Valerie is a 42-year-old, single, Reformed Christian lady who lives in Baltimore. She doesn't remember a time
before she knew and loved Jesus, but she does remember accepting John Calvin into her heart in March of 2000.
Valerie is a member of Christ Reformed Evangelical Church in Annapolis.
Though her career aspiration is to be a housewife, Valerie has not yet found anyone suitable who wishes to hire
her for employment in that field (or, more properly, anyone suitable has not found her), so in the meantime she
earns her daily bread working in communications -- editing, writing, print design and website management.
Done!
My biggest project of the year -- our annual report -- is finally at the printer. I'm particularly excited about this piece for several reasons:
1) It's the first project I've done without using any Corel software. (OK, technically I might have reused a photo or two that was previously edited in PhotoPaint, but I think we can let that slide.) This means I have made great strides toward mastering QuarkXPress (which I started using last summer) and am off to a good start in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Makes me feel almost like a grownup graphic designer.
2) I wrote all the copy. (OK, technically I might have recycled some of the copy from last year, but I think we can let that slide.) I have long been reticent about writing professionally. It has tended to make me panic. A friend gave me a freelance job a couple years ago, and I cried for weeks before I was brave enough to start it. And yet my writing work generally turns out OK. So I've been intentionally volunteering for more writing projects to flex my muscles and fight my fears.
3) My supervisor's on maternity leave. I lean on/hide behind her a lot, so it was a big deal to fly solo. I have an interim supervisor, but this project was pretty much my baby. Again, a great confidence booster.
4) I am very happy with the final product. I think it's the best work I've ever done, graphically, and it's especially gratifying to be able to call the whole project mine.
5) Though there were some notable bumps along the path, a big project like this is a good barometer of my attitude, and I see marked improvement over my attitude in previous similar circumstances.
I'm grateful for all of the improvements in skills, but I'm most grateful for the increased courage and the improved attitude. I could have lived the rest of my life without knowing how to create a transparent TIF, but the character changes are signs of vital growth. Hallelujah!
Posted by Valerie (Kyriosity) at 8:42 PM
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