Little Pixels

Thank goodness for Pixels!

Since I moved here 6 weeks ago, I am still unemployed! Desperately seeking Betty will be seeking for a long time it seems.

There is nothing about at all, and my creativity it just waiting to explode.
Apart from that, I can't live off my partner for ever. I feel guilty every time we pay for our food shopping, and I feel guilty when I ask for little things like train fare or little cakes in the supermarket (which is actually a more regular occurence!) and I feel guilty watching him in his office working away whilst I sit on the sofa downstairs doing 'bits 'n' bobs' to feel useful.

Thank goodness for Pixel Air and it's success.
My partner has had his company for a year now and it just goes from strength to strength. I really admire him. He is the best in his field, and rather than be complacent, he challenges himself every day learning new techniques and ways to do things.
His clients are delighted with his results and what's more, he really really loves his job. He huffs and puffs that he has 'so much work to do' but between you and I, he used to sit at his desk til past midnight long before Pixel Air was started! In truth, he loves nothing more than designing websites, and he would do it even if he wasn't getting paid to do it!

Pixel Air is based in our office upstairs, although will soon be moving to bigger premises. I guess Pixel Air is one of the reasons we were able to move so far away from London. Web-based, it was easy to continue relations with all of the clients, and moving somewhere like Knutsford can only be an inspiration.
We have Manchester closeby with all of the museums and galleries, and we have lots of new contacts.

The North hasn't embraced the website culture like London. In London everyone has a website. Even the local newsagent will have a website.

One thing I realised when I was organising our wedding in North Wales, from London, was that I couldn't find any suppliers online. And it was so important to me to be able to see a website, as organising a wedding involves a lot work and research, and I really can't be bothered to phone everyone in the hope that they will have what I want. I need to see pictures easily. If a company didnt have an email, I crossed them off my list as I really didnt have time to waste in calling them, waiting for a leaflet or brochure etc, and then have to do all of our communication via a phoneline.

So we thought that could be a good thing for Pixel Air. The less companies that already have a website the better - we think!

It is 7:15pm now and my partner is still upstairs working. I have asked him to take a night off tonight as it is Friday so that I can spend time with him and, I don't know, do something really exciting like watch a film!
He has agreed! Although I know that he really wouldnt mind sitting up there all night being a little geek with his pixels!!

That's what I want.
I remember starting at my last company - oh what a dream. It was oh so creative and wonderful. I worked so hard. I loved learning new things all the time. Sunday nights I would be filled with excitement for the next day - no, really! I couldn't believe I was actually getting paid to do what I was doing.

However, things changed. Or rather, they didnt! My company was lovely for a new person to work in. Full of challenges and full of praise. But you couldn't progress and there wasn't anything new to learn. I even managed to convince the bosses to create a new role for me as a promotion - something that had never been done before - but even that, little by little, was taken away from me.
After 5 years, I was at the same level as someone who had entered the company only a few weeks ago.

Oh I loved the feeling of loving my job. To be so lucky as to go to work everyday with a spring in your step. To really try hard everyday, not because you had to, but because you wanted to. It was fantastic. I wish it could have lasted longer.

I now realise that the most important thing for me in my next job will be job satisfaction and happiness and pride - all of which I forfeited towards the end of my last job. I am willing to turn down job offers if they do not suit my requirements, because seeing how my partner works inspires to me to do the same.

The more you love your job, the more you will put into it.
Why don't bosses ever see that?

Facebook break

I wonder why we're not allowed to use the internet at work?

Why are employers so untrusting of their staff?

I work in a creative environment (well, supposedly) and do need regular breaks. I just can't be creative all the time. It's not like I'm an accountant where I do the calculation and the answer is there. I have to create the answer. And in order for me to create an answer, my brain has to be motivated and awake and 'in the mood' the whole time. But you can't have this mentality all day everyday without regular breaks.

And I am not asking for a half-hour break. Just the opportunity to digress for 5 minutes whilst I quickly check my emails or have a look around Facebook or whatever. Then I can come back to my work, fresh again, and ready to go.

I see other people going for cigarette breaks for 5 minutes in every hour. Why is that allowed then?

Not good enough

Well, the computer was taken away..... and then returned.
Apparently it was taken away from me because my manager wanted to give it to charity! These people are the most uncharitable people I have ever know, and what's more, I have been petitioning for 4 years to get my own computer. When they finally do give me a computer it is an old laptop handed down from the administrator because she was getting an upgrade! Considering I am a designer, using the computer everyday........!!

Anyway, the charity gave it back because apparently it's not good enough!

Employment police?

My computer is about to be removed....

The last few weeks, I have had the IT man remove my computer a few times to do some checks or whatever and I was already quite suspicious.
Now he has said he is taking it away permanently and I will get another tomorrow. Now, I know this Company. It's not the most giving, shall we say. You don't get nowt for free.

I, personally, think they will be handing the computer over to the Employment police. I have spent the last hour wiping everything on here including all histories, cookies, passwords, saved documents - everything. Do you think they can still get me?

I have obviously handed my notice in and I have 2 more weeks to serve. Is it in their best interest to try and sack me before I leave I wonder?

A day in the life of a (graphic?) designer

You should see us all in the artroom. We are all so bored but it would be even more boring to actually do some work. So you have the girl next to me has gone for a walk; the girl in the middle of the room is trimming her split ends; the only guy in the room is doing a crossword; and the girl at the far-end of the room, well, I dont know what she is doing actually - I can't see her - she is hiding!

And the guy does a little half-spin in his chair whilst forcing a yawn - I think he's just checking that we're not all doing work - and then he leans forward and reaches for his dictionary!

The room is a mess so we could tidy up but we are all just way beyond lacking any motivation at all and we don't even mind if someone were to walk in now and catch us not doing anything.
We wish they would say something to us. We wish we could be reprimanded, but discipline is so lax here.

I want a stressful, challenging job.

Even if one of the people from 'upstairs' did come in now, they couldn't really say anything as we have all done the work we were meant to have done. It's not like we're missing deadlines.

The people 'upstairs' are much different to us. They are busy and they all care for the Company. They take work home with them and get in about half an hour early each morning. They work in sales and production and management and have no creative talent whatsoever. They do not understand the working ethics and the environment in the artroom whatsoever, and it really frustrates them.
They work all hours and will still never complete their workload, whilst they see us sitting here bored with nothing to do.

Who has the better job?
I know that in the past, before I had this job, I didnt understand people who actually sought a challenge. I wanted a job where you got to chat and play and not do much all day. Now that I have that job, I really would appreciate a job with a challenge.

I see that prospective employers who might happen to read this, will probably think twice before they give me a job, especially seeing as my CV says that I am highly motivated and hardworking and reliable. I am! I am all of those things! But what's the point when there is nothing to work towards?

Do I just have a bad attitude?