Recap ‘09

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010! Spent about twenty bucks on text messages yesterday just to say those few words to 158 recipients.

So what happened in the big 09? It was a great year for me personally.

What? It wasn’t great to you? Well continue complaining, keep regretting, fantasize the past, don’t bother changing, go kill someone and if that still doesn’t help, blog about it! Let the world know how miserable you are just like what I did when I started blogging and eventually….you will learn to get over it.

There’s only one reason 2009 was awesome to me: it gave the exact amount of misery as the golden opportunities it has presented me. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Below are some highlights of the year that I would like to mention. It’s a long one so grab a cookie (or two).

Early Year

I can’t believe of my earliest post of the year was written in such a mean and sarcastic way it became controversial. I couldn’t remember the details until reading it just a while ago. People were hurt and I owe them an overdue apology. I guess it should’ve been written it in a more appropriate way but……..back then, I probably felt like it should have been written the way it was. Besides teaching me a huge lesson, it taught me the art of letting go. I really hate to negatively dwell within the past just to seem momentarily interesting. Today, I still hold some of the principles I held back then. Definitely the first eye-opener of the year.

There was also the unsuccessful design agency project me and a couple of designers came up with. Nearly lost my friendship with my colleagues. I was glad we gave one another a time out. I went back to my hometown, they were doing their own thing and time not only healed our friendship, it strengthened it. Now, if we were to go back to doing that crazy idea, I think we’re much better prepared for it.

A Moment of Insecurities

It all began at the end of February when I said I needed a therapist and perhaps I still do. The dilemma was haunting. I began to doubt if I was really cut out for art and design. I was repeating 2 modules, nearly had my scholarship taken away, and yes…I was so close to quitting. A few friends finally convinced me I was better than half of those already out there.

A Better Confidence

I think the whole ‘insecurity’ thing would’ve lasted longer if I didn’t past the student activity center one day and found out they were forming a debate club. I joined, became one of the committee members and designed a promotional poster featuring yours truly that made its round all over Facebook, into 300 student emails and a bunch of relevant porn sites. Was joking on the last one.

Finally, a way to meet great people and you bet I did. They were some of the brightest people I’ve ever met. They also became some of my closest friends.

A New Line of Work

Well, not really. I’ve been designing websites since 2007 but most of them went down the drain. However, one July afternoon I got an email from a client that changed my life. I have to say, he was difficult. Very difficult indeed. The pay was extremely low and the demands were too high. Nonetheless, I needed a job; something to get things off school for a moment. I was desperate so I took it and said yes to all his expectations even though I wasn’t sure if I was able to fulfil them. But I was as smart and sharp still, using a different name just in case things go bad and needed to cover up the tracks. It took me three days of studying, and researching and another week to complete the job. It was hard work that paid off. The client was swayed by it. My freelance career took off from then. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a struggling designer. So bad, I had to abandoned my backpacking trip to Seoul (after all the savings I’ve done) but if it wasn’t because of that project, I wouldn’t be able to get the motivation to revive my freelancing spirit.