This portfolio site works fine in theory. The pages load, no major errors, my work shows, etc., but I haven't been happy with the design of it. Don't get me wrong, this site has gotten me many clients, but it's just looking old and tired. This design was only supposed to be a temporary one until I could build a new one but it lasted much longer than I meant it to.

Well, now I'm building a new one. I've built the design of the site, now I just need to polish it and code the sucker.

You probably also noticed the header is "Call Me Chaz" instead of just my name. I'm changing the business to Call Me Chaz as a more informal, friendly, and approachable calling card with my same business savvy, no bullshit approach to work.

I'm a serial procrastinator. I always have been. My Dad always said to me "Always put off what you can easily do today, tomorrow might be too late, right, Chaz?" In the past few years I've made leaps and bounds in learning not to fall into the traps so easily afforded by instant gratification at the sacrifice of work, but it's always a work in progress.

Like a fine chianti with spaghetti, my procrastination also pairs well with a fear of success. At least, that's how I've always defined it. I have had some great ideas and written some great business plans, but just when I'm about to hit the button and let the ideas live, I freeze. I don't know why.

I've been going to therapy for years now for various things in my life, the two aforementioned issues included, and I have spoken with her about this at length. But I had a revelation in the car this morning: I don't have a fear of success, I have a fear of the responsibility of success. I've always said, what if I can't meet demands? What if I dissapoint my customers? What if my great idea isn't as great as it seems? Well, my therapist had a good point: "So what?" It's been said before that you learn more from your mistakes than your successes, so I should embrace those possible stumbles and falls and take them as a learning opportunity.

What seems like an obvious correlation in writing never really connected in my head and how it feels like I've just dropped a medicine ball I never knew I was holding. Being a freelancer in the design and advertising business obviously requires a great deal of responsibility, as does living on your own and being independent, but taking on a responsibility for other peoples' satisfaction is never something I considered, nor wanted, admittedly. Of course, this is unavoidable in the my business and being an entrepreneur.

Now that I've identified the problem, I can lay to rest many of my insecurities, throw those hurdles to the sidelines, move ahead with my life and career, and stop putting my great ideas on the back-burner.

Labels: freelance, life, personal

What do you do when you have a great idea? Do you run full speed ahead not listening to dissenting opinions? Do you ask your closest friends and confidants and hope they think it's a good idea? What do you do when you encounter opposition?

I used to have great ideas and run them by other people, only to have them say things like 'Google already did it' or 'How will you compete with [insert huge corporation or busines here]?' Not anymore.

I had a great idea, a phenomenal one. I had an idea that would catapult my skills into the mainstream and make reading RSS feeds a much less painful and a much more enjoyable experience. But when I ran it by two people who's opinions I trusted in the hopes they would shower me with encouragement, I got comments like 'iGoogle does it already' (which led to a nickname of Mr. iGoogle) and 'there are already too many rss readers out there.' I should have just gone forward with my concept in the face of such discouragement, but I didn't and the other day I saw MY idea done by someone else: introducing Times.

As annoying, anger inducing, and demoralizing as this experience has been, it's also taught me an important lesson: Follow your heart and instincts. (similar, but not exactly like one of my favorite lyrics of all time sung by Hot Water Music: "Live your heart and Never Follow")If you have an idea or concept that you think is great and you really want to create it, by all means ask for advice and bounce ideas off your friends and collegues, but don't get discouraged and stop when they say negative things about it. Find someone who likes the idea and encourages you or go at it alone and say screw convention and negative people who said you would fail. Google and Apple are great examples of success in the face of screaming opposition.

I know you have all missed me, I haven't posted on this blog in a while. I've been extremely busy with a myriad of projects and even a trip back up to Philly. Plus, having a girlfriend means I don't have my evenings to myself anymore. That's a good thing, I'm not complaining!

So, without further ado, here's the news:

I Moved to Orlando, Fl

I love Philly, I really do, but after 10 years of living in the north, I'm more than a little sick of winter. Before you start calling me a southerner, or saying things about me having thin blood, let me clarify. I don't HATE winter, I just wish it would last a few months shorter. In a perfect world, I would move down here for three or four months until the snow and bitter cold subsided. Too bad I'm not rich or I'd seriously consider it.

It's not all mouse ears and hot summers, my parents live down here, many of my clients are down here and my girlfriend likes Florida much better than the North. So far we're happy, but if anything changes, we'll let you know!


I'm Switching To WordPress.
I've had this blog with Blogger.com since the beginning, but honestly I'm getting sick of the lack of options, the not so great template system and simply put, I've found something better. I'll be posting a longer list of reasons soon.


New Clients + Work
Since moving down here, my work schedule has picked up. I'll be posting updates on this as well.

Labels: freelance, life, personal, travel

There are an increasing number of sites offering contests for graphic design services from logo designs and branding systems to print design to full service websites. In theory it sounds like a good idea from a client's perspective: you get a good website or logo for cheap and the added benefit of many different takes for the same project, right?

Wrong. Let me tell you why:

A. You're not hiring designers. The "Designers" on these sites offering up their versions are not professionals. Now I'm not saying there aren't people who create real designs for real clients, but there is a prevalence of hobbyists and "part-time designers" meaning you're getting amateur work.

B. You'll get poor work. Now there is the slight chance you could get decent, not appalling work, but chances are, you won't. The work you will get from these types of contests isn't good. You won't stand a chance at building a good brand or successful website from any of the designs you would get.

C. You'll end up paying more in the end. Maybe not right away and I don't mean to that designer. The costs of poor design are more than just monetary. For one thing, poor design usually translates to customers that your product or service is cheap and therefor will break or won't work therefor meaning a loss of revenue and no brand loyalty. The other side is that eventually you will have to pay more to design something worthwhile and rebuilding a site that doesn't work right is ALWAYS more expensive than doing right the first time.


So now that we've established that design contests are bad for clients and for the work, let me explain why they're bad for the graphic design industry:

A. The value of our work is diminished. Simply put in business terms, if you can get a product for cheaper, it will seem more appealing. But you're a good designer and will give them better work, right? Well, tell that to the client who says, "Well I can get it for $250 over on this site, so thanks, but no thanks." This attitude diminishes the value of our work and sets clients expectations much lower than what they should be.

B. They are submission based and there's no promise of being paid.What I mean by that is this: in the 20+ or so submissions, yours will be only one submission of many and for all the work you'll put in, there's only a small chance you'll be picked and get paid. There is also a prevalence of people starting contests, getting submissions and saying, "None of these are what I was looking for" meaning no one gets paid. Obviously, that's bad.

C. Plagiarism. This is by far one of the worst pieces of the entire puzzle. Imagine you working long and hard on a logo for a company, having it approved and you're paid what you're worth only to see some cheap knock-off of your design. It happens far too often on these sites and there is no policing nor feeling of responsibility on the part of these so-called "designers."


My advice to you is this: if you are a client, do yourself and favor and support the industry, spend the extra money and get what you pay for. If you are a designer, steer very clear of these sites and encourage others to do the same.

More information

www.no-spec.com

www.davidairey.com/logo-design-contests-bad-for-business

Positive Space-sitepoint-contests-an-update

(read the comments on this one, kudos designers): Licensartcom-logo-design-competition/

In a search for a project management system that would help me to better inform my clients, keep them in constant contact and allow them to see exactly where the project is, as well as keep track of deadlines and files, I've found my solution: Basecamp.

It's built by 37 Signals who also make some great small business software, not all of it I need. It's a great system and really easy to use. It's making my client interaction and explaining the process of design and advertising much less nebulous for my clients, and helping to keep the project on task and schedule.

If you're interested to see how it works, become a client and get a free* demo.

*sort of

Labels: consulting, freelance

As a continuation of my previous post, I just found out last night that I'm also going to Rome. I less found out, than decided to extend the trip with my friends. I can't pass up the chance to see the city that brought us pasta and tomato sauce and Ferrari.

Instead of coming back on Tuesday, I'm now flying with my friends to Rome from Ireland. I will now be back on Friday of next week. Color me excited!

Labels: personal, photography, travel

I just found out yesterday I'm going to Dublin, Ireland. Yes, the birthplace and homeland of one of my favorite beers of all times, Guinness. It's all very last minute, but several of my friends have been planning this for a while now, and jealously, I've been quietly wanting to go. Well, as luck would have it, I ran into the friend who is planning the airfare at our friend Tim's party. Long story short, she made me an offer I couldn't refuse and a day and a conversation with my girlfriend later, I'm going to Dublin. The best part is we'll be flying first class for far less than it would cost to fly coach!

Consider this message an "I'll be out of the office" notice and a bragging/stoked post. I'm leaving this Thursday, the 15th, and I'll be back on Tuesday, the 20th. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and post them on here when I'm back.

Labels: personal, photography, travel