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Late last year I discovered a contest set up by Weiden + Kennedy . They were seeking people . People to work at W+K. Applicants were asked to submit a 20 page or less 11"x19" PDF. No other criteria were specified although companion emails hinted at telling a story.
I am not a graphic artist, but I can envision ideas, even if I cannot create them. My work in PowerPoint has taught me that I you can create professional looking results with stock photography and some photoshop skills.
I created an entry for the contest. I spent a *lot* of time on it. It was over the holiday period which afforded a little more time than typically available.
I love coming up with ideas. I could have come up with 100's of ideas for this contest. I actually would have preferred more criteria for the contest as I believe that would have showcased my creative thinking skills much more.
What should I submit? A 20-page portfolio? That seemed way too lazy. Not only that, but I didn't have a portfolio. What about a single page? A single page ad perhaps? That was scary. Putting all of your eggs in one basket. I could have done something in between, but I felt that made less of a statement.
I was torn between creating a PDF about me and creating a PDF showing what I was capable of. I ended up doing a mixture. I was personal and vulnerable. I was honest and open. I have shown some friends and received an awesome response. I went back to the PDF after a month or so and was very pleased with what I created. I am most proud of one single page. It shows my love of music.
I often wonder if people notice that the letters at the beginning of the lines correspond to the letters e,g,b,d,f?
I received a sticker from W+K recently indicating I was not one of the 40 selected to go on to the next stage. Part of me is relieved. A bigger part of me is dissapointed. It would have been a grand adventure. Even though I was ultimately rejected, I am glad for the experience. My only complaint is that I got no feedback on my subsmission.
As an aside, the domain seekingrejection.com is available. Maybe someone with lots of time on their hands can create a showcase site for W+K Seeking rejects?
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