Recently I came across a few (fairly inspirational) quotations from P.T. Barnum, the celebrated American showman, which I'm including here in today's Stalking the Job. I've always admired those people possessing not just the spirit and the perseverance to succeed, but who also have the ability to entertain and amuse in so doing. Part of that, I believe, is being able to laugh at yourself - to recognize that life (and how we cope with it) is oftentimes a comedy, and that it is healthy to see the humour in ones' own existence... even if it sometimes veers into slapstick.
- P.T. Barnum
One of the things that this initiative has allowed me is time for thought and consideration. I frequently find my mind turning, not just on what I'm doing at any given moment (or how I'm doing it), but on larger issues - such as the balance between ones' professional career and ones' personal life. Since the start of my QR code campaign, I've had to remain conscious of that balance. When you're highly-motivated to change your circumstance (as with my stated goal, that of re-entering the workforce to once again make meaningful contributions in a creative field) there is a tendency to apply oneself to the problem with such vigour that it can invite burnout. This is a pitfall that any number of us can fall into (even with the best of intentions), and it's something we need to guard against.
A goodly part of achieving a proper balance is knowing when to work hard... and when to relent. Sustained, focused effort can be draining to the mind, the body & the spirit - and while tenacity - the refusal to give up - is always a laudable quality, so too is knowing when to take the time to replenish ones' energy and to re-connect with the world at large. The flipside of this is of course to try avoiding lapses into complacency, whenever and wherever possible. It's not enough to simply be... to put in the most marginal of efforts and then subsequently let yourself cruise on auto-pilot... after all, this modern world we live in frankly demands an active existence, and the question we need to sometimes ask ourselves is whether we're fully in the game or not.
“I don't care what you say about me, just spell my name right.”
- P.T. Barnum
While walking north along Church Street, I had a lovely chat with the very charming Cerise Fairfax - who not only shared some terrific insights with me, but also tipped me to some info that might prove valuable to my jobsearch. Cerise also let me know about a weekly acting class being put on across the street at the 519 Community Centre. If I can manage my time (and assuming my feet aren't already worn out), I might just give it a go! Thanks again Cerise!
I also had occasion to meet Christopher Chong (of TripTelevision + Cientis Technologies, based out of Denver Colorado) outside of the Royal Ontario Museum. After stopping to allow Christopher a chance to snap my photo, we quickly came to the realization that we both know some of the same key players in the online media industry. A wonderful chance encounter, and - it just goes to show that it really is a smaller world than we might otherwise think.
“The noblest art is that of making others happy”
- P.T. BarnumOnce back from my wandering, I whipped together a quick bite to eat and tidied the house ever-so slightly before the arrival of my very talented niece Emma. For a while now I've been teaching her how to use Adobe After Effects, and I think she's really starting to come along. One of the things I enjoy about working with her is that along the way (and in response to some of her questions) I've learned a few things that I'd never even thought of before - like using the graph editor to selectively tweak and distort time re-mapping over the course of a clip rather than strictly relying on keyframes (or re-adapting a luma dissolve technique I'd previously developed in order to instead generate a faux 3-D effect). She has set herself an ambitious goal for an After Effects newbie - using it to produce a slick music video - but I'm always happy to lend a helping hand.
After she left, I set myself to the task of putting a late-night dinner together in time for Liz' return - veal scaloppine sliders topped with a hot, thick tomato & vegetable sauce. And while I'm sure it might not have passed muster in one of Gordon Ramsay's kitchens, it was just the sort of stick-to-your-ribs-type hot meal that's a good finish to a walk home in the cold.
Still feeling a need to unwind, I located and watched a DivX stream for the recent film The Adjustment Bureau, a reasonably good adaptation of Philip K. Dick's short story The Adjustment Team. I say "reasonably good" as, having seen innumerable adaptations of PKD's stories, it's always been a bit of a crapshoot when Hollywood gets involved. On the one hand there are gems like Blade Runner and Impostor, while on the other are forgettable bits of dreck like Next and Paycheck. It's been long enough since last I read the original that I couldn't honestly be sure how much of the screenplay was PKD and how much was simply padding - but Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Terence Stamp all delivered fine performances. And I appreciated that the effects sequences were kept to a bare minimum! Story (and character) always carry more weight for me than a great big bag o' CG tricks. I'll give The Adjustment Bureau a 7.5 out of 10!
For Stalking the Job, this is John Currie... and I'll see you around!
Have you seen That QR Code Guy?
The weather had improved somewhat on Tuesday when the Twitterer 'Vinicius' spotted me, walking west on Liberty Street: |
| Taken March 6th on Liberty Street by @vinysss |
Have you snapped a recent photo of That QR Code Guy? If so, get in touch - Stalking the Job wants to hear from you!
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