Wow, where does the time go?

So, a week or two back, I was feeling like a veteran ballplayer that had yet to sign with a team as the baseball season began. It’s AR (annual report) season and I found myself on the sidelines.

It’s my own fault really, whether or not it was the combination of burning a few bridges with people and the market changing somewhat doesn’t really matter, I was looking at sitting out this season.

Strangely, I didn’t really mind, I had work scheduled and if it hadn’t been pulled from me at the 11th hour like it was, all would’ve been fine in my world. As it was, the work I had planned (and counted on) did get pulled and I was left in the freelance equivalent of musical chairs as the last man standing.

The fates have a funny way of working things though and just when things looked their bleakest, a good samaritan intervened on my behalf. I wasn’t surprised by the source of the help, it seems my samaritan has a way of working for other’s benefit (I know I haven’t been the only beneficiary of his largesse), it was just nice to have someone do me a good turn.

Consequently, much of the last ten days has been lost to trying to put in as many hours as is possible in an effort to maximize the benefits of working. Over the better part of the last half dozen or so years, my peers and I have toiled in this fashion. Migrant workers in the world of graphic arts, we come in for the AR season (picking the crop so to speak) and trying to earn enough for the lean times.

I’ve enjoyed the past few days. I have the luxury of being an unknown quantity at this particular client (although I’ve worked there before) and as a result the demands made upon me are much smaller than they would normally be. Fortunately, the biggest difference is that I’m not getting the most horrible, demanding project just because the people in charge feel I can handle it. This combined with the fact that the structure at this client is far less rigid than I am used to operating under have made the whole experience quite ‘freeing.’

There’s only another week or two left to the season but, it’s been good if only to reaffirm for myself that I have a good set of skills and I do good work (this is something you begin to doubt when you’re sitting around idly at home).