So I graduated in May 2009 with a Studio Art degree in "Digital Media." However, all I can really do is Graphic Design and I edit my own pictures/videos in iMovie. I guess the powers that be in the College of Arts and Sciences at UA thought that calling the concentration "Digital Media" it would make me seem more versatile as a candidate for a job. Ha.
What it really means is that I spent two years in Basics: Drawing I & II, 2D Design, 3D Design, and YEARS in Art History, an elective along the way: Color Theory and then FINALLY-- my Graphic Design Courses: the Intro Course (sue me, i forget what it's official title is)--where my teacher gave us all A's because she lost her grade book, Typography (in Interim... 6 hours of class/5 days a week INTENSE), the actual Graphic Design class, and I took the portfolio class twice--to build up my portfolio. Not because I failed. Just wanted to make that clear.
Along the way, I came to learn that UA only teaches you about a 4th of what you need to know as a Graphic Designer. GREAT. but, I also learned, that most of my classmates had been using Macs and Photoshop since they were in the womb. I had not. So I had to self-teach myself during class. And after class in the creepy Mac Lab--until my parents gifted me with my MacBook Pro and the CS4 Premium Design Suite as an early grad gift. I rejoiced in no more hours spent late at night in the Mac Lab (Did I mention the Mac Lab was in one of the oldest buildings on campus? yeah. Woods Hall was totally a barracks in the CIvil War).
So here I sit, a year and a half after graduation and I do not have a graphic design job. I did have an internship last spring, which made me question if this was the field for me, but that could have simply been having to use Windows to operate Photoshop and the fact that the screen liked to black out at crucial moments.
Also, for two days, I had a design job for a local magazine (which shall remain nameless on here, but if you want to know so that you when you receive a copy of this magazine, you can burn it in honor of me), but the guy didn't really give me a fair chance. He was only going to pay me $100/month until they could expand and get more money. He sent me an e-mail saying they were going to look for someone with more experience. Good luck finding an "experienced" designer willing to work for $100/ month. So of course, I began to question if this was what i really wanted to do with my life.
But I have a job. where I do graphic design. And it can be fun. And the client I've been doing this latest project for really really likes it. I mean, he used an exclamation point in his e-mail. He NEVER does that! ha ha. And I should be glad and feel vindicated that I'm apparently a good graphic designer (take THAT Un-Named Magazine!!!). but I'm not finding much gladness and vindication-ness (yes, I did just make up a word.). Why?
Ok. and this sounds super greedy--and please know that I'm sooooo thankful to have a job and a job where the pay isn't that bad for what I actually do-- but it bugs me that I'm just getting my regular salary. I've put at least 38 hours and counting into this project and it just falls under my line of work at my job because I have the necessary skills.
I mean, a graphic designer around here on average makes a starting salary of $35,000. And they can charge royalty fees for how many times their design gets used.
But does this mean I'm going to get a bonus for doing this? nope. probably not. My boss is thinking of charging the client a fee for doing this, but I doubt I'll see any of that.
Is this so wrong? I mean, I know it'll help my portfolio, yada yada, but I'm sick of building and building and building my portfolio to see it not go anywhere.
Oh well. I guess Cinderella didn't get paid for scrubbing all those floors, did she? But she ended up much better off in the end.
Now... where's my fairy godmother? ;)
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