No Strings Attached

Posted By Kathleen David on March 14, 2019

When I was a child I was told that if I stepped a toe out of line it would be on my permanent record that would follow me through life and determine my future. 

As we got older, we were told that our permanent record would determine which college we would get into and what kind of jobs would be open to us because of the college we went to.

By the time we were in college, we were informed that our college record would be the item that would determine what graduate school we might get into. The idea of a permanent record was tossed out the window and something we did in 3^rdgrade or even some stupidity from the 11^thgrade no longer haunted us. 

This was in the before times when the World Wide Web was in its infancy.

Now we have a permanent record called the Internet that never forgets.

I have lost count the number of times I have heard people my age say,” I am so glad that the Internet didn’t exist when I was a kid.”

We have discovered that the stupid things we say on the Internet years ago can come back and haunt us. We can lose jobs because of something we said when we were drunk and angry many years ago. We can lose the respect of our peer group for idiocy we posted for all to see. Even things said in ‘private’ spaces on the Internet have a way of getting out into the public spaces.

My simple rule of thumb has been if I wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, then I don’t say it. If I am going to be embarrassed down the road if someone finds things I have written, it does not go on the Internet. Photos and Videos are the same thing.

My other rule is that if my parents found whatever, would I feel bad that they knew that I had done that? If the answer is yes, then it stays off the Internet. I treasure my parents respect and when they are disappointed in me I feel awful that I lost their trust and respect.

There are companies that you can hire to ‘clean up’ your Internet record but there is no guarantee that something won’t come back to haunt you.

I have seen countless times that people have said or done something stupid on the Internet and pretty quickly deleted it only to find that it is still out there because someone did a screen capture or re-tweeted it or shared it on a social media platform in the 5 seconds it was on the Internet.

More so if you have any notoriety good or bad of any sort. How many athletes have been pilloried for something they said on social media? How many actors for things that they said much earlier in their careers? No one is really ‘safe’ on the Internet.

A little paranoia is not a bad idea before you punch that share button because once you do, it’s out here forever.

I am grateful that there was no Internet when I was a teenager and rather impulsive.

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By Kathleen David on March 13, 2019

I thought I had another day before Caroline was off with the Robot Team for their main competition. Apparently the contest starts Thursday early so they are driving there this evening so the kids will be rested for the next couple of days.

This gives Peter and me a taste of what is to come sooner rather than later. She has two more years of high school and then she is off to college.

I was ready for her to be going out on Thursday but this felt a little abrupt. There was also a lot of scrambling so she had everything that she needed.

I made her breakfast this morning. I double-checked that she had the various cords she needs for her electronics. I made sure she had all her toiletries, vitamins, and the like. For the most part she packed herself, which she knows how to do having spent so much of her life traveling.

It’s a step that I knew I was going to have to take. It still feels weird even though we have done this a number of times over the years.

Peter and I have our usual activities to do but we also have a couple of days of not having to put another person in the equation. I am figuring there will be less clock watching since we have no deadlines.

She comes back late Saturday night/early Sunday morning just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.

I will be happy to see her as I already miss her.

I am grateful that Caroline is off on her adventure.

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By Kathleen David on March 12, 2019

I am lucky enough to be part of an Art group made up of a very diverse artists with mad skills. We get together ever month or so and share projects we have done or are doing. We ask each other advice not only about art but also about promotion of our work and the business of selling one’s art or one’s skills. I love it because it always shakes my brain lose and I can look at things with a fresh perspective.

One thing I have found is by the end of the group I can place a theme on what we talked about for the most part. There are some that are all over the place, but many can be boiled down to a topic.

This month the topic was “Don’t Sell Yourself Short”.

No, I will not lower my price…..

I have version one of my web site up

https://www.nostringsattachedpuppets.com

It needs a lot of work but it’s up. I have gotten back some good feedback and I know where the weak points are including that the phone version does not work at all but that’s figuring out the code to fix that.

It has been up for about a week and I have had two inquires and both want me to reduce the prices on the puppets I have for sale and then they might consider buying them.

A very long time ago an artist who I really respect looked at what I was charging for my puppets and told me to raise my prices. He gave me a formula to figure out the true price of what I was creating from the cost of materials to just making minimum wage for the number of hours I spend making a puppet. I did the math and found that I was under cutting myself to where I was making materials and about 1.50 an hour for labor. I had to raise my prices by $50.00 to even get in the range of minimum wage.

The prices I have on my puppets on the site are my minimum prices I will accept for those puppets.

There is this story of a businessman coming to an artist for a Logo for their business. The artist created the logo to the businessman’s satisfaction rather quickly. The artist gives the businessman the bill for the logo and the businessman says, “But it took you such a short time. Why should I pay you this?” The artist replies, “It took me over 20 years and a lot of work to get to the point that I can create your logo in a reasonable amount of time. You are paying me for my skill and knowledge like you would pay a mechanic to fix your car.”

But the Exposure…

This is something that artists hear all the time. If you do this for me for free or a greatly reduced price then you will get people’s eyes on your work.

The sad thing is that this comes from major businesses that would not even think twice to pay their CEO absurd amounts of money but balk at paying an artist a reasonable fee for their work.

The gaming industry is rife with this problem but I have seen it in the publishing industry and the comic industry and other businesses that use creative work to promote their products.

As one artist put it, “You can die from exposure.”

There are exceptions but they should be rare rather than a common occurrence.

Don’t Under Sell Your Skills…

The shape of the workforce is changing. Where companies did hire pretty much for life, now it is what have you done for the company lately.

A lot of people in their 50s are finding themselves being downsized or shown the door and now they have to find another job because they are nowhere near retirement.

The companies kick their older employees to the curb for younger employees who cost less. There is no company loyalty to their employees. It is all the bottom line and how much money they can make. Start ‘costing’ them too much and the door is right there.

These people have skills that they have learned through their job which are a valuable commodity. But trying to find another permanent position is harder the older you get. You end up piecemealing your career trying to keep everything together.

Don’t sell yourself short. Everything you have learned is worth something. Your experience is worth something. Your skills are worth something. You are worth something.

To my friends who are currently figuring out what is next for them, I wish you all the luck and hope your next job is what you need in your life.

To my friends who are on the creative end of various industries, don’t sell what you know and what you can do short. You have worth.

To those starting out on their careers, even with minimal experience, what you have learned over the years has worth.

To paraphrase Harlan Ellison, “Pay the artist”.

I am grateful for people who do see the worth of what I create. 

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By Kathleen David on March 11, 2019

We were at the Big Apple convention this weekend. Caroline and I took the time to go play around in the city on Saturday when it was not raining. On Sunday I went to an Arts Brunch runs by friends of mine. Peter stayed behind in the city for another night because of meetings he has today.

Whatever they used to clean our room at the hotel caused an allergic reaction. It was a heavy floral scent that might be covering up that someone had been smoking in the room or opening the window to smoke or whatever. So Sunday was pretty miserable over all in terms of my head feeling like it was full of cotton wool. This morning is better but I have the headache I get when my sinuses go that crazy in a short period of time. I am hoping that is the last symptom from this.

We did get a meal in with David Gerrold and caught up on this, that, and the other which is always nice to do when given a chance. It is one of the reasons I like going to conventions. A chance to catch up with people we see at those conventions.

I still don’t like Daylight Savings Time especially when my daughter had to walk to her bus and there is not even pre-dawn light for her to see by. Bad enough they moved her bus back half an hour at the beginning of the school year but now we are seeing the problem with doing that. 

So I am tired, cranky, and have one heck of a headache. Does not make me the best company today so Peter being in the city is a good thing right now.

I am grateful for things that make headaches reduce or go away.

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By Kathleen David on March 8, 2019

I have to keep reminded myself what day of the week it is.  

This weekend Peter will be at the Big Apple Convention. Caroline and I will be there off and on. We have some museums we want to go to along with some other things.

I am going to try to keep this going through the weekend since I have blogged every day this month but no promises.

Today is going to be about getting ready for tomorrow’s trip into the city.

I am grateful for what is already packed.

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: