[Often I find my self thinking of that line from American Beauty. I can't help it. What was really funny was when my co-worker quoted it at me this morning.]

SO - Tradeshow.

Really it wasn't that bad at all. I got there and I just knew what to say. Maybe it was years on the phone. Maybe years pitching failed products and companies. Oh, and probably the liberal arts college had something to do with it as well. Oh, and don't forget the crazy bosses... I just knew what to do. It was like slipping back into something I left behind.


I had a good time people-watching and acutally was quite pleased that I was able to figure out what people were doing when they were walking by. Thinking. Wanting. Just by watching. Made me feel a lot less inept and socially awkward then how I usually feel in really public situations. Times like this, I don't really feel aware of what I'm doing. I just do it. I forget who I am, what I look like, and am completely swallowed up by the activity. I bet I look pretty silly most of the time, but by then I don't care. :)

It was also kind of cool to see people buy my products too. I don't usually get to see that part of the transaction. The last I see a project is as it goes on a CD to a printer. I might get to see a final product, but never in the environment it was intended for. Never in front of its target audience. I got to see direct reactions to my designs today. It gave me a little bit of a warm fuzzy.
It also made me question a bit why I design at all if not for the fuzzy closure. As far as I can tell, I design

a)because it is there;
b)it needs to be done;
c)might was well do it as well as you can.

If I can, I will try and put up a few of the newer card designs soon, so you can see what I am talking about.

But I'm still in shock that I rose, showered, dressed and drove to work at 4:30 this morning. When did I get so responsible?

Ah well, back to designing again tomorrow. It was fun. Let's not do that again for awhile so I can recoop.

****

Special bonus: I'm trying to decide if I like, or am disturbed by the indie group, The Decemberists. Here is an interesting article discussing their song lyrics off their debut album. I'm mightily hooked on Leslie Ann Levine. I might have to buy the whole album.