I got a text one cold January evening from a man who wanted to surprise his wife for her upcoming birthday. He needed help pulling it off, so he hired me to make it happen. It would be my biggest design job to date, so naturally I was nervous, but I also knew I couldn’t refuse it. I needed the money, sure, but I also needed the creative stimulation of being challenged and overcoming barriers, not just in a design job, but in life.
I recorded the process, as well as the surprise and at the end of it all, her overwhelming reaction meant more to me than any amount of payment I could have received (though payment is important, always value your work, people!)
Here is the short story of a creative surprise for a creative person by a struggling creative who’s trying to say “YES” one risk at a time…
jj barrows 