You know how they say, “One day I sat down to write, and a rush of words spilled out of me.” I always thought it was such bullshit. Yeah right! One day you sat down and a random burst of inspiration and thoughts exploded in your head?

Well, it turns out it’s true. Ever since I set the intention to write this blog, the question has not been what to write, but what the hell do I write about first?

Admit it, we talk to ourselves, make up entire realities within our minds. After that first post went live, a burst of ideas and chatter started in my head. It seemed like all the experiences, conversations and ideas of the past three years were all lined up and wanting to be talked about.

As much as I don’t want this blog to be just about myself, I think it is important that I tell a bit of my story to put into context where these thoughts are coming from. Why would you read something unless you first understand the source a little?

So, here is a short timeline of the past three years, the way things unfolded in order for me to live the way I do now.

Potential Realities

May 2016

I graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. Both my lease and my internship were ending, I had a decision to make: find another place to stay in Houston, get my first “adult” job and starting using this extremely hard-earned degree? Or, go back “home” to Toronto, the place where I technically “grew up” and see if maybe a new environment would be beneficial?

By the end of June I still wasn’t sure what to do, so I stopped thinking about it. I really had to leave the apartment but had no place to put all my stuff, so I gave it all away, and took up a friend’s offer to crash on her couch until I had a better idea of what to do.

July 2016

The almost month of sleeping on a friend's couch - seeing her work, maintain a personal life, juggle a million things and still find time to do things that were important to her - made me realize that I really didn’t want to start a job right away. Going through school was rough (didn’t sleep for 2 years while working 2 jobs rough) so a break sounded very appealing. If I didn’t know what I wanted to do, why should I rush myself to make a decision?

I packed whatever was left into Sylvester - my faithful car that I used to sleep in when I had no time to go home between school, schoolwork, a job and an internship - and started driving to Toronto. Instead of going there directly, it became an adventure; week of wandering through the US.

Ah, it was so nice. Time for myself, by myself. No worrying about obligations, what to wear, what to think, how to present myself. Just driving through amazing landscapes for 20 hours at a time, listening to music and letting myself dream fantastical dreams.

Summer 16’

It seemed that summer was a pause for a lot of people. Friends back from school, or trying to decide what to study next, applying for jobs, all of us trying to figure out what to do with our lives. In the meanwhile, we spent almost every day together, enjoying the sunshine, slightly stressed, but feeling well enough in each other’s company to believe that things would figure themselves out. I have the fondest memories of this time. It was crucial, Summer ‘16, a time that we looked forward to our lives and felt supported by the idea that no matter what we do, things would work out. The sun would shine, we would get together in the park and laugh and things would be okay.

Rest of 2016 - April 2017

A lot of effort and energy spent trying to find some ground that I felt good standing on. So many interesting opportunities: photographer at a photo studio, designer at an architecture firm, designer at a makeup company, part of an exhibition.

And then, what appeared to be the “perfect” job appeared: A position as a designer at a marketing firm where rather than working from a studio, I would be working from the client's office. This would mean that I would go into the clients’ office, work closely with their marketing and tech team to design their app as well any other materials they needed. Monday-Thursday, 9-3 and the rest of the time I could work from home! Amazing!

The job was in Houston, so I went back to Houston.

April 2017 - July 2018

The situation was a good one: I had a beautiful studio apartment in downtown Houston, I was paid well, part of my job was remote, an overall good situation. Everything that I had thought I wanted when I graduated and “started my life”.

But then, I started thinking that this was would be my life for the next x-amount of years and that did not sit well. Tied to a schedule that dictated when I woke up, when I could take a lunch break and if I worked remotely, I had to make sure I was logged in during business hours.

I thought, if I need to log in and work specific times, what does it matter where I do it from? Wouldn’t it better for me as a person to expose myself to different environments, places, mentalities that will help me be a better “creative”? So, I pitched the idea to my boss and luckily, they agreed! We would do a test run, I would go to Toronto, work from there a little while and see how it went.

July 2018 - Now (August 2019)

Working from my parents kitchen (which has a view of a ravine!) I did the same work that I had been doing in Houston but now I was an hour ahead of Houston so I got an extra hour of sleep every morning!

Since the mini test was successful, I pitched the idea that I go even further, to Europe and work from there. Again (extremely lucky), it was approved! As long as the work they sent me got done, I logged in 9 am CT to check in for an update, I could work from anywhere.

A dream come true!
My contract was terminated and I became a Nomadic Freelance Graphic Designer :)

Small changes, little progressions that had very big impacts.
A year later, this is what I do, how do I sustain myself.

Beyond the original marketing firm that had enough faith in me to let me start this amazing adventure, I also partner with other clients and firms providing “creative” services. Most work is done remotely, sometimes on location, depending on wherever I find myself. Since July 2018, I’ve designed an app, a login portal, a couple of websites, logos and marketing materials, while moving very slowly but constantly.

Maybe it’s not the most stable lifestyle - I’m always looking for a place to stay, my income is not consistent (since I work on a freelance basis with a variety of different clients, no two months are the same in terms of earning), I can’t own many things (where would I put them?). But in a way, it’s a blessing.

Stability in exchange for experiences and growth? I’m okay with that :)

The workplace is not what it was in the past; everyone is connected to everything, all the time. With so many advancements in technology, with the ability to be connected to an entire globe of people - constantly, without much effort - it only makes sense that our way of working should also change, no? Human society is a collective imagined understanding, if enough people believe in something, it becomes “reality”.

But, why subscribe to a particular reality when there are so many possibilities?
I achieved the reality that was the “goal” but I did not make me happy - as I was told it would.

Since there are infinite possible realities, I am making one of my own. It’s scary, I don’t know what the rules are, I’m making them up as I go. If something doesn’t make me happy, I stop doing it. If things don’t work out, well okay, hopefully there will be lessons that will help me be a better person.

The past few years really made me question a lot of things, essential things that maybe we don’t spend as much time thinking about as we should?
It’s really messy, but here is a mind map of some thoughts and questions I will be talking about in future posts.

Musings about Normalcy

Potential Realities

Have good intentions, learn many things, keep growing :)