logos and gogos
Well it's been a week now that my supervisor as well as a few others have been in Africa or at least on their way there. The site for the project is finally up: thehouseissmall.org It's a pretty great interactive site that Eugene, our web guy, built himself with php. impressive.
I, on the other hand, have been working on the projects Joanne left me with before she flew away. The main project has been designing a logo for the BeyondMyspace site. I thought this would be easy, but it actually is not so much. Designing for others was always the part that worried me, when I thought I'd go out in the world and try to be a real designer. My aesthetics, although ocassionally within the realm of what others deem "pretty", is more likely strange, eccentric, and my own deluded vision. SO it really has been a good experience for me to design, receive feedback, and redesign. I really do think it will help me to grow as a designer. I'm also going to begin working on a logo for the new adult class offerings at Venice Arts. So logo fun never ends.
Another project was being given free reign this month to create "educational materials" for a Flash workshop and class I will be mentoring. Essentially this means I'm making work using Flash, my photographs, music, and video clips, to create a digital story of sorts. So that is the really fantastic part of this job.
I'm also assisting with web updates for the news section of the V.A. website. I'm trying to attend the NAMAC conference which would be fantastic and I am going to be attending the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts(talk about a mouthful) in November.
I've been a little frustrated or confused about my position here at times. I'm told to work on certain projects, but then others seem to think these projects aren't neccessary, important, or worthwhile. And in fact, I've wondered if things, such as working on new design templates for the BMS site are actually even going to be considered. I enjoy doing this work, but I'm not a college student anymore and I'd like to be taken a little more seriously.
Also there's the annoying aspect of everyone in the organization acting as my supervisor and sometimes ordering me to do the most petty crap. I try to take it in stride and watch that I'm not in fact being used for purposes other than what I'm meant to. It is hard to do this at times in such a small place, without seeming like a brat.
I do believe in this organization though and truly want to do as much helpful work here as possible.
Comment from Kevin Palmer on August 13, 2007 - 2:44pm
The flash project sounds great. Is it for youth, older adults, community members? We are bereft of any flash tutorials on the wiki and would be excellent if you would post it when it's finished/tweaked.
Also, don't ever hesitate to say no to what your organization asks if it is above and beyond your work plan. Just remember you have one supervisor and one only. Funnel everything through her if necessary and have her be the one who tells people that you aren't supposed to be doing these things. Using the 'direct service' vs 'capacity building' argument wins almost 100% of the time, too, because you're not there to do menial tasks. If all else fails tell your VISTA Leader or Project HQ. That's why we're here.
Comment from Victoria Edwards on August 16, 2007 - 11:48am
Angela,
I agree with you (when you said you don't always know what to do), sometimes I feel swamped with stuff, but more often than not I'm trying to find stuff to do. It doesn't help that my supervisor doesn't work at my building (or get up before noon). Sometimes I feel like I'm just wasting my time.
~Vic
Comment from Morgan Sully on August 18, 2007 - 5:20pm
Hey Angela,
What you're going through sounds about right for a 2 (?) month old VISTA. Many VISTAs (myself included) have experienced something like what you're experiencing: a supervisor who is far away or not available, multiple people thinking you're a 'volunteer' to lump conflicting/unrelated tasks on you - not to mention the stresses of adjusting, finding and listening to your path as you begin this chapter of your life. For many, being a VISTA is their first foray into the professional world... That being said, it can certainly get stressful, but their are ways to manage. Kevin's points above are excellent and aren't much different than what I would suggest. Maintaining your right to decline work (particularly if it is outside of your workplan - which you shouldn't be doing anyway) can be a very empowering thing. If you keep in mind that you are a VISTA first and foremost (something far greater than the scope of your daily, constantly evolving tasklists) you may find that saying no to these 'other' tasks is easier than you think.
Okay, enough blathering. Do you know about Photoshop 'layer comps'? Check it out. They rock for presenting design ideas to support staff/art directors...
Comment from Rob Heck on September 11, 2007 - 8:01pm
Angela, after stuffing 400 envelopes for corporate sponsorships, I feel what you are saying about your organizational problems. At NTEN, I too feel like I'm given a lot of administrative assignments and don't have a space to truly express myself and put into practice my ideas.
It seems to be a widespread problem as I have spoken with many others who express similar concerns. I believe it comes down to the disturbing trend of many nonprofits adopting practices from the "business sector," in this case hierarchical organizational models. Rather than taking a more open and horizontal approach where decisions are discussed and staff have more control over their work ("workplace democracy"), we are treated like interns and placed at the bottom of the totem pole.
To make such fundamental changes probably will require some time. However, I think there are some immediate ways the CTC*VISTA project can help. If even VISTA leaders admit this is a typical problem, maybe the project could conduct a more intense screening process for organizations before people like myself, Angela, and others pick up our lives and travel all the way across the country to commit ourselves. At the very least I think it would be pretty easy to mandate some training for supervisors as to what VISTAs are supposed to be doing.
Comment from Angela Saylor on September 11, 2007 - 11:35pm
Thank you for making this comment Rob. I feel like it is completely necessary to hear this, especially after coming away from my experience with a definite bad taste in my mouth. My organization, in essence, had no idea what they wanted with a VISTA. They simply knew it was a free person to use around the office, to fill spots where highly paid positions used to exist, and to treat with a complete lack of respect. I really didn't feel as naive as I appear to have been, believing that my supervisor was looking out for me or at the very least, was my friend. I should have known better.
I definitely agree with a better screening process. The potential supervisors should be interviewed and the intentions for the position should be more thoroughly researched than with simply a "workplan." A workplan, I might add, my supervisor initially mentioned she had merely thrown together. It came to be seen this was most certainly the case.
It is a huge ordeal to pick up and move away from friends and family, to start over. I felt it would be worthwhile in the end because my position would at least offer some fufilling work that would allow me the chance to be working with others for others. Regardless of my own personal problems, I left my workplace disillusioned, disturbed, and more distraught over the state of non-profits in our society and those individuals within supposedly representing "social service."