Creative

I was the girl who freaked out when we had to draw pictures for class the first week. Sure, they weren't graded, but when you can't draw, that doesn't matter. I was the girl who sunk in her seat when the MindMap assignment was unveiled. I was also the girl who didn't even consider applying for the Creative track. In short, it's taken a lot of work to convince myself that creativity does not just mean drawing, painting, singing, or dancing. And while I have found alternate ways of expressing it, I am no Picasso (or maybe I am since his paintings are ugly and unprofessional to many.) As I learned that creatives are paid to think of novel ideas, I was pushed even further in the other direction. While this is not the career for me, I have more respect for them than any other job in this industry. It seems nearly impossible to me that a person could engage their brain to such a level that it's always coming up with brilliant ideas, 24/7. While I think I would very much enjoy being a copywriter or art director for a short time, I think I would fail miserably at doing it long term. I read about the writer working at Taxi New York who came up with one good tag-line and was praised for it, before being told to go back and come up with four more pages full of lines like the one he had just come up with. I can't imagine grinding out great idea after great idea for pages only to have one chosen and start all over with a new concept or brand. Creatives are a special breed, and while I would love to live like they do- using every aspect of life as a good excuse for inspiration, I just don't think I have what it takes to make it a living!

Account Planning

I'm a Business (Marketing) major, Advertising minor. Ever since I chose those paths and in the order that I did, I have thought about entering the "business side" of advertising. I'm a problem solver who hates routine hum-drum. Wait, that sounds like an account planner. Organized chaos kind of sums up my organizational habits...minus the biweekly cleaning frenzies I get into. I pay attention to detail and am a very people-oriented type of person. The aspect of planning that excites me the most is the fact that they get to be involved in the whole process, from start to finish. They don't have a specialty and therefore don't have a single job and when that job is finished they are no longer part of that piece of work. The other aspect of planning that really interests me are the challenges it presents. I am at my worst when I only have one thing to accomplish, and a lot of time in which to do it. On the other hand, I perform better when I have three tests, 2 papers, and a project due in the same week and haven't started by Sunday night. It's the thrill of watching everything come together so quickly; of not knowing if it ever will come together and somehow, at the exact moment it's supposed to, it does. To sum it up, I love the definition given on page 50, "Planners are thinkers, writers, researchers, and artists." Those are some of my favorite roles to play and to think that they could all be nurtured in one job amazes me.

Resumes

Education
Southern Methodist University-Dallas, Texas 2011
Bachelor of Administration in Marketing, minor in Advertising
Overall GPA: 3.75
Rotunda Scholar, scholarship based on incoming academic standing
Award for Academic Achievement, award for first semester GPA of 4.0
Honor Roll, Fall 07-Fall 08

Experience
Team Member, SMU Women's Varsity Golf, Fall 08-Present
Pro Shop Assistant, Rockford Country Club, Summer 07-Present
Hostess, Carlson Ice Arena, Fall 05-Summer 07
Volunteer Leader, North Dallas YoungLife, Fall 07-Spring 08
Delegate, Resident Hall Association, Fall 07-Spring 08
Floor Representative, Resident Hall Council, Fall 07-Spring 08

Activities/Interests
Intramural Basketball, league champions, 08
Campus Crusade For Life, member, Fall 07-Present
CRU Women's Bible Study, participant, Fall 07-Present
SMU Ad Club, member, Fall 07-Spring 08
Interests include: wakeboarding, rock climbing, traveling to Hawaii, and Monopoly

I loved reading the section on resumes (and if it had taught me how to add accents, I would have done so.) It was short, sweet, and to the point. It almost made me excited to dive right in and make my resume the best it can possibly be. The above is just the Blogger version, but I really did learn a lot from this section. I already knew that fancy paper is a negative, as well as listing the fact that you can use Word. But I found the tips on the different sections very helpful. I have always been "iffy" on what to list first, what order to put everything in, and what should go where. It all made sense when I read it, I just couldn't have done it myself. I was also relieved to see the question of an objective addressed, finally. Specific job=no, general company=yes. Got it. Thank you, something that is black and white, right and wrong when it comes to resume writing. Now... about those interviews...

Speaking of Ethics...

After discussing social responsibility and advertising ethics today, I decided to see what was out there. After looking at some great ad campaigns on afterthesemessages.com, I came across a rather disturbing one put out by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) to promote milk. It was supposed to air during Super Bowl XL but was banned by CBS, hmmm I wonder why? Here's the link to the YouTube video, in case not everyone has signed up for afterthesemessages.com yet. What were they thinking and who's sick idea was this?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSy6JiQuIh8

Vulnerability

I love people and I love making people laugh. I've never had problems with my friends not thinking I'm funny, the people I do have problems with just aren't my friends, easy enough. Wait for it....*badum chh!* So when I got my assignment to write and perform a monologue for my acting class, I thought it was going to be easy, breezy, beautiful, CoverGirl. But really, I saw it as my breakthrough performance on my way to becoming a stand-up comedian. The only problem was, there was one rule to the monologue. It had to be a conversation you would have with someone, telling them something, if you knew there were no consequences.

When I found that out, my "funny plans" came to a hault. I tell jokes like it's my job, that's not something I would hold back or worry about having consequences. My classmates wrote ones on abusive boyfriends, backstabbing best friends, and alcoholic brothers. Not exactly the most uplifting way to start off your day on a Tuesday or Thursday.

It's tough for me to speak in public when it's required. I always try to convince myself that I talk to my friends all day long, why should this be any different? But then one of my other personalities comes out and points out that it is waaayyy different. With the monologue, it's definitely hard because of the vulnerability factor. When I perform mine, it will be about a situation that no one knows about. Not to mention, it will be in front of people who aren't my close friends. I'm going to suck it up but I would much rather pout because I don't get to be funny.

My Life's Soundtrack

I. love. music. I constantly have music on in my room, I can't stand to sit in silence. I am one of those people that really wishes they came with their own theme song or background music. I think I have a song to suit every situation that I have ever or will ever face in life. Examples to follow.

Birth: I'm Coming Out by Diana Ross.
Soc-Hop: Sandstorm by Darude.
High School Graduation: Vienna by Billy Joel.
Reflection on Missions Trip: Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath.
College Decision Week: Boston by Augustana.
First Dance at Wedding: Until You by Dave Barnes.
Any Saturday: Saturday by The Rocket Summer.
Motivation in Basketball: Jock Jams Volume 1.
Should the Clock Strike 5:19: 5:19 by Matt Wertz.
Death: Meant to Live by Switchfoot.

I feel like in my small library of music there is a song to describe every emotion I've ever felt, every situation I've ever experienced, and every event I have ever witnessed. That just blows my mind.

Nose Goes

In occured to me today. I take my nose for granted all too often. When I was a kid I only made projects that smelled delicious. Whether that be accomplished via scratch-n-sniff stickers or my personal favorite, the smelly markers that all smelled like something that was the color of the marker. I was fascinated by the fact that they could get one thing to smell like a totally different thing. As I passed the construction site of Caruth this morning, it smelled like bananas. I swear, it reminded me of the yellow marker mixed with banana flavored Runt candies. It was the weirdest thing, and I absolutely loved it.

It got me thinking about how much I love the sense of smell. Without it many things in the world would seem much more dull and lifeless. I wish, though, that everything smelled like fruit, like the pile of mess that was once Caruth. How much happier would you be if you came home and your room smelled like an apple orchard? What if the hallways of Umphrey Lee smelled like strawberries instead of lettuce (if you haven't noticed that go up there, I am not making that up)? I think we would all be in better moods if the world smelled better. I should try it, carry around my bottle of apple Febreeze until my mission to brighten everyone's day is complete. I'll let you know how it goes.