It’s Saturday night and I’m feeling good. The end of job number two is in my sights, but what’s more, I know a little more about how to structure the next proposal so I don’t end up with the same frustration of endless edits.
Oddly, just half an hour ago I was dragging my feet, feeling pretty antsy, wanting to be done. I was hesitating to start some tolerance and drawing analysis. Then I realized it was because I wasn’t sure whether or not to postpone and incorporate some changes. Postponing means telling my client that the edits will be part of the next job. Me wanting to keep clients happy, even at times to my detriment, wars with that. But as soon as I decided I definitely want to finish this job as is and save the edits for the “finishing touches” job my client already proposed, I felt free. And I rocked through all the tolerance analysis necessary in less than half an hour.
My client sent over another drawing this afternoon with an entirely different and difficult to model concept, but I am able to just smile this time. Firstly because the new idea is truly beautiful and I’m glad to get to bring it to life. But more because I’ve already made the decision that additional edits are going to be part of the next cycle, not this one. So a new concept is fine — I’ll get paid for it.
Hurrah for money coming in. Speaking of which, I pulled money from an ATM today from my American account equaling the amount I earned last month. That’s a good feeling, like my first real paycheck. [Pinnochio voice] “I’m a real designer!”
So, I’m almost done with the drawings and assemblies, with just a few footnotes needing to be added before I can send that s*** and close the project.