too far away Oh oh, big ol' jet airliner 'Cause it's here that I've got to stay". 


I have to hand it to my father. He instilled the work ethic in me that keeps me going and gives me the passion to carry on. He was never easy on me either. Just said it like it was. I can remember his look when telling me something after I might have complained about work. He would get up in the morning, settle into his favorite chair, sit with his legs crossed, glasses on the tip of his nose and reading the morning edition of the Des Moines Register.  I would get up with some complaint about work and he wouldn't even look up when he said it..."Jo Ann, if it were easy they could have anybody do it". Yep, that would shut me up and I would go off thinking I needed to work really hard and be better than everybody else. I remember a time when I was working 80 hour weeks and sometime 24 hours straight. I got into my complaining and true to fatherly form..."Jo Ann, they don't call it work for nothing." 


I understand now why he was so straight forward, no sugar coating anything. He appreciated being home for the weekend. Getting the chance to sit in his favorite chair, reading, smoked an occasional cigar when he thought we weren't around. We always smelled it and I love the smell of a good cigar to this day just because of where it takes me. Sunday night or Monday morning he had to go back at it..."Touchin' down in New England town Feeling the heat comin' down I've got to keep on keepin' on You know the big wheel keeps us spinnin' around". Jumpin' Jack Flash is the song that should come to mind when thinking of him. He was always on the go. Never took time for granted. For the short 36-48 hours that he would be home, he would mow the yard, fix that pretty fence, and spend time with us kids. Always had to "keep on keeping' on". 


That is what he was trying to tell me, prepare me for the long haul. Appreciate the job you have and work really hard and enjoy it while you are there. Then when you get home, well...Oh oh, big ol' jet airliner Carry me to my home Oh oh, big ol' jet airliner 'Cause it's there that I belong". When you work really hard and give all you can give, it makes you appreciate what you have all the more. The harder you work the more you have to love and the more you will appreciate it, kinda like "Ridin' high, I got tears in my eyes You know you got to go through hell before you get to heaven".


Well, here I am, going through hell to get to heaven, looking up at him and thanking him for showing me the way. "I got to go out and make my way I might get rich you know I might get busted".


Thanks Dad, this one is for you!


Jo Ann

Thursday, February 23, 2012

It's Madness I Say




A college degree. A giant gateway to employment. In today's day and age, it is a must to even be considered. College can give you the access to a wide array of subjects and the experience gained on a college campus can be transformative. I for one, made sure my daughter had a degree. Worked and paid as she attended each semester. Made sure she did not have college debt and also succeeded in myself being debt free when she walked the stage and received her degree. I know the importance of having a BA on a resume and that it is necessary to what ever career she might choose, and to give her a better standard of living.


Saying all that, here is the question. Are those without a college degree necessarily less driven, talented or intelligent than those with degrees? It has been argued that the skills of entrepreneurs are not learned by splaying across that extra long twin size bed studying for a multiple-choice exam.


When talent, competence and character are equated by credentials, I believe you will overlook a plethora of superstars who are desperately needed in this country today. Some of the best and brightest of our day do not have this important college credential on their resume. Just to name a few, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Anna Wintour of Vouge, John Mackey of Whole Foods, Ralph Lauren and the list goes on. Maya Angelou has received many honorary doctorates but has never attended college and is in good company with Mark Twain, Robert Frost, and Harper Lee and many more. The drive and stamina of Oprah Winfrey, Ellen De Generes, Jimmy Kimmel along with George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks proves a point. I think they are all an important part of who this country is today. It tells me that this kind of self motivation and creativity is a bold part of each and every working environment.


I wonder about what the mix will look like across each company if we decide that only those with a BA or higher degree can be part of our culture. I'm a believer of the degree but I am not a believer in that being the only criteria to hire. We need the self starters, innovative thinkers that come with doing it on their own. The experience of self taught and banging it out is a lesson that can't be taught in a multiple-choice exam. I will argue that the drive and simple fact of loving what you do, is the best combination. The names that I have mentioned are proof in the pudding.


I hired an employee once that I didn't know was a high school drop out. I had worked with him at a prior employer and he was always my go-to person when I needed the extra attention to detail. Fast forward to my newest job and responsibilities...I needed a person who did what he does. I went after him and begged him to come to work with me. He would be the person who made it all work. He finally agreed to leave his employer and come to work with me. He saved thousands of dollars and was the key to the workflow success that allowed us to  reduce costs and streamline the process. He loved what he did! Lived and breathed it and he was the passion that stirred the rest and lead the drive to our department being better and doing what we were told we could not do. I think about him often now and wonder where are more like him? Why are they not in the pool of potential hires?


Steve Jobs said the secret to success is having the courage to follow your heart and intuition. And that he did his entire career and that passion according to him, made all the difference. He explained that "Passions are those ideas that don't leave you alone. They are hopes, dreams and possibilities that consume your thoughts. Follow them despite the skeptics and the naysayers who do not have the courage to follow their own dreams".


I now think often about where I myself would be without Steve Jobs. I'm writing this on a Mac, which is set up with Cloud so that all my pictures, emails and such are all set as one between my IPhone, IPad, Apple TV and my Mac. I have it down to a science. I can start my day on my IPad at the breakfast bar, go to my living room and finish watching on my TV. I can record video from my IPhone and load to my TV and share with the crowd. I thank my lucky stars for the Steve Jobs of this world.


Perseverance has become my first name. I apply, network, rewrite resumes, cold call and work into all conversations that I would love to be part of a team. First question they ask..."Where did you go to school?" Not, "How long have you been doing what you do" or "Tell me about some of your experiences". I would like them to ask me what I'm all about and how the heck have you succeeded to where you are today". Yes, I am unemployed due to the down-turn in the magazine and advertising business. I was not in the first round of layoffs, nor second or third, but I knew it would come. I had worked my way up and through each and every new tech change and evolvement of the process.  I bought the 3000 sqft. home and furnished and decorated it to the nines. I could afford to take my family on a grand vacation each year and I sent my daughter to college and paid as I went, saved for a rainy day and kept myself debt free just in case the rug would be pulled out from under me. How did I do it? I love photography, computers, a good story and the arts. I can tell the difference between offset printing and gravure just by the smell of it. I live and breath a good idea and a grand story. I have the knowledge and  experience to tell you the best way to proceed and save money while doing it. I can style a photo and know exactly what the camera will see and love the process all the way through to print. I just need one special person to open the door and let me in.


Jo Ann

Friday, February 17, 2012

Antique or Brand New

This chair reminds me of myself


NYC, crowded and full of life. I am amazed at how well people immix in this city. I had not to date met a single person who was not friendly, personable and eager to be helpful.  When I first arrived and searching for an apartment, I was standing on the street corner, looking lost, then down at my iPhone GPS,  back up at the signs, I was approached and asked if they could help me find something.  How nice is that! I'm waiting for the right of way at a light when two women smiled and told me how great I look in what I was wearing. This made me smile and put a little skip in my step that day. With each meeting and greeting, the people make me love this city more and more. I'm beginning to see how it all works. With so many people, places, pets and posts, this is a city that is yes, fashion forward, street smart and in a hurry but always willing to give a hand, a smile, help a neighbor or just a stranger on the corner. That's how they do it and make it all work.


Until last night... I was out with friends for dinner and a drink. We decided on a chic little pub  with a nifty atmosphere in the meatpacking district. Great music, friendly bartender, good food and it was cozy. Catching up with a girlfriend that just moved here from London and a really great friend from my hometown. So happy to see both and having a splendid time...until I was nearly knocked off my pub stool. Like that wasn't enough, she continued to elbow and dance about as if I didn't exist (just for the record, the music really did make you want to dance). I finally asked if she could please be considerate of my space. And I was nearly knocked off my stool again by her retort. 


"Is that an antique statement because you are an antique?" 


I accept that I am not "by the numbers" young anymore. I don't think about my age and it doesn't come to mind to ask others. I have been told I am forever the 18 year old. I keep current with news, trends and technology. I stay fit, dress like I feel, not by how many birthdays I've celebrated and I can party like a rock star! 


This was the first time I had thrown a rude remark since I can't remember when. Her remark stung and I replied out of hurt and a bit of peevishness...and I was sad afterwords, that it had came to this...


 "Are you really that ugly or are you just pretending?"

I am not a rude person, I should not have said it and I was even shocked that this came out of my mouth. I was shocked after all the kindness that I have been shown, that this really existed here. I had thought it must be somewhere, I just believed I could stay above it. She did redeem herself and calmed my fear that this might happen more than once, and I will give her big kudos for doing it. About 10 minutes later, she came back over and said she was sorry, that she was out of line and would I accept her apology. You bet, my name is Jo Ann and it's so nice to meet you. Bought her a drink and smiled at her and said that I was sorry when I left.

Then it hit me, this is the person I am in hopes hires me for my next job. She thinks I'm an antique! Holy crap, I'm in bigger trouble than I thought. How am I going to prove that I can do the job and my age does not matter. That my skills are as current and marketable as any other person that may apply. I am unique and built from remarkable stock. I have more talent, curves and detail than the newly graduated and keep current and refresh my skills on a daily basis. 

I thought about my design style and my favorite parcels that I have used in some of my room compositions. They are always the clients favorite. Take an older piece with great character  that has been built by a craftsman, the materials are of the best quality, then redesign and renew so that it becomes a one of a kind. You won't go into your neighbors house and see a anything like it. It is not an off the shelf, from a machine manufactured lot that will not stand the test of time. It is sturdy, made by hand and each detail carved with care. The revamped chair, table, ottoman (I have renewed them all)... they are always the big statement piece in the room. They are what complements the newly manufactured selections. This piece makes the others in the space shine. More than they may have if they were standing alone. My clients always tell me that these are the ones that they get the most complements on. Although the chair may have started out a long time ago, it now has the ability to hold the room together in a unique and powerful way. It is the most comfortable, and the best part about these works of art, you can acquire them at a bargain price and get more use out of them than all the other pieces put together. 

So please, go ahead and make me an offer! I am in hopes that one employer will see this in me, and will hire me as the sturdy, unique, one of a kind piece of their well composed environment.

Jo Ann

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Unconventional vs Creative





Not the best tool for the job.

Unconventional: Not based on or conforming to what is generally done or believed.
Creative: n. One who displays productive originality

These two words in my opinion are sometimes used one for the other. Creative has a positive vibe and unconventional less so. One is used in replacement of the other due to interpretations. For example, one person may say, "She came about this in a very unconventional way, that's usually not how we do it."
Another may say, "This is a very creative solution for the problem we've been facing." All depends on who you are and how you see it.


I see myself as a creative thinker. Others say I am unconventional. Lets just take the bowl for example. Every time we reach for our favorite box of cereal, and I still love Cheerios, we pull out a bowl and load it up. I did as I was taught and used a bowl while living with the family and then decided that I didn't like all that chasing around for the last few O's, and it didn't really gel with me to drink the last of the milk out of a bowl. Go ahead and admit it, we all have done it, tip the bowl, misjudge the size of the rim (because we usually don't drink out of a bowl) and we spill. A quick catch later, tip the bowl with better insight of the size of the rim and the velocity of the pour and finish off that sweet, cereal flavored milk. I for one just can't stand to waste it, so I like to drink it.


Once I was on my own, living in my first grown up apartment, (I was 17 years old but that's another blog), I decided that it made much more sense to use a glass for this morning ritual. I don't have to chase so far for the last remnants of cereal and when those are gone, I drink the milk more civilized without ever spilling down my chin. Seems to me that it is much more efficient to use a glass for this task. Takes up less room in the dishwasher and less waste because I consume every last Cheerio, then tip my glass and drink every drop of milk. Easier to carry around if you tend not to eat at the table and sits perfect without the spoon ever falling out when I set it down.


I get it every time. Someone sees me pouring the cereal in a glass and they ask, "What are you doing, you eat your cereal out of a glass? And for those that worry that it may not be proper, I do know when this  might cause a scene. When eating out, I just don't order cereal. And others, they won't drink out of the bowl because that just wouldn't be considered best etiquette. Which is unconventional and which is creative? That would all depend on the interpreter. In my interpretation, I would say drinking from a bowl is unconventional. Eating my cereal out of a glass is creative thinking.


That all brings me back to my job search here in NYC. I have not figured out a way to get a face to face interview. I have 20+ years of creative thinking and experience. But I am judged by what is conventional. The process of... here is the question, pick one of these answers... just does not fit who I am. I can just see it each time, the computer spits out my application like sour milk. I'm guessing the resume never gets a read due to this process. So, if someone can tell me a creative way to get around this conventional process, I am all ears!


Thanks for your help,


Jo Ann









Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The Sofa


It all began on this sofa



Just because it's Valentines Day, don't be looking for a sappy love story, you're not going to get one. It's not that kind of love story. Although I will admit, lots of great endings may have started on a sofa.  This particular sofa has now been made famous. Right now... it's the most famous pieces of furniture in NBA history. I'm guessing that is quite a feat if you consider all the sofas of all the NBA stars and the goings on for each and every one of them (mind slipped a bit to the gutter here I'll admit).


This is the sofa where the Knicks phenomenon, Jeremy Lin slept the night before his breakout game. Lin had been sleeping on his brothers sofa but there was a partayyy that night and Jeremy found himself homeless, and without a sofa to sleep on. He shacked up with his teammate, Landry Fields and crashed on his sofa. I wonder what he was dreaming that night, before all the Lin-sanity as they call it here in NY. Did this sofa bring him a wondrous nights sleep that allowed him to perform so well? And a performance it was, twenty five points, five rebounds and seven assists. It's all just seems to have come together and fit just right. 


Jeremy, at a mere 6-foot-3 (the average height of an NBA player is about 6-foot-7) was able to fit comfortably on this sofa. He stated that it was "decent" but not huge. It fit the bill, and he thanked Landry for hosting him and said "I just might move in". 


Everybody loves when the underdog gets his day and Jeremy, after a fitful nights sleep got that chance.  The Nicks are on a 5 game winning streak with the assistance of this underdog. Players love his attitude and he is no ball hog. He plays as a part of , and understands that there is no "I" in team. Humble and thankful for the day to finally come when he can show what he can do if given the chance. Here he is being interviewed after the 38 point game against the LA Lakers. He mentions his team first and foremost and more than once when all the limelight is pointed directly on him.

This is why his teammates love him, NY loves him, and all the NBA fans love him. There is your love story! You can't miss the smile on his face in this interview. It is priceless and defines exactly what he is feeling. I for one, am smiling with him. 


And all that brings me to this morning. I fell asleep on my sofa last night, slept pretty well as a matter of fact. I got up and thought of Jeremy Lin and this sofa. Then I went back at the search today, just knowing that great things happen to those that wait and when it comes, how thankful I will be of the team that helped me succeed.


Jo Ann

Monday, February 13, 2012

The Microwave





Remember these?


Remember when the first microwave ovens came out for domestic use, and it was called the Radarange? We all thought they were sooooo cool. Nice compact little oven that sat on our counters. They were quick to cook dinner. Just turn the dial, push the button....Ding, dinner was done! Snazzy new design for the time and easy to clean after each use. It was all the rage and everybody wanted one.

It didn't take us discerning cooks long though, to figure out that if we wanted our food cooked to perfection, flavored throughout, juicy (so we could make gravy) and golden brown, we had to go back to our conventional oven.  We tried and tested to get it to work. Thought maybe we were doing something wrong. Nope...it is a microwave, it's not made the same as our ovens. It won't  slow cook at the perfect temperature and give us the time to baste to keep it juicy or remove the cover to start the browning process. 

The old microwave is what I am reminded of every time I finish applying for a job on my computer.  I hit "apply" and  start filling  out all the employers questions, upload cover letter, upload resume and then hit "submit". Thirty seconds later, ding, I get an email saying I have applied and they are reviewing my qualification.


No opening the door to check how things are cooking. No conversations in the kitchen. I like the part where we all shoot the breeze around the oven, get a laugh in and see what everybody is up to and what new additions to our family and friends are and all about. The anticipation of that meal when it is finished, you knew what you were going to get just by the aroma of all those flavors basting in the oven for hours.


The microwave did not come about as a result of someone trying to find a better, faster way to cook. During World War ll, two scientists invented the magnetron, a vacuum tube that produces microwaves. They installed the magnetrons in Britain's radar system. The microwaves were able to spot Nazi warplanes on their way to bomb the British Isles. As the story goes, one of the engineer's who worked for the Raytheon Corporation, was working on the magnetrons. He had a candy bar is his pocket and found that it had melted. He realized that the microwaves would cook food quickly (and that he should never keep food in his pocket while testing the magnetrons).


Nope, the microwave was not invented to cook food, but I do think that the old original purpose is still the premise for picking applicants. No getting to know them, just load 'em all into the tube and we'll be able to see from the radar the ones that fit. Shot down before you even get a chance to speak and tell them... that you would love to be the one hired at their company and you are seasoned to perfection and bring all the extras to the table including enough to make the gravy!


Well, I think of what we use our microwaves for now, they are smaller than ever and they are cheap, you can get one for fifty bucks. They revolutionized the popcorn industry...although many connoisseurs prefer the crisper texture of popcorn cooked in hot oil, they melt butter and chocolate (things haven't changed much) and warm up our leftovers. Limited capabilities in my book and our expectations of what it can do... are just not that high these days. I wonder though, how many companies find the side effects in their pockets after hiring with this online process.


Jo Ann

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Saying it like it is, NYC

This got me thinking


I love NYC. The city just says it like it is. No hiding, just put it out there. Every time I get out and about, it lets me know exactly what it's thinking. Like this flag, I'm out wandering on my daily stroll through Gotham, taking it all in. I look over across the street and this flag is waving at me. I smile at it, and get my camera out. Thanks for bringing THAT to my attention! I love the mental stimulation that this city brings on. Besides the cultural attractions, just a mere walk on the streets and this city gets you thinking. And this flag did just that for me. Now What...no idea. 

But do we always need to know, planning each and every day? Which brings me to the Robert Burns poem and how we think about that.

But Mousie, thou are no thy-lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

The shattered dream, the grief and the pain instead of the promised plan. I'll admit it, I did as the mouse did. "Wee, sleekit, cow'rin', tim'rous beastie, O what a panic's in thy breast!"  I did this for just the couple hours it took me to clear out my office. Once I was home, I took a look around, all this house for little 'ol me? Who knew the housing market would turn tail and not just head for the hills, but right into the oceans... "That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble, Has cost thee mony a weary nibble!" No truer words were ever spoken, another plan sat bashed and broken.

I thought about all that planning and what it was all about and who it was for. I realize now I had not included much for myself in that plan. I was like the road construction crew. Setting up the "work zone" to get everybody to go in another direction and to stay clear of where I was working. Setting up right-of ways, installing traffic barricades, clearing everything away so I could lay that road.

I look back at that old life and say, what the heck was I thinking? One little kick in the seat of the pants and I am now living the dream and not laying the plan. I have succeeded beyond what I ever thought I would. The break in the plan was just a fork in the road. I'm doing what I have always wanted to do, living where I've always wanted to live. The thing I love most to date about NYC, my new home... nobody heeds any mind to the lanes in the roads so carefully planned and layed out by this great cites department of transportation. 


Saturday, February 11, 2012

Number Three

Let me entertain you




“There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born there, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size, its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter—the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. Of these trembling cities the greatest is the last—the city of final destination, the city that is a goal. It is this third city that accounts for New York’s high strung disposition, its poetical deportment, its dedication to the arts, and its incomparable achievements. Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness, natives give it solidity and continuity, but the settlers give it passion. And whether it is a farmer arriving from a small town in Mississippi to escape the indignity of being observed by her neighbors, or a boy arriving from the Corn Belt with a manuscript in his suitcase and a pain in his heart, it makes no difference: each embraces New York with the intense excitement of first love, each absorbs New York with the fresh yes of an adventurer, each generates heat and light to dwarf the Consolidated Edison Company. 
from “Here Is New York” by E.B. White


I think E.B. White said it best, I am proud to be Number Three, in E.B. Whites words, "I am the greatest". I have come to New York with hopes and dreams of living a new way of life, starting over and embracing all that's unfamiliar, I am on a journey. I have always dreamed of living here so why not now? When life hands you lemons, make lemonade, right? Whether it be the real thing or the metaphor, I can make the best dang lemonade you have ever experienced. It just takes the right amount of each ingredient but it's also in how you manipulate each one of those ingredients. Did you know that if you put the lemons in the microwave and warm them, they will soften and give you more out of each lemon?

I'm all settled in the new digs, I have set myself up with a routine that lets me do all the things I came here to do. I wake up each day, go to my computer and get on to the job search. This is part one of my  journey, prioritized at the top. I think about each position I apply for and think what it would be like to work there. I just applied to manage a photo studio at Ralph Lauren and with each click of the application process, I am thinking, this would be a dream! I love clothes, love photography, I can style a photo shoot with clarity and finesse and can manage a process and streamline like nobody's business. I think about my first blog and wonder, will I be standing on a Ralph Lauren rug? So goes the application process.

At about 1:00pm, I have done all I can from the inside, so it's off to see what I can learn and find in Manhattan. That is where I live, easily accessible, so that is the borough I'm starting with. One of the things I love most, are the pigeons. They are category one in E.B.Whites definition. I know everybody else hates them but they are the best fricking tour guide in NYC. Forget the tour busses, follow the pigeons! I know they know this joint like nobody's business, so I follow the pigeons-eye view. Don't start thinking I'm the crazy pigeon lady, I'm not on a quest to feed them or covet them. I just like the grace and the uninhibited air about them. They are persistent and make no bones about belonging here. Also, I am not the first one to do this, really...Auto pilots needed a birds-eye view so they trained pigeons to fly through artificial forests with a tinny camera attached to their heads to see how they fly so quickly and accurately through dense forests in order to inform navigation technology design. Good enough for them, it's good enough for me. Next time you use that fancy navigation app on your phone, thank a pigeon. 

I love a good long walk, clears the mind and lifts my spirits. I have walked from Central Park to Wall Street, and not straight down. I walk east and west, visit both villages and everything in between in quest of learning all I can about this great city. Art abounds here and one of the greatest critics, you guessed it, the pigeon. Don't believe me? Here ya go!


If it were not for the pigeons, I would never have seen this amazing reflection on this building. I was in awe of this unintended, purely non assisted piece of art, and thankful it was brought to my attention.























I wondered down to Zuccotti Park to see what all the fuss was about. I wanted to see what it meant to "occupy" a public space. In all it's craziness and the hoopla, I would never have thought to take in this view of the sculpture,  Joie de Vivre, without the assistance of  my trusty tour guide. And from what I observed, it was the pigeon that best understood the sculpture and the true meaning of "Joy of Life".



NYC, a plethora of the most amazing, stately, grand old buildings from every era of it's existence. Each one a piece of Art. What happened to this kind of craftsmanship? Again, following my guides, the most intriguing, fanciful building were on this guided tour (bless the zoom on the iPhone 4S).
So, just saying...they do "Have an App For That", it's called NYArtBeat and you can buy it for 1.99.  I personally, would take the money and buy a bag of those honey roasted peanuts, and enjoy them as I let the pigeons be my guide.

Jo Ann


All photography by me shot on the iPhone 4S.

Friday, February 10, 2012

I Want You to Want Me




click the link below to review video, turn the volume down (or up if that is your preference)





I do Want You to Want Me. I have picked it all up, trucked it across the country and found a place to call home. All the way from Des Moines Iowa to New York City. It's been a little adjustment for my dog Ted, but I love it! Now I'm here and all I need is the job. I gave myself 1 week to get settled and prepare for the search. Purchased a brand new spiffy Mac, set myself up with enough storage to back-up images for years to come. Purchased all the software that could ever be needed to do what I am good at. I am prepared to do the job. 

Now, I'm hunkered down and applying for the jobs I want. The ones I would love, and would work all the overtime, bring it home if need be, because I have everything I need right here. I just can't stay away from my computer and can't stand it when things are put off until tomorrow when they could be done today. I put together a three fold resume. First fold includes the customary resume on paper, the center section has a shinny new iPod; resume loaded, my contact info, PDF of the entire issue of a brand spanking new launch, online magazine I worked so hard to help produce (that issues is up for 2 awards for min's best of the web 2012).  Uploaded 3 photo essays that I put together in order to show how I can produce and art direct photo shoots to bring home the feel of being there just by watching the images slide by. Designed a creative little cover for the iPod with instructions and my website address. Yes, I designed a website that included everything... all to be a part of one lean, mean branding machine. The third fold is everything on a DVD. I am in hopes this will be a way of showing that I can do the job, many jobs as a matter of fact. I have a resume for those that like it on paper, one for the newest generation or the young at heart, that I think a fun and quick look that could be passed around and viewed at leisure (yes, I know that it needed to be returned so that it would not be perceived as a gift. Postage paid, self addressed envelope included). The DVD makes it easy to copy to your desktop so it could be readily available should a position come up that fit my experience. iPod and DVD include the website for easy click and view. The thought was that you could have it your way, which ever way was best and easiest for you.


Nothing... not a single call. Back to the drawing board! I have researched on the web, watched more webinars on how to be the one picked for the job than I can count. Each and every article and lesson with advice of how to sell yourself and be the one. Payed to have my resume rewritten and the creativity pulled out like a bad appendix. I cringed at this, but that is what everything tells me to do. I have steadily been building up my LinkedIn profile with the people and networks I am in hopes could help me get where I would love to be, doing what I love to do. I watch my Facebook page to make sure nothing offensive is posted and I use it as a way of expressing myself, to show who and what I'm all about. It is full of useful, fun and practical information, it shows my sense of humor, and that's what makes it fun.


Now, I have been saying to myself, how can this be so dang hard, why do we need to go through all the tricks and changes to each cover letter, resume, email, in order to trick an employer into thinking "I am the one"? Seriously, I watched a webinar on "word clouds". The premises is to go to the company website and copy the info from the job description. Paste this into "Wordle" (yes they have a website that will do this for you). Wordle will extract all the keywords that make a good word cloud. You then include all these words into your resume so that the employer thinks you think just like them. Are ya kidding me? I thought the idea was to hire someone with new ideas and creative thinking, bring in fresh and new blood. To hire someone that doesn't think just like us. That is what I went after when hiring a new employee! I wanted someone who brought me something new and blended well with what I had.


This morning when I sat down to my computer with my cup of java, ready to go back at it with 6-8 hours of applying for anything new and more research and networking, I find an article that takes hiring to its simplest form. What it seems to me it should be all about.
  1. Can you do the job? = strengths
  2. Will you love the job? = motivation
  3. Can we tolerate working with you? = fit
here is where you can find the article


That's it, enough said. This article has reinvigorated me today to keep calm and carry on.

Jo Ann







Thursday, February 9, 2012

The Rug

So many beautiful colors and textures to choose from.

I'm starting this blog in order to reach out to others who have had the experience of The Rug being pulled out from under them. I expect it to happen now and then in this complicated game of life. This wasn't the first time, and I don't expect it to be the last. It was one that I have never experienced before, the loss of a job. I'm in hopes of hearing from people who have been there and done the change up, and are now perfectly planted as you see fit. I would love to hear your story. Here is mine so far, and how I see it.



After the initial big tug of the rug, and the bump on the butt that knocked the wind out of me, I got back up, took a deep breath... and realized that I relish the idea of a revamp.


I love what changing out a rug does for life as much as it will do for design. You can completely change the look and feel of a room with just one new accessory here, move the furniture there, some proper editing and a brand new rug. Violá, your room has been transformed and feels fresh and new.


I went a little over board on the accessory when the rug was pulled this time. Losing a job due to downsizing and being the one picked for the downsize, gives you the feeling that you didn't matter. Then I thought about that, and decided to take a good look at the condition of the rug I had been standing on for so many years. It for sure wasn't fresh any more, getting a little threadbare and had a few stains that could never be removed. So, it was time. I am in search of a new rug, one that is clean, fresh and feels soft and plush under my feet. One that will stand the test of time and completely changes the look and feel of my life.


My first accessory for this change up was a move to NYC, a move to the land of opportunity (I'll admit, that was a large splurge for an accessory). Now, the search is on for that new rug. I have decided that I don't really want a rug just like the one I had. I want something exciting and new. I want one that is bigger and bolder than the last one. It is time to change it up. I'm looking for the perfect rug that has lots of rich color, beautiful texture, has more depth and layers than the one I had, I deserve it! I want one that is handmade, I get to decide every color, shape and the size that fits my life and not your "off the rack" 9x12 (that's about the size of the average office cubical). I want an organic thread that is so soft I can sleep and dream on it. What I am finding is, in order to do that, I have to make my own rug. I know this will take a lot of work and I am ready, willing and able to do just that. I will search for the perfect colors that move me and for textures that I just can't help but run my hands through each time I come in contact with them. Special ordered just for me, by me, customized for my life.


Just like my design style, I like a mix of faces, places and an alternative opinion to the way of doing things, not your average specific style and period. I want it to feel acquired and not the newest trend. I am looking for something modern that translates well with my traditional. I don't want to just play it safe. I want it to lay just perfect, compliment and anchor all the other things in my life. I don't want to move all my thing around to get it to work. It will be the new foundation. I want everybody who sees me and meets me to say, "Dang, that is a beautiful rug" and then I can reply, "Thanks, I made it myself".


I am in hopes of meeting a new crowd of people that have acquired their new rug and hear your story of how you redesigned. 



Jo Ann