[2021-09-15] What would you be?
What would you be if you weren't what you are? Put another way, if you weren't in your current line of work, what would you be doing? It's a classic question about the occupation, calling or passion you might have pursued had you not followed the path that you did.
For many years, my answer was a graphic artist. If I hadn't studied journalism and started my career in editing, writing and the production of publications, I would have wanted to become a creator of visual designs.
Early in my employment, I worked closely with graphic artists—creative types who designed Remembrance Day posters, or employee newsletters or logos. I loved how they represented ideas with photos, fonts and graphics. I marveled at the choices they made: the colours, the styles, the lines. I was in awe of their ability to come up with three completely different designs to show their clients. I was a graphic artist wannabe.
I had the distinct pleasure of working with graphic artists throughout my career, especially in my final role as assistant deputy minister of communications. I loved collaborating with them to refine the look and feel of designs.
Now, in retirement, I've finally gotten a chance to exercise my passion for design through my daily creation of a visual for Jenesis.
The inclusion of a visual in each post stemmed from a very utilitarian need: the visuals helped me to distinguish between posts in my folder. However, once I started publishing my posts on the Internet and linking to them via social media, the visuals played a much more ornamental role, attracting readers' attention to my nightly musings.
I've always loved the French expression "En forgeant, on devient forgeron." Literally, it means that by forging, one becomes a blacksmith. It's an elegant way of saying that we learn by doing.
I may not officially be a graphic artist, but after producing a visual every day for 400 days, I'm closer to being one than I've ever been before.
