Final thoughts by me, who else?
April 18|2003

In this final closing, I don't intend to make an essay out of this. I'm just writing as I reflect back on all the days, and nothing can stop me... I'm sure you all know that by now.

To start things off... Before this project even began, I'll be honest with you; I've never been known as the "Class Act". I've never strived for attention! I only spoke when I was spoken to. And I didn't like being faced with conflicts. But, it took some serious realization and commitment of making a personality adjustment to fit into the professional role! And I developed over time. And so, I accepted the challenge from -ihaveanidea.org- because I was physically and mentally ready to invite everyone into my own little world, in persuit of finding an art directing job.

And here I am now! Looking back, as I exposed myself (in more ways than one), in front of a diverse community of creative minds, who were charged-up with their own opinions. There were the strong supporters, and the heavy critics, and even some smart-asses. It was all under control. It didn't stop me from writing. But, as the project grabbed more attention, comments just juiced out. It was overwhelming and exciting, at the same time! It was hard to keep up.

It's took some time, flipping back through 117 entries (that's not including the comments). But, each one had its moment of glory (feel free to read them if you haven't yet). There was always something to learn from or relate to... at individual levels, of course. Maybe some stunts didn't work well, but everyone was interacting. Since this was something new and spontaneous in the ad world, people got hooked on it. And that's what made it all work!

So I didn't land that "dream job" during the intense 30-day workout, that doesn't mean I failed or that it's over, for that matter. There's a lot of things to be grateful for! We were able to create our own little community here. We could actually identify the regulars, apart from the new-comers. After reading each posting, you get a sense of what kind of people they are. Perhaps, some of you got insipired by what I was doing, or maybe you learned something from different postings. Whatever it is, you'll know you got it from Alek Journals.

Since this show started, I changed my attitude towards the people in the industry that I looked up to, and the ones that I would network with. Having the chance to meet up with some big names, gave me a sense of comfort and confidence. Now I can freely face them, like real people. It certainly helps to feel relaxed and be yourself.

I tried being an all-around "crowd pleaser", but I know it doesn't work that way. But I don't regret doing the things I did. This was definitely an amazing learning process! Now, I can only become a better and stronger Art Director to achieve something much bigger than a title... it's RESPECT.

I hope this was as entertaining for you, as it was for me! An experience, I will always remember. And I'm glad that I was able to share it all with new friends... who knows, maybe future partners!

Goodbye everyone and thank you for all your participation! It's been a pleasure serving you. I'm sure I forgot to mention something. But I'll leave that for the comments.

alek, calling on the next challenger!!!!!!!!!

P.S. If any of you wish to chat about anything, I'm always available (pushbeyond@sympatico.ca).