Publications and DTs, Part Deux

Well, I'm back from a whirlwind mini-vacay in NYC.

We stayed here and enjoyed a massage/swim here--and it was H.E.A.V.E.N.L.Y. Really.

But now I'm back to real life and ready to talk more about DTs and publications!

{ignore my disembodied face here. Hard to know what pic to use for these kinds of posts, ya know?}

4. There's always another Train Leaving the Station

Although DT calls tend to come in droves, there really is always another train on its way! Most teams have terms of 6 months to a year, so before you know it, the same team you're dying to be on will be having another call. There was a period in May where I applied to maybe 8 design teams, all of whom were companies I loved. I didn't get any, and I was so upset, thinking I had missed my big chance. But within a few months, there was a new drove of calls out, to companies I also loved dearly. So don't get down--keep trying and remember the right opportunity might be just around the corner.

5. Beware the Green-Eyed Monster

Now this is something I almost didn't write about, since it discusses a part of my personality I'd rather do without. I get jealous. And when it comes to DTs, I got really, really jealous, especially when I felt like other people were "always" succeeding while I was "always" failing. While I wish that emotion wasn't so automatic for me sometimes, the real test is what you do with it.

So what I do is I reach out. If I'm jealous of someone, I make an enormous effort to comment on their work, encourage them, and share their joy when they do succeed. And while it may not feel totally sincere at first, within a short time I feel invested in them. And then I truly do rejoice in their successes. Jealousy can be a divisive force in the pub/DT world, but if we redirect and re-channel that emotion, we can turn jealousies into friendships.

6. Be YOU

This is the most obvious piece of advice--but also the hardest, for me. Be yourself. There already is an "Ali Edwards" (for example), so there's no point in being a stunt double for her! But there isn't another person with your artistic skills + photos + family + perspective on life + people skills. You're a unique package, and try to market your attributes, not change them.

For example, I used to think I wasn't succeeding at DTs because I didn't have any cute kids to photograph. And while I'm still working very hard on conceiving a few photo subjects (aka children), in the meantime I scrap about me--my life as a woman without children, a woman trying to have children, a woman figuring out who she is. It's the story I have to tell right now, so I just tell it.

7. But it's Still not Working!

You might read this and say "Hey, I tried all of this--but it hasn't worked." I've certainly felt that way after reading these sorts of advice posts. When I felt defeated, what it really came down to for me is faith--I believe that if G-d thought it best for me to chosen for teams right now, I would have been chosen. Regardless of your beliefs, remind yourself that sometimes there is just a time for everything, and that time comes later than we'd like it to. And if you need to vent, you have my email:)

That's all I have for now. I have really enjoyed reading all of your perspectives on this, so keep it coming!

Any final advice that YOU have?