I spent every fall day outside with my sons. Without school or work, I have had a wonderful time hiking on trails, playing in parks and other outdoor activities. The trails are so quiet on weekday mornings, we had the opportunity to experience wildlife that would most likely be hidden on the weekends due to the volume of people walking around.

On the design side of things, I have made several square digital art files. They are images I have had floating around my head and I wanted to get them out. Right now the art prints are being produced and will be sold on Etsy by the end of the this year. I have also taken portions of those art files and turned them into glass tile necklaces, which is the first step in having everyone in the world wear my arwork. This is my shop: onthedivine.etsy.com.

Today is Tuesday. Day two of not having a place to go to for work. It is sunny and calm outside. A perfect fall day. I have emailed a few contacts and organized a few files, but am mostly simply enjoying the sun with my two sons. I need to develop a schedule. Without a schedule, days will simply slip by and nothing will get accomplished. Once a schedule is established, perhaps I’ll commit to writing on this blog more frequently. Perhaps twice a week. I know right now only a couple people make it to this site, but that should change once people discover how awesome I am. Okay, that was over the top. Replace “awesome” with another word that would result in mass readership. Don’t worry you, I will actively seek freelance design work. Just let me decompress…and play a little disc golf.

It’s September. This morning the air was crisp and cool for the first time in months. It was a reminder of the impending changes coming in my life. At the end of September I will no longer be a Senior Designer. My work will be outsourced to a design agency and it will be up to me to find work and pay the bills. At least I’m guessing I have one month left. The guy at HR never showed to my “transition plan” meeting, so I continue to remain in the dark. I’m not a negative person, but that has been the existing state of affairs around here lately.

The design team has already partially disbanded during the initial mass lay-offs on August 7th, and now it’s up to me and the “Creative Services Manager” to hold the department together for the time being. He has a great sense of design and is one of the most ethical, honest and dedicated people I have ever worked with. Perhaps some day we’ll get to work together again. Sniff. No, I’m not going to cry.

I’ve been on Craigslist Philadelphia quite a bit lately searching for a small house to rent closer to my wife’s school. Everything is ridiculously expensive and depressingly run down. I grew up in Colorado, where everything is new and shiny. The burbs north of Philly are old and not very shiny. I still like the area for its uniqueness and diverse cultures. I only take exception to BMW/Lexus drivers. No you don’t have the best sounding horn, so please stop using it so much (that’s me talking to them in a sarcastic tone. That’s right, I’m sticking it to them).

I’ve also been perusing the creative jobs/gigs on Craigslist to see what type of work is out there for freelance graphic designers. There are a lot of “Photographers Seeking Models” postings. I’m guessing the breakdown is 10% legit model work, 90% perverted men. I haven’t actively attempted to take on graphic design work yet since I still have a month in my current position, but need to get a feel for what’s out there. So if you’re reading this and need a designer, call an agency. No wait, that’s not right. Call me. I’m cheaper than an agency (and pound for pound, more talented).

Every time my life begins to stabilize and become routine, my employer loses a major client, towers in New York collapse or the economy tanks. It always results in the same thing—cutting the design department (and subsequently the entire company closes). Although I have not officially been laid off for a third time in 10 years, it’s coming. I’ve been warned. “You’re an outstanding graphic designer and a terrific employee,” they say, “but with the economy the way it is…” I would think marketing and graphics would beef up during a weak economy to gain market share, not be eliminated. Why not cut unnecessary positions, like the “Manager of Continuous Improvement”? Yes, that is an actual position at my current place of employment, though things haven’t continuously improved for me.

I’m taking the three lay-offs as a sign that I’m not meant to work for the man. I’m being pushed from the nest of comfort and benefits to spread my designer wings and find work as a freelance designer. If all goes well, I will not be living in a box with my family next to the Schuylkill River, killing squirrels for their meat. I’ve never been a hunter and I don’t want to start. Plus, I like squirrels.