I am a bogeyman for organizations. A hex for hire. Any workplace I join soon loses its joie de vivre and descends into a circle of hell Dante probably didn't envision. When I signed up at my current agency, my team was admired and envied by the rest. It was a rock-solid art-copy boss team (which is becoming increasingly rare) and a balanced number of juniors, self included. I was astonishingly optimistic about life and set myself a target of 3 years at this place at least. I wanted to do good work, maybe win a few metals and, after the stresses and strains of the previous agency, just catch my breath.
And here we are, a full year and something later, staring at a sickeningly familiar scenario. The art head left in May and the team crumbled like a Parle-G left to soak too long in the teacup. The other senior, not the cheeriest man at the best of times rapidly sank into an endless miasma of depression from which he won't extricate himself any time soon. Two of my colleagues left for greener pastures and one is being diabolically victimized by the Management for reasons unknown.
From the form team, we've become the pity case. My boss and I are working ourselves to the bone, struggling to juggle 11 active accounts. Our ideas are stale, our creativity is evaporating fast. The advertising industry pool is quite intimate and word has gotten out that the agency is 'servicing-driven', a phrase that's anathema to creative teams. No one wants to join the agency, never mind my team and, over the last 3 months, I feel as thinly spread as a hopelessly tiny sliver of butter on toast. Worse, I must find a better agency to work at. Which, to me is as distasteful as it is wearying.
That's why I really, really appreciate days like today. I am home. The atmosphere is peaceful. The weather is just perfect. The sun is a heavenly golden light playing a smooth combo with the green of the trees. The birds are singing. And, if I stretch my imagination a bit, it feels like I can actually touch the lovely hush.
Of course, it'd be just as wonderful without the angst described above. However, beggars cannot be choosers. I will count my blessings.
Song for the moment: Wasted Time - The Eagles
And here we are, a full year and something later, staring at a sickeningly familiar scenario. The art head left in May and the team crumbled like a Parle-G left to soak too long in the teacup. The other senior, not the cheeriest man at the best of times rapidly sank into an endless miasma of depression from which he won't extricate himself any time soon. Two of my colleagues left for greener pastures and one is being diabolically victimized by the Management for reasons unknown.
From the form team, we've become the pity case. My boss and I are working ourselves to the bone, struggling to juggle 11 active accounts. Our ideas are stale, our creativity is evaporating fast. The advertising industry pool is quite intimate and word has gotten out that the agency is 'servicing-driven', a phrase that's anathema to creative teams. No one wants to join the agency, never mind my team and, over the last 3 months, I feel as thinly spread as a hopelessly tiny sliver of butter on toast. Worse, I must find a better agency to work at. Which, to me is as distasteful as it is wearying.
That's why I really, really appreciate days like today. I am home. The atmosphere is peaceful. The weather is just perfect. The sun is a heavenly golden light playing a smooth combo with the green of the trees. The birds are singing. And, if I stretch my imagination a bit, it feels like I can actually touch the lovely hush.
Of course, it'd be just as wonderful without the angst described above. However, beggars cannot be choosers. I will count my blessings.
Song for the moment: Wasted Time - The Eagles
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