working world as an artist

I have only been working for 2 weeks full time and have already learned a ton!  My first few days were a bit rocky because not only was I learning how to use illustrator for a completely different function, I also was learning Corel painter, which I have never used in my life.  I felt like a Columbus, thinking I knew where I was in the program, when truthfully I was really somewhere else.  The buttons are all different, but I happily discovered that Corel painter might be more user friendly than illustrator.  I am trying to commit to memory all the hot keys and short cuts so I can be as fast as my boss Ryan.  He says he is not a creative artists so much as a production artists, so basically...he knows A LOT about a lot of things.  I can ask for his help sometimes, but he is busy running the business and I hate to pester him with questions I could answer for myself.  


As fancy as my title sounds, so far I have done little design work of my own.  I found that 80% of the art work needed for print is on file, either created by the staff artist of another company we print for are Ryan.  I have only done a few design assignments of my own and have spent a majority of the time getting a feel for editing, creating proofs for customers, setting up artwork for films, and printing them on my old foe and arch-nemesis...the EPSON 4800!  

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING IS A DRAMATIZATION OF TRUE EVENTS


Yes, for the past 3 years I have been fighting a losing battle with this printer. Back at UHA, the printer lived in the Illustration studio and was named "jezebel." Time and time again I would fight with the archaic mac desktop and Jezebel to achieve the proper color, size, and paper settings.  And time and time again, I would triumph and fail, wasting time, paper, ink, and ultimately, money! Finally, with my ally and academic advisor Tom Bradley, Jezebel was finally defeated and replaced with a new and improved monster...Epson's much more efficient version of the same high tech demon!     


When I entered on my first day to the workplace, I was half nostalgic to see Jezebel's twin sister (who I have yet to give a name.)  But than came the flash backs, and that was when I experienced my first post traumatic stress episode.   


But other than that, and learning new programs, I manage my deadlines fairly well and communicate well with my clients and my employers.  I'm starting to get to know them all, and we share the same organized chaotic behaviors and sense of humor, which is awesome!  


FUN FACT: I found out we printed for Cartoon Network and Nickolodean!  Don't you love connections? Who knows,  maybe this will lead to my something more.  I am trying to save my pay checks for the CTN Expo Animation Conference in Burbank which happens in November.