Well, yesterday began innocently enough. Not quite the ending that I expected…
Day 10:
Something I'm Thankful For: Great clients, who are considerate and appreciative of the work that I do. Especially the ones who are very understanding when my Wacom Cintiq Tablet suddenly stops working during our weekly work session. :-D
Challenge O' The Day: My #1 art supply is my Wacom Cintiq. For those of you who don’t know what it is, the Cintiq is a tablet that hooks up to your computer and acts like a second monitor that you can also draw on with a pen. I’ve spent the last two years transitioning to working almost exclusively on it. However, I have also spent the last couple of years dealing with an issue where my screen fades in and out of working. I’ve called customer service several times about this issue, but it wasn’t until I was on the verge of finishing a project with a client on a project I've been working on since March that my tablet decided to completely go haywire and stop working. Customer service initially said that it would take a month for them to repair my tablet, which was just “perfect timing” for me right now, y’know, with the job situation and all. Just peachy.
Lesson Learned: Yesterday my challenge was "Releasing Expectations". It totally helped me through the first part of the day. I was able to laugh at my situation, and took it in stride. I was proud of myself, at least until 5 PM). I also took to heart my goal to “do things from the heart”. The Wacom technician was someone I had spoken to before and had been previously very helpful. I made sure not to go to my sad and upset side, but be a customer that the Wacom technician would love to assist again in the future. It definitely paid off, as he was able to ship me a new tablet in a week (instead of having to send my in for repair). But I also asked specifically to speak to his manager to give him some great positive feedback. That’s a minor thing I usually slack in, and it’s such an easy thing I can do that would really benefit a particularly helpful customer service representative. I hope to keep looking for new similar opportunities in the future.
Daily Insight: Though I handled the first bit of news okay, I began looking into an alternative tablet or iPad to help me through for the next week. When I realized the cost of the product, and also thought about a an additional new computer purchase I’ve been planning to make within the next month or so, my composure began to crack. I also received a rejection e-mail for an exciting freelance gig I’d hoped to get, and also heard some disappointing news about some interviews that hubby had. Some other emotions and interactions combined with all that and, emotionally exhausted from the succession of events, I pretty much spiraled and had a bit of a breakdown. I’m torn with an inner struggle of trying so hard to be positive while being extremely sensitive and vulnerable at the moment. I’m trying to learn how to cut myself some slack, but I’m sure many of you can relate to being hard on yourself. So I’m hoping that tomorrow brings a new day. I’m also so appreciative of all the friends who helped me out on Facebook in regards to my Cintiq-less status. For the record, I got the Cintiq to work for a little bit last night, and was able to make a new cartoon for today's post! Hooray! I’m fully not expecting it to function properly tomorrow. "Releasing Expectations", right? ;-)