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March: The Luck of the Designer

This month's winners were challenged to write a explaining how they've been lucky or unlucky. Thank goodness all our entries except one had good luck to report on! BRAVO... they WIN PRIZES for their insightful comments...

Wasn't it supposed to be black type?

Patt Wagner is a Design professional from Atlanta, GA who had some pretty good luck...
      "I ordered a large sign for a conference that was supposed to be black type on a white background and for some reason it came back the opposite - reversed out type on a black BG. I didn't say anything and the creative director thought it was deliberate and that it looked "sharp."
[END QUOTE] Congratulations, Patt ... always nice to know mistakes can be good mistakes!

How important is a back-up? Just ask Ted...

Ted Smith is a Freelancer in Maine, USA who writes:
      "Probably, the best luck I ever had was having my G4's hard drive completely fail -- to the tune of $5K to recover the data and discovering I had all the really important stuff backed up. And, since the computer was a lease, it didn't cost me a cent to replace it (I even got an upgraded machine to boot!). See: TSCreative
[END QUOTE] Whew! Ted, I'd say that is pretty good luck!

Oooops, no award category?

Margaret Vugrin is an Educator and Trainer from Lubbock, TX who shares this experience:
      I created a large 4X6 ft poster for my regional library meeting. It described my current library project of photographing a medical/pharmaceutical antique collection. I hate boring posters. So I took a strip of blank processed film, scanned it, enlarged it, dropped photoshoped images of some of the pieces onto it (of course they had to look like negatives) and then waved it so that is looked like processed film (I had two of these large film strips running accros the bottom). Took 2/3rd of the 4ft height. The organization gives awards for research posters, this was not, however they awarded us an honorable mention as it was too good not to notice. It was a major surprise since they created an award just so that they could present it to me and my coauthors. Thanks for asking.
[END QUOTE] Nice to know you're appreciated! Great luck, Margaret!

Could it really be luck?

Lori Putnam has her own studio in Franklin, TN and considers herself very lucky...
      Luck... what can I say? I was at a crossroads 12 years ago. One road was to take a job being offered to me at a major publishing firm as an accountant, hope that my design capabilities would be recognized down the road, and maybe lead to a design position. The other road was to strike out on my own. I chose the latter and have never looked back. Every thing I have ever "wished for" has come true. Bigger and better jobs seem to just walk through my door. I count myself as truly lucky. Honestly, it's not anything I am doing. (Although I do work extremely hard). It's believing in myself and going for it against the odds." Visit Lori at PutnamGraphics.com
[END QUOTE] You only think that was luck, Lori... or perhaps a bright attitude and good work ethic is luck.

Suddenly we believe you...

Stacy Snow is a designer for a nonprofit Institution in Columbia, Missouri and relates this story...
      "I finally got lucky in stopping a client from micro-managing the design and content of the client's web site and printed materials. The good luck was winning the chance to present on design and marketing at a national conference (Our university is a member of the national organization and my proposal for a presentation was accepted.) Once the client learned that I would be presenting, I suddenly gained prestige in her eyes and all of a sudden, I magically knew what I was talking about. As an in-house designer, this new respect has been invaluable.
[END QUOTE] Stacy, we call that the "50-mile theorem": if you're endorsed by someone at least fifty miles away, it makes you an authority. LOL. Good for you!

Luck puts Chris in a "Mint" position

Chris Staudt is a Design professional from Warrenton, VA who writes to say:
      "I have been lucky in finding the closest thing to my dream job ever. I call it luck because I didn't go out and find it so much as it found me. I posted my resume online and my agency scoured the Web by software titles. So the company called me, and asked if I would like to write for the children's Web site of a government agency. I was looking for work in graphics, and I never dreamed I would be hired as a writer--and for a government agency, no less! http://www.usmint.gov/kids
[END QUOTE] WOW! The U.S. Mint! We call that your lucky pot of gold! Excellent!

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