As (soon to be) seen on TV

Greetings faithful readers - it's been a busy past couple of days, but as my machine is currently otherwise preoccupied this evening cranking out final renders for Craig Shouldice (of Shouldice Media), now is as good a time as any to update you on my one-man guerrilla marketing campaign:

Monday saw Stalking the Job once again hitting the streets, having finally shrugged off the worst of last weeks' late-winter cold. It was a real doozy, I should add; not only did it sideline me for the better part of a week, I also managed to transmit it to my wife Elizabeth (who seemed to get it even worse than I - sorry about that, Liz). But what really fuelled my fire Monday morning was receiving a phone call from a reporter from Radio-Canada, a fellow by the name of Stéphane who I'd met a few weeks back while canvassing the area around the CBC building downtown. He wanted to know whether I could be available for an interview for Le Téléjournal, the french-language six o'clock news broadcast.

What's that? Did I want to be interviewed on television? Well, sure... of course, the only slight hitch was that over the course of living in Toronto for the last thirty years, my spoken french had atrophied a fair amount, but I nonetheless set out for our meetup outside the Mothercorp (albeit with some hand-written crib notes that I committed to memory along the way). But really, it wasn't altogether necessary; Stéphane could sense when I was grasping for a noun or verb and he very helpfully supplied the needed verbiage. We took an extra few minutes filming some interactions with passersby up along King West, just across from the Bell Lightbox. All in all, I think I acquitted myself quite well.

Before we parted ways, Stéphane mentioned that the interview would be shown on Tuesday's edition of Le Téléjournal, and I spent the next few minutes excitedly calling around to various friends and family members to tell them the good news. It was, therefore a little disappointing the next evening to discover that my interview had actually been bumped by the big news item of the day (budget day in Ontario), but according to Stéphane it will air sometime soon - and he'll send me an email letting me know when to expect to see it.

Merci encore Stéphane - Je serai heureux de le voir!

I'm Not Down

Tuesday saw a definite uptick in the weather, although it was still chilled to freezing through the overnight periods. I was a little concerned for my lilies - I'm an avid gardener, and I've been a little awestruck at just how well they've been coming back so far this spring (which is why the overnight freezes had slightly set my teeth on edge). In another week or so I'll remove the plastic mesh I've been using the thwart the local squirrels, as they seem not to enjoy chewing on the lily-bulbs once they're fully in mid-sprout.

I took a spin up into Chinatown, heading southward from there via Spadina, across Queen to Portland, and finally down to Wellington. Upon arrival there, many happy faces appeared in the windows of TAXI, waving and blowing kisses - and you know, there's nothing quite like a warm welcome to brighten the day. I lingered for a while in the hopes that the sunny skies would prompt some patio action, but it was still just a little too chilly (even for we hearty Torontonians). I did however come upon a pair of videographers who were filming a puff piece on spring cleaning, and I happily answered a few questions for them on-camera.

Maybe it was the good weather, maybe it was just that I was feeling better, but the world seemed a happier place - and in spite of some derogatory remarks I overheard (hello? I'm right here folks... I might be unemployed, but I'm not deaf!) I was able to laugh along. Why not? After all, there is an almost absurd quality to this campaign... I'll be the first to admit that. If (as some would have us believe) we're all living our lives as though we're the subject of our own personal reality shows, we frankly owe it to ourselves to recognize that life - and how we cope with it - is more often comedy than anything else. It's healthy to see the humour in ones' own life, even if it does occasionally veer into slapstick. The trouble with taking oneself too seriously is that there's nothing to fall back on should life suddenly start throwing you curveballs.

Insurmountable integrity

How we cope with life (and all its' ups and downs) goes a long way to defining our character, both professionally and personally. Ultimately, it's those who've lead a self-examined life who are perhaps better-suited to rolling with the punches. I've known people who, when confronted with unpleasant circumstance, choose to shut themselves down or otherwise opt-out - playing ostrich in the hopes that things will change for the better. And of course, sometimes things do change for the better - but usually not before first playing havoc with their hearts and souls.

And if you've allowed yourself the luxury of becoming complacent in your successes, that same cleverness can eventually prove your downfall. A certain measured amount of guile can take you far, a penchant for flair or showmanship can work to your advantage - but neither of those can surmount integrity.

When you own the consequences of your actions (for good or bad), when you take responsibility not just for your triumphs but for your failures as well, you show your integrity. I'm not suggesting nailing yourself to a cross should things suddenly go pear-shaped; but it never goes well trying to wriggle oneself out from a bad situation. Worse, you run the risk of losing the respect of clients, co-workers or even your employers should you try that approach. Like the old saying goes, honesty really is the best policy... and not just in the working world, but in your personal life as well.

Well, I seem to have side-tracked myself a little in writing this post, but I'm happy enough to let it slide. No doubt there'll be more adventures to come in the days and weeks ahead, and I'm glad to have you all along for the ride! Truth be told, I've been somewhat stunned by the reception to date for my webcomic, The Adventures of That QR Code Guy - all I'd really set out to do was to continue telling my story, albeit humorously - but I've been tickled pink by the response (and yes, there will indeed be another installment forthcoming). Oh, and before I go, I'd like to thank Vince Vaitekunas for delivering some terrific photos and videos he took last month! I've been thinking of using them as part of a musical video montage... we'll just have to see what I can come up with, I suppose...

As ever folks, this is John Currie for Stalking the Job, and I'll be seeing you - !

Have you seen That QR Code Guy?

taken by Vince Vaitekunas, February 2012.

If you have any photos of That QR Code Guy that you'd like to share, I'd like hearing from you. I'll make every effort to provide attribution (unless you'd prefer to remain anonymous), so don't be shy!

Rest, recuperation, and rendering

Hello again faithful readers - this is John Currie (That QR Code Guy) here once again for Stalking the Job. As some of you may have noticed, I've been absent from the blog for the past few days... as I mentioned last week, I managed to catch a cold just as the freakishly-good weather we've all been enjoying started to kick in. Last Thursday (though I was feeling decidedly less-than-optimal), I threw myself into the task and walked all around the core and into the edges of Chinatown.

As it happened, this wasn't the best idea. Why's that? Because I didn't realize just how sick I was. I'm one of those people who happily go through life without much in the way of illness  - and so when I do get sick, it tends to hit me like a ton of bricks. Not necessarily in terms of physical distress (at least, not immediately), but certainly in terms of my emotional well-being. After walking without a break for over four hours, I just had to stop. I could feel a cold weariness setting in. More than that, I found my thoughts turning on dark, bleak subjects; whether I was deluded into thinking I could surmount my ongoing situation... whether I had exchanged twenty years of hard work and dedication to my craft in order to simply become a figure worthy of derision, a laughable caricature of my former self. The more I examined myself through this fevered, harshly self-critical eye, the more I found myself wanting.

I realized then that I was very, very tired. Not just bone-tired - I've logged so very many miles since starting this campaign that I've become quite used to being physically active - but rather, sick and tired. Sick enough and tired enough to know it was time to go home.

A certain line from Max Ehrmann's Desiderata came to mind as I strode quietly back to my co-op:

"...do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness."

Even bearing this in mind, my mind could not help but continue playing through all the ghosts and phantasms of self-doubt, treading heavily down a myriad of gloomy paths to presumptive failure. I caught myself choking back despair more than once, wanting nothing more than to remove myself from the eyes of the public and find some measure of solace at home, in private. After all, I am my own sole brand ambassador; it would not do to be seen in a state of emotional distress while out canvassing. Of course, along the way I ran into any number of people eager to scan the code or to snap a photo, and for those brief moments I found the wherewithal to present the best public persona I could manage in spite of how I felt inside.

Once inside my home, I could feel my resolve crumble as I stripped out of my suit-jacket and sandwich board. The time had come to take some medicine, drink plenty of fluids, and get some much-needed rest. The rest was short-lived, however, as I learned that an old colleague of mine (Craig Shouldice, who had approached me earlier in the week with the prospect of assisting him with the creation of a photomontage for one of his clients) let me know he was ready to begin work. He'd forwarded me the necessary media to get the project started, and so I decided I'd stay home and work on it the next day, with an eye to completing the first draft by the end of the weekend.

It went rather well on the Friday, I was pleased with the work I'd done up 'til that point... but I still wasn't feeling rested, so I decided to reboot my system and perhaps watch some streaming video or play some video games. And that, faithful readers, is when I came face-to-face with the blue screen of death. While I might have a long past experience of working with computers, I am not the person to come to with tales of woe concerning Operating Systems, maintenance issues, or hardware problems. I am and have been loathe to blindly update my system as somehow it will invariably have negative repercussions (I suspect I might just be one of those people who can, say - cause wristwatches to stop working simply by wearing one). Oddly enough, under normal circumstances something like this would have been sufficient to send my anxiety levels skyrocketing, but I found myself feeling surprisingly tranquil. There was nothing constructive I could think to do about it at that moment, but I did know a friendly neighbour who is quite skilled at troubleshooting computers, so I arranged to have him drop by noon Saturday to see if he could lend a hand.

In some ways, this was probably the best thing that could have happened. I think I needed not just to spend some time getting over my cold, but also away from my computer. I've spent a great deal of my time on my computer - whether working, blogging, submitting job applications or writing my web-comic - and there is such a thing as spending too much time on it, after all. Well, the trouble was (for my neighbour) relatively easy to solve, but as I'd made some good headway with the project on the Friday, I decided to give myself 'til Monday to fully recuperate. I was already ahead of the curve by three or four days, and my health has to take some precedence somewhere along the line - I couldn't very well go hitting the streets feeling half-dead!

My one regret is that I did not find the time and energy for working on the seventh installment of "The Adventures of That QR Code Guy". The story exists, I just will need to find some time to set to the task of bringing it to life. Funny thing is about this blog, it's the web-comic that sees the greatest number of pageviews... and I think that's great. Some people have criticized the strip for - well it's hard to say, I guess to some people's minds, it's not what they think a web-comic is supposed to be - but it suits my purposes just fine the way it is. I've enjoyed satirizing my own experiences, seeing the humour of certain situations, and perhaps more than anything just having the chance to entertain people and maybe bring a smile to their faces.

Max Ehrmann was right - many fears are indeed born of fatigue and loneliness. Here is the full text of his 1927 poem:

Desiderata

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

Happiness is what I strive for, what I've always striven for. And as Ehrmann said - with all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. For Stalking the Job, this is John Currie. See you around - !

More walkin' round town music

Good evening faithful readers - today saw Stalking the Job bow out from the daily guerrilla marketing campaign, for two very good reasons: first and foremost, because I've become quite ill over the last two days (and I've since come to realize that I was most likely running a fever while out and about yesterday) - but also because I've taken on a short-duration photomontage project (courtesy of Craig Shouldice, of Shouldice Media). Rest assured, I will once again be seen on the streets of the city just as soon as I am feeling better - and after completing/delivering the first iteration of Craig's project.

For fans of my webcomic, this will mean a delay of several days before the next installment of The Adventures of That QR Code Guy, but don't worry unduly - I already have the story notes prepared and should have my plate cleared sufficiently (sometime after the weekend) to get it all sorted. Some of you have been kind enough to write in, asking about the Sly & the Family stone song I referenced in last week's webcomic. Well, if you're really curious, it's the first song on the playlist embedded below. This is another collection of tunes I frequently find myself humming, whistling, or even grooving along to as I make my way all around town... so in case you run into me and I'm walking in rhythm or singing quietly under my breath, it's highly likely it'll be one of the following songs:



I'm afraid that's all I have for you today, folks - gotta fight this cold. For Stalking the Job, this is John Currie siging off. Have a lovely weekend everybody... and of course I'll see you around.